St. Petersburg expands ban on migrants with labor patents working in retail, beauty and fitness

St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, has widened restrictions on foreign workers. Foreign nationals holding labor patents, a type of work authorization, can no longer take jobs in health care, hairstyling and beauty services, retail, or sports and fitness services. The ban will remain in force until the end of 2026.

The city authorities say the restrictions are needed to "combat off-the-books employment." The ban does not apply to citizens of Eurasian Economic Union member states: Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. It also does not cover foreign nationals who hold work permits rather than labor patents.

Earlier restrictions

The city introduced a similar ban last year covering taxi drivers and couriers. Those restrictions have been extended through the end of 2026.

Wider context

Russian authorities began tightening migration policy after the March 2024 terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall, a concert venue outside Moscow. Among other steps, they made it harder to obtain Russian residence permits through a fast-track process based on marriage, approved new rules for expelling migrants, and barred schools from admitting migrant children who lack sufficient Russian-language skills.