St. Petersburg authorities have drafted a resolution restricting the employment of foreign nationals working under work permits in a number of service sectors. The document is currently undergoing an anti-corruption review, Fontanka reports.

Under the draft proposal, foreign nationals holding work permits would be prohibited from providing services in the retail sector—including supermarkets, bakeries, fruit shops, and similar establishments—as well as in fitness centers, sports clubs, hair salons, and beauty and massage parlors. The restrictions would also extend to sanitary-epidemiological services and forensic medical examination organizations.

If the resolution is approved, companies operating in the listed sectors will be required to bring their staffing into compliance with the new requirements by December 1, 2026.

Similar restrictions for foreign nationals working under work permits are already in effect in the city’s taxi and courier sectors; these were introduced in 2025, subsequently extended to 2026, and a decision was later made to maintain them for 2027 as well.

A work patent in Russia is not mandatory for all foreign citizens; an exception is made for citizens of EAEU countries—Belarus, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan.