In St. Petersburg, there are plans to significantly increase the list of industries where foreign citizens obtaining work permits via a patent will be prohibited from being employed. These new restrictions could potentially affect citizens of Uzbekistan.
It is proposed to add retail trade of food products, as well as fitness centers and sports clubs, hairdressers, beauty salons, and massage parlors to the list of prohibited sectors. Furthermore, it is possible that the restrictions will extend to sanatoriums and resorts, sanitary and epidemiological services, and forensic medical examination institutions.
If this document is adopted, employers will be given until December 1, 2026, to adapt their staffing tables in accordance with the updated regulations. It is important to note that this regulation applies exclusively to foreigners working in Russia based on a patent; citizens of EAEU countries and foreigners with a residence permit are exempt from these patent restrictions.
Currently, bans on hiring foreign workers via a patent in the taxi and courier delivery sectors are already in effect in St. Petersburg. Previously, an idea was discussed between Russia and Uzbekistan to create a single center for citizens heading to work in the Russian Federation, where testing, medical examinations, biometric data collection, fingerprinting, and document verification were planned before departure.