New Taxi Localization Rules Entered into Force in Russia on March 1, 2026

On March 1, 2026, Federal Law No. 116-FZ dated May 23, 2025, as amended on December 29, 2025, “On Amendments to Articles 9 and 10 of the Federal Law ‘On the Organization of Passenger and Baggage Transportation by Passenger Taxi in the Russian Federation, on Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation and on Declaring Certain Provisions of Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation Invalid’” entered into force.

The law, hereinafter referred to as the “Taxi Localization Law”, introduces new requirements for passenger taxis. Under the new rules, in order for a vehicle to be included in the taxi register, it must meet one of the following requirements:

1. A certain number of vehicle components must be manufactured in the Russian Federation; or
2. The vehicle must be manufactured under a special investment contract.

Changes in Regulation

The law was adopted to support the development of the domestic automotive industry and to attract foreign investment to Russia.

Under the adopted amendments, in order for a vehicle to be included in the taxi register, one of the following requirements must be met:

• the total number of localization points must correspond to the number of points established by the Government of the Russian Federation for public procurement purposes;

• the vehicle must have been manufactured under a special investment contract concluded between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2025.

Detailed requirements for special investment contracts and the procedure for calculating localization points are set out in Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 719 dated July 17, 2015, as amended on January 27, 2026, “On Confirmation of the Production of Russian Industrial Products.”

New Procedure for Including Vehicles in the Taxi Register

1. The applicant submits an application for inclusion of information in the register through the State Information System for Industry.
2. The application must be accompanied by identification and contact details of the applicant, the special investment contract, a document establishing technical requirements for the industrial products being manufactured, the applicant’s consent to inspections by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, the applicant’s consent to assessment of compliance of the manufactured industrial products with the applicable requirements, and other documents.
3. Following the review:

A. a register entry is created; or
B. a refusal is issued; or
C. the application is returned to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation for revision.

At present, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation has published the following list of vehicle models approved for use as taxis under the new requirements:

• LADA: Granta, Iskra, Vesta, Aura, Largus, Niva Legend, Niva Travel;
• UAZ: Patriot, Hunter;
• Sollers: SP7;
• Evolute: I-PRO, I-JOY, I-SKY, I-JET, I-SPACE;
• Voyah: Free, Dream, Passion;
• Moskvich: 3, 3e, 6, 8.

Exceptions to the Law

The requirements of the law do not apply to the following categories of vehicles:

1. Vehicles owned by individuals for more than six months;
2. Vehicles included in regional passenger taxi registers before March 1, 2026, for all regions;
3. Vehicles included in the regional passenger taxi register of the Kaliningrad Region before March 1, 2028;
4. Vehicles included in the regional passenger taxi registers of constituent entities of the Russian Federation forming part of the Siberian Federal District before March 1, 2028;
5. Vehicles included before March 1, 2030 in the regional passenger taxi registers of constituent entities of the Russian Federation forming part of the Far Eastern Federal District, as well as in the regional passenger taxi registers of the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Lugansk People’s Republic, the Zaporozhye Region and the Kherson Region.

Completion of the Transition to Russian Component Production

From January 1, 2033, the only criterion for including a vehicle in the taxi register will be the number of localization points obtained.

This means that, regardless of whether a vehicle was previously included in the taxi register, from January 1, 2033 the requirements of the law will become mandatory without alternative: the vehicle must have a sufficient number of localization points.

Business Impact

Vladimir Kwon, Senior Legal Counsel at Jingsh Russia, notes that for automotive manufacturers, the announced transition period until January 1, 2033 is of key importance, as localization points will then become the sole criterion.

This means that even if a model initially met the requirements due to a special investment contract or other exemptions, in the long term manufacturers will need to build sustainable localization of production in Russia.

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