The UK Sanctions List consolidates designations published by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. It supports identification and screening of designated parties, while each regime determines a listing's restrictions, linking name matches with the legal prohibitions.
TL;DR:
- FCDO publishes current UK designations, identifiers and associated sanctions measures.
- Since 28 January 2026, it is the single designation source after OFSI's list closure.
- Identity, regime rules and ownership or control still need separate assessment.
Summary
The designation source maintained by FCDO
The UK Sanctions List brings together UK designations and their identifying information. Its purpose is to support implementation of the relevant sanctions measures, not to replace the underlying regulations. For a payment, the identity of the party and the restriction associated with the applicable regime must be understood together rather than treating every listed entry as subject to one identical prohibition. The restriction attached to a designation and the identity of the person involved are both needed to understand an exposure; neither is established by a name alone.
A screening result needs an identity assessment
Names, aliases and other identifiers help distinguish a listed person or entity from another party with a similar name. A potential match therefore requires assessment before it is treated as a confirmed exposure. Conversely, direct name screening alone may not capture every restriction concerning ownership or control, so the designation data and relevant financial-sanctions rules address related but different parts of the assessment.
The source changed in January 2026
The official publication states that the OFSI Consolidated List of Asset Freeze Targets closed on 28 January 2026 and is no longer updated. The UK Sanctions List is now the source for UK designations. An older saved list should therefore not be described as current merely because it came from an official site; source identity, version and subsequent amendments or revocations all matter.
Current regimes and measures remain essential
The government publishes the list in several formats and provides regime guidance and update information. A designation can be added, varied or revoked, so a saved screening file may cease to reflect the current position. There is also a separate list of entities subject to specified financial and investment restrictions under the Russia regime. Designation data, ownership or control and the legal scope of a prohibition should therefore be assessed together for the particular party and proposed transaction.
Keywords
- UK designations
- Sanctions List
- FCDO
- party identifiers
- associated measures
- listing amendments
- identity screening
- ownership control
- regime restrictions
- designation revocation