St. Petersburg Bans Migrant Patent Holders From Retail, Beauty Salon and Fitness Jobs

Authorities in St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, have banned foreign citizens with work patents from employment in retail, healthcare, beauty salons and fitness centers, local media reported on Thursday. A patent is a temporary work permit used in Russia by low-skilled foreign labor. The ban comes from a decree by Governor Alexander Beglov.

The decree builds on restrictions already in place. Last year, migrants with patents were barred in the city from working as taxi drivers and food couriers. Employers have until Dec. 15 to bring their staffing into line with the new rules.

Aims and exemptions

According to the local outlet Fontanka, the decision is meant to fight “shadow employment” and reduce the economy's reliance on low-skilled foreign labor. City authorities also say it will help create a transparent, regulated labor market in which jobs go to Russian citizens, including young people and students.

The restrictions do not cover highly qualified specialists, foreigners with work permits, or citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Other visa-free countries whose citizens can obtain a work patent in Russia include Azerbaijan, Moldova, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Wider context

Dozens of other Russian regions, as well as occupied Ukrainian territories, have already introduced similar targeted bans on foreign labor. The measures are part of a broader federal push to restrict foreign labor that followed the March 2024 terrorist attack on the Crocus City Hall concert venue. After it, Russian lawmakers passed dozens of migration restrictions that mainly affect workers from Central Asia.