The city government's document, reported by Fontanka and Meduza, extends the restriction until the end of the year. Officials at Smolny cited the fight against undeclared employment, saying the measure is meant to create a transparent, regulated labor market in which jobs are created for Russian citizens.
The ban does not apply to citizens of the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union — Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. Foreigners holding work permits, including highly qualified specialists, are also exempt.
In August of last year the city introduced a similar ban for taxi drivers and couriers. Those restrictions were extended through 2026.
The St. Petersburg decision fits a broader federal trend of tightening migration policy, The Insider notes. The new wave of restrictions followed the March 2024 attack on the Crocus City Hall concert venue outside Moscow. In less than two years, the State Duma has passed at least 30 laws on migration.
Among other measures, the authorities have restricted access to simplified Russian permanent residency through marriage, approved a new deportation regime, and barred migrant children who do not speak Russian from schools. In October it emerged that the government had cut the quota for issuing temporary residence permits to foreigners in 2027 by 21%. Over recent years the quota has fallen by more than a factor of four.