Russia and India Simplify Temporary Employment of Foreign Workers
On 12 October 2026, President Vladimir Putin signed Federal Law No. 339-FZ, ratifying the Agreement between the Governments of Russia and India on the temporary employment of nationals of one state on the territory of the other. The Agreement was signed in New Delhi on 4 December 2025. The State Duma adopted the law on 1 October 2026, the Federation Council approved it on 2 October, and it was published on 12 October 2026.
The Agreement creates a legal framework for temporary employment of Russian nationals in India and Indian nationals in Russia, with the aim of simplifying procedures. When deciding how many workers to recruit, each side will consider its own labour market needs.
Key protections for temporary workers
• Equal treatment. Pay and working conditions may not be less favourable than those of host-country nationals in the same position.
• Permit scope. Workers may only work under a valid work permit and only in the job function it covers. Working outside that function can lead to the permit being cancelled.
• Compensation on early termination. If employment ends early because the employer stops operating or reduces staff, the worker is entitled to compensation under host-country law.
• Change of employer. If at least three months remain on the work permit, the worker may sign a new contract with another employer for the remaining period.
The Agreement runs for five years and renews automatically for further periods of the same length unless either party terminates it.
For businesses, the Agreement primarily means greater planning certainty for cross-border staffing. Stable rules make it easier to schedule projects and forecast personnel costs. Companies will, however, also need to budget for possible compensation obligations and reflect them in their contract terms.
For companies with cross-border staffing plans, the next step is to assess how the forthcoming regulations will fit into existing workforce processes and how they will affect project timelines and personnel budgets. In particular, it will be necessary to coordinate with HR, legal and mobility teams on permit application deadlines and to determine which party bears responsibility if documentation is missing or incorrect. In practice, this may require reviewing employment and assignment contracts, including the allocation of responsibility, notice periods and the procedure for exchanging information between employer, worker and authorities.
The Agreement creates a legal framework for temporary employment of Russian nationals in India and Indian nationals in Russia, with the aim of simplifying procedures. When deciding how many workers to recruit, each side will consider its own labour market needs.
Key protections for temporary workers
• Equal treatment. Pay and working conditions may not be less favourable than those of host-country nationals in the same position.
• Permit scope. Workers may only work under a valid work permit and only in the job function it covers. Working outside that function can lead to the permit being cancelled.
• Compensation on early termination. If employment ends early because the employer stops operating or reduces staff, the worker is entitled to compensation under host-country law.
• Change of employer. If at least three months remain on the work permit, the worker may sign a new contract with another employer for the remaining period.
The Agreement runs for five years and renews automatically for further periods of the same length unless either party terminates it.
For businesses, the Agreement primarily means greater planning certainty for cross-border staffing. Stable rules make it easier to schedule projects and forecast personnel costs. Companies will, however, also need to budget for possible compensation obligations and reflect them in their contract terms.
For companies with cross-border staffing plans, the next step is to assess how the forthcoming regulations will fit into existing workforce processes and how they will affect project timelines and personnel budgets. In particular, it will be necessary to coordinate with HR, legal and mobility teams on permit application deadlines and to determine which party bears responsibility if documentation is missing or incorrect. In practice, this may require reviewing employment and assignment contracts, including the allocation of responsibility, notice periods and the procedure for exchanging information between employer, worker and authorities.
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