Dushanbe, 27 October. Citizens of Tajikistan may go abroad to work only from the age of 18 and only to countries where migrants' rights are protected: the rule is set for the first time in the new law "On Migration", signed by President Emomali Rahmon on 21 October and published by the parliamentary newspaper Sadoi Mardum on 23 October, the Asia-Plus agency reported.
The law replaces the previous one, in force since 1999, which set no minimum age for labour migrants. Under Article 16 of the new law, labour migration is allowed to states where migrants' rights are protected, including through international agreements and Tajikistan's bilateral treaties with host countries. The same threshold of 18 applies to foreigners coming to work in Tajikistan.
The law describes two ways of finding work abroad: independently, or through agencies and other organisations entitled to organised recruitment. For those searching on their own, the authorised state body must provide free information on vacancies, wages, working conditions, employers' requirements and the laws of the destination country. Another new provision obliges the state to help bring home the bodies of citizens who die abroad.
Labour migration is a mass phenomenon for Tajikistan. In the first half of 2026 alone, according to Russian agencies, more than 494,500 Tajik citizens entered Russia for work, second only to Uzbekistan (1.178 million). In the same period 122,600 people from Kazakhstan entered Russia to work. Unlike citizens of Eurasian Economic Union countries, Tajik citizens need a patent to work in Russia.
What it means: Tajikistan has closed the legal route abroad for teenagers seeking work and tied migrants' departure to whether their rights are protected in the host country. The state takes on more duties towards migrants, from job information to repatriating the bodies of those who die.
Who benefits: Minors, who can no longer be legally sent to work abroad. Migrants, who get free official information before leaving. Families whose income depends on teenagers' earnings may lose out; neither the law nor the agency gives estimates of how many minors left for work.
Background: Remittances from migrants are one of Tajikistan's main sources of income. Kazakhstan, like Russia, receives labour migrants from Tajikistan, who also need a patent or permit to work there.
We have also reported that trade with Tajikistan exceeded $1bn.
