The authorities in the Nizhny Novgorod region have prohibited foreign nationals from taking up taxi work under patent-based arrangements, a move outlined in the regional government’s decree. This document makes clear the 2024 prohibition on employing foreign citizens in labor activities that rely on patents within a range of economic activities by local commercial entities, including passenger taxi services and chauffeur-driven rental cars.
As a result, commercial organizations operating in the region are required to terminate the employment of all foreign workers within the next three months at the latest. The decree specifies that the measure will become effective ten days after it is officially published. This timeline sets a firm schedule for compliance by taxi and ride-services providers who previously relied on patent-based labor arrangements.
Earlier actions from neighboring Samara region officials restricted immigrant work in education and in the transport sector, with similar constraints also affecting recruitment agencies. The regional government also noted that regional governor Dmitry Azarov has directed law enforcement bodies to monitor the implementation of the decree closely, ensuring adherence to the new rules across affected industries.
Questions have circulated about penalties for non-compliance. Observers are watching to see how authorities interpret the new provisions in 2024 and what fines or sanctions will be applied to organizations or individuals who continue to employ foreign workers beyond the permitted window, or who fail to comply with the patent-based employment ban. (attribution: Nizhny Novgorod regional government decree, 2024)