Guidance on financial sanctions

If you haven't done so already, read the guidance on financial sanctions (opens in new tab) and OFSI FAQs (opens in new tab). Part 1.3 of OFSI's sanctions general guidance (opens in new tab) explains the most common types of financial sanctions.

Apply for a financial sanctions licence from OFSI

It is prohibited to deal with funds or economic resources which are owned, held or controlled by a designated person (DP), unless the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has issued a licence that permits your proposed activity to take place or an applicable exception applies.

Before you apply

Before you apply for a licence, check whether what you plan to do is already covered by a General Licence (GL) (opens in new tab). If a GL which covers your proposed activity already exists, and the activity would fall within the time period of the GL, a specific licence is not required.

Apply for a licence or amend an existing application

You can use this service to:

• Make a new application for a licence, or
• Amend an application.

You cannot save your progress. So before you start an application, prepare:

• Detailed information about the transactions (for example the value of the goods or services, parties to the contract, dates of future transactions, details of all involved parties)
• A detailed explanation of why you think the proposed transaction falls within one or more of the available licencing grounds (licensing grounds are listed later in this form)
• A detailed explanation of the sanctions regime which you are applying under, the sanctions which you believe are engaged, the licensing ground which you believe applies and why
• For frozen assets, bank details - payment method, account details, payment route details and whether funds are available for payments
• Copies of documents to support your application - for example, retainer agreement or letter of engagement, memoranda or articles of association, trust deeds, lease agreements, contracts, quotations from suppliers. Please highlight the relevant sections.

Tips

• It is your responsibility to apply for a licence in good time. Please see part 6.11 of the UK financial sanctions general guidance (opens in new tab), 'Licensing timeframes'

• See OFSI's licence process blog (opens in new tab)

• See our travel licensing guidance (opens in new tab)

• See our reasonableness blog (opens in new tab)

• A licence cannot be issued for activity which happened in the past, or where there is no UK nexus

• A licence which has expired cannot be amended, a new application is needed

• The form times out after 20 hours of inactivity, so you can prepare answers in a Word (or other) document, save them, then paste the information onto the form

• Read through all your information to check it includes everything required by OFSI, and it makes sense

• Avoid repeating information

• Ensure any figures add up correctly.

{button start} Apply or amend an application (opens in new tab) {/button}

Other types of licence

It’s your responsibility to apply for any other licences you need to undertake your proposed activity. For example, you may need to apply for a trade sanctions licence (opens in new tab) if you’re exporting goods or services. OFSI suggests that where another licence is required, Applicants apply for these licences in good time. OFSI makes financial sanctions licensing decisions on a case by case basis. Any application made by you to another UK Government department will be processed by that department within their own procedures. Please ensure that the correct application is sent to the corresponding department.

Information on UK sanctions currently in place and how to apply for the appropriate licences can be found here (opens in new tab))

UK sanctions competent authorities can be found at UK sanctions regimes (opens in new tab) under 'more information'.

Legal advice

OFSI does not provide legal advice on licence applications and any views are not determinative of questions of law. If in any doubt, for example, where complex or unclear circumstances exist in relation to the matters to which your application relates, you should consider taking independent legal advice.