Moving to a single list for UK sanctions designations, 28 January 2026
Guidance to help business and industry use the UK Sanctions List as the single source for UK sanctions designations now that the OFSI Consolidated List of Asset Freeze Targets has closed.
Introduction
The UK government’s sanctions lists changed to a single list on Wednesday 28 January 2026. UK sanctions designations are now only detailed in the UK Sanctions List (UKSL), published by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
The Consolidated List of Asset Freeze Targets, which was published for HM Treasury by the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) is no longer being updated. It is available for reference purposes on its old page.
This guidance is to help you understand manage the change, in particular for businesses and industry that regularly use the UK Sanctions List and the OFSI Consolidated List for sanctions compliance. Your systems now need to use data from the UK Sanctions List.
What is the UK Sanctions List
The UK Sanctions List has been the primary list of sanctions designations made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (SAMLA) since launching in 2020. It provides a comprehensive list of those persons placed under sanctions through regulations made under SAMLA. The sanctions restrictions can include financial, immigration, trade or transport sanctions. This differs from the OFSI Consolidated List which provided information on those subject to UK financial sanctions only.
A single list for UK sanctions designations
The Cross-government review of sanctions implementation and enforcement announced in May 2025 that the UK will be moving to a single list for all UK sanctions designations. This is in response to industry feedback that a single list will remove duplication of effort and simplify checks of who is subject to UK sanctions.
From 9am (UK time) on Wednesday 28 January 2026, the UK Sanctions List (UKSL) became the only sanctions list which details sanctions designations published by the UK government. The OFSI Consolidated List and its search tool are no longer being updated .
What do I need to do
You will need to ensure that any systems that use the OFSI Consolidated List for sanctions screening purposes are instead using the data from the UK Sanctions List. Any systems that use ‘OFSI Group ID’ as an identifier now need to use the UK Sanctions List’s ‘Unique ID’ for new DPs.
All UK Sanctions List formats will retain historic OFSI Group ID identifiers for DPs designated prior to 28 January 2026. These historic Group IDs will remain valid for use, for example in licence applications, frozen asset or suspected breach reporting, though UKSL Unique IDs can also be used.
If you use a specialist screener or other third-party providers, you should speak to your supplier to understand the impact, if any, on data you receive.
How to manage the change
Make sure you understand the impact of the closure of the OFSI Consolidated List to you and your organisation. Alongside this guidance, we will continue to engage with businesses and industry.
The UK Sanctions List should now be used as your primary source of UK sanctions designations data.
Which format of the UK Sanctions List you use is a decision for you and your organisation.
UK Sanctions List formats
There will be no change to formatting of existing UKSL file types. New file types were published to match those offered by the OFSI Consolidated List.
Alongside the original 4 UKSL file types:
- ODT
- ODS
- XML
- HTML
an additional 3 formats are now published:
- TXT
- CSV
The URLs for each of these 7 UKSL formats on GOV.UK are now static. Having these static links means URLs for each format will stay the same no matter how many times the list is updated/refreshed. The current published format for the UKSL will otherwise not be modified, retaining the same data fields in the same order.
Details about the UKSL fields and mappings from the OFSI Consolidated List fields are available on the Format guide for the UK Sanctions List.
The ‘OFSI Group ID’ identifier is being retired
There will be a change to how newly designated persons (DPs) subject to financial sanctions are identified.
Any external systems that use ‘OFSI Group ID’ to identify DPs subject to financial sanctions will need to be updated to use the UK Sanctions List ‘Unique ID’ and ‘Sanction Type’ fields instead.
Currently all DPs and specified ships are given a ‘Unique ID’. Those DPs subject to financial sanctions are also given an ‘OFSI Group ID’.
From 28 January 2026, newly designated DPs subject to financial sanctions will not be assigned an ‘OFSI Group ID’ and will only have a ‘Unique ID’ as an identifier.
All UKSL formats will retain historic OFSI Group ID identifiers for DPs designated prior to this date. These historic Group IDs will remain valid for use, for example in licence applications, frozen asset or suspected breach reporting, though UKSL Unique IDs can also be used.
Sanctions list search tool
A UK Sanctions List search tool has been available on GOV.UK since July 2024. Filters allow users to search for DPs specifically subject to an asset freeze. The UK Sanctions List search tool has been upgraded and now offers:
- fuzzy logic search
- ranked search results
- highlighted matches
- improved downloads
Sanctions notices
Financial sanctions notices used to published when updates were made to the UK Sanctions List. These notices were published when new listings, amendments, de-listings and corrections are made for financial sanctions designations only.
Sanctions notices for all types of sanctions designations will now be published following an update to the UK Sanctions List. From 28 January 2026, new sanctions notices will be located alongside the relevant sanctions guidance at Current UK sanctions regimes. Historic notices will remain on the OFSI financial sanctions regime pages.
Russia: list of persons named in relation to financial and investment restrictions
The ‘Russia: list of persons named in relation to financial and investment restrictions’ used to be published alongside the OFSI Consolidated List. These 11 entities are still subject to specific sectoral financial and investment restrictions under Schedule 2 of the Russia regulations. This list is not part of the UK Sanctions List and is available on GOV.UK at: Russia: list of persons named in relation to financial and investment restrictions.
Checklist
Do ensure you are able to screen against the UK Sanctions List and not the OFSI Consolidated List (which is no longer being updated from 28 January 2026).
Do look at the new formats of the UK Sanctions List and the new static URLs and consider whether your systems are using the up-to-date formats and links.
Do use the upgraded UKSL search tool and not the OFSI Consolidated List search tool.
Do ensure you are signed up to get UK sanctions email alerts.
Further information
For general information on sanctions or queries that relate to the UK Sanctions List: contact the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s Sanctions Directorate on Fcdo.correspondence@fcdo.gov.uk
Webinar, Moving to a Single List for UK Sanctions Designations, December 17 2025
Moving to a Single List for UK Sanctions Designations
Webinar presentation slides
Updates to this page
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Updated to reflect the closure of the OFSI Consolidated List on 28 January 2026. The UK Sanctions List is now the only source for all UK sanctions designations.
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Added 2 new sections: 'Checklist' and 'Russia: list of persons named in relation to financial and investment restrictions'. Updated 2 sections: 'UK Sanctions List formats' and 'Sanctions List search tool'.
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First published.