The government of St. Petersburg has decided to restrict the employment of foreign citizens as taxi drivers within the city until the end of 2025. This was reported by “Meduza” based on information from the city administration. According to officials, this restriction is aimed at creating new job opportunities for Russian citizens and improving the safety of transportation services.
According to the information, the Governor of St. Petersburg, Alexander Beglov, signed a special decree. Under this decree, foreign citizens working on a patent basis will be deprived of the right to work in the field of “passenger taxis and rented passenger vehicles with a driver.” This decision will remain in force until the end of 2025. That means only Russian citizens will be allowed to work as taxi drivers in the city for the next one and a half years.
Due to the introduction of this new rule, taxi companies currently employing migrant drivers have been granted a three-month transition period. During this time, they must terminate current employment contracts and hire new, local drivers. The decree officially takes effect on August 7, 2025.
According to the city administration’s statement, the restriction is intended to improve the quality and safety of taxi services and create jobs for the local population. At the same time, attention is also given to maintaining economic and social stability in the city.
Officials state that implementing this restriction until the end of 2025 will allow them to assess its socio-economic impact and determine whether similar measures are necessary in 2026. It is noted that the decision had been discussed for several months, and initially, there were plans to prohibit foreigners from working as couriers starting July 1, 2025.
It is worth noting that this is not the first case of restricting migrant labor in Russia. Since 2015, various regions of the country have introduced different limitations on foreign workers. In the past year, bans on foreign taxi drivers have also been reported in Tatarstan, Kamchatka, and the Omsk region.
The Zamin.uz editorial team will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates based on official information.
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