The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) has released statistics on labor migrants for the period from January to September 2026. According to the data, the total number of foreign workers currently engaged in labor activities in Russia on the basis of a patent is 1,504,421. This figure is 400,000 lower compared to the same period last year.
According to the statistics, the city of Moscow maintains its lead among regions in terms of the number of migrants working under patents. During the first nine months of the current year, 437,650 foreign specialists were registered in the capital.
The top five regions receiving the most migrants included the Moscow Region (268,120), St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region (162,410), the Sverdlovsk Region (38,590), and Tatarstan (36,250).
It should be noted that the rules for obtaining and extending patents for foreign citizens working in Russia are under constant monitoring, and migrants are required to ensure that all documents comply with legal requirements and that there are no outstanding tax or fine debts.
