For employers
Two limits apply at once: the entry quota for visa countries and the permitted share of foreign nationals in your workforce. We explain both, calculate your limit by activity code and region, and then fill the requirement.
The market
Foreign labour reaches Russia through two channels with fundamentally different mechanics. Knowing which one you are in determines both the timeline and the budget.
| Parameter | Visa-free channel | Visa channel |
|---|---|---|
| Countries | Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, EAEU states | India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, China |
| Quota | not required | required, applied for a year ahead |
| Engagement permit | not required | required |
| Worker’s document | patent; not needed for EAEU citizens | work permit |
| Who obtains it | the worker | the employer |
| Time to arrival | 3–5 weeks | 5–8 weeks |
| Qualifications | construction, warehousing, utilities, logistics | welding, CNC, garment and food production |
| Contract length | usually 1 year or less | usually 2 years |
Quotas
A quota is the ceiling on work permits issued to nationals of visa countries. It is distributed by region and by trade, and the employer applies in advance, for the following calendar year.
The practical consequence: if in August you discover you need Indian welders and your company has no quota, the answer is not sourcing but planning for the next cycle.
The second limit
A quota limits entry. The permitted share limits how many foreign nationals may sit in your headcount — regardless of where they came from or what documents they hold.
| Activity | Activity code | Share for 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | section F | 50% | was 80 |
| Growing vegetables | 01.13.1 | 40% | was 50 |
| Forestry and logging | 02 | 40% | was 50 |
| Wood processing | 16 | 40% | was 50 |
| Wholesale of timber | 46.73.1 | 40% | was 50 |
| Wholesale of sawn wood | 46.73.2 | 40% | was 50 |
| Retail sale of alcohol | 47.25.1 | 0% | prohibited |
| Retail sale of tobacco | 47.26 | 0% | prohibited |
| Retail sale of medicines | 47.73 | 0% | prohibited |
| Retail trade in non-stationary outlets and markets | 47.8 | 0% | prohibited |
| Other retail trade outside shops | 47.99 | 0% | prohibited |
| Land passenger transport | 49.3 | 24% | unchanged |
| Road freight transport | 49.41 | 24% | unchanged |
| Food and beverage service | 56 | 50% | new |
| Real estate management | 68.32 | 70% | unchanged |
| Buildings and grounds services | 81 | 70% | unchanged |
| Other sports activities | 93.19 | 25% | unchanged |
FAQ
The maximum number of work permits for nationals of visa countries, distributed by region and trade. The employer applies in advance for the following calendar year. No quota is required for nationals of visa-free countries.
A quota limits the issuing of work permits for visa countries. The permitted share limits the percentage of foreign nationals in your average headcount and applies regardless of country or documents. Both must be observed simultaneously.
3–5 weeks through the visa-free channel and 5–8 weeks through the visa channel where a quota exists. The fastest option — 7–10 days — is only possible for candidates already in Russia with valid documents.
Decree No. 1995 lists, in a separate clause, territories where the construction share does not apply, and Moscow is on that list together with St Petersburg, Moscow Oblast and Leningrad Oblast. The wording is tied to specific sub-clauses, so we run the calculation for your exact activity code and region and send it with a reference to the clause.
The phrase "foreign labour" comes from Russian regulatory documents, and they carry the logic of the regulation: the state manages the flow rather than the people — through entry quotas and through a share in the workforce. An employer has to satisfy both limits at once, and they are unrelated to each other.
Applies only to visa countries. It defines how many work permits may be issued in your region for your trades. Applications are filed in advance for the following year, which makes visa hiring an exercise in planning a cycle ahead rather than a response to an urgent need.
Applies to all foreign workers regardless of nationality. For 2026 the shares are set by Government Decree No. 1995 of 5 December 2025 and were cut almost across the board: construction 50% instead of 80%, forestry, wood processing and vegetable growing 40%, retail sale of alcohol, tobacco and medicines 0%, road freight transport 24%. The decree separately lists territories where the general share for a given activity does not apply — for construction that list includes Moscow, St Petersburg, Moscow Oblast and Leningrad Oblast.
This is why the calculation is only valid for a specific pair of activity code and region, not for an industry in general. We run that calculation free of charge before any work starts — it takes one business day and removes most of the risk.
Not because of cost. In volume blue-collar trades any saving on the wage rate has long been eaten by documents, travel and accommodation. The real reason is availability: applications per line vacancy have collapsed, and a search for a qualified welder or CNC operator on the domestic market stretches into months. Foreign labour solves a staffing problem, not a cost problem, and it should be planned on that basis.
Send us your positions and timeline — we will come back with pricing, start dates and the legal setup. First shortlist within 48–72 hours.
We'll send pricing, lead times and the paperwork involved for your positions. No commitment.