Screening a counterparty means checking it, its owners and its managers against the official sanctions lists that bind you. The UN list binds all member states; the US, UK and EU each publish their own lists, and the UK moved to a single UK Sanctions List on 28 January 2026. Lists only show named persons, so ownership rules such as OFAC's 50 percent rule must be applied on top.
The official lists
The UN Security Council Consolidated List includes every individual and entity subject to Security Council measures; each sanctions committee also publishes its own list. National systems give effect to it: the UAE requires anyone to freeze funds of persons on the UN list or the UAE Local Terrorist List within 24 hours, Saudi Arabia has a permanent committee implementing Chapter VII resolutions, and Singapore applies UN targeted financial sanctions through MAS regulations and regulations under the United Nations Act.
OFAC publishes the Specially Designated Nationals List, which also lists blocked vessels and aircraft, and a separate consolidated set of non-SDN lists; its Sanctions List Search applies fuzzy matching across both. The UK closed the OFSI Consolidated List, and since 28 January 2026 the UK Sanctions List is the only source for UK designations. The European Commission publishes the consolidated list of persons subject to EU financial sanctions and the EU Sanctions Map; France's Treasury keeps a national register of all national, EU and UN freezes in force in France.123456789
Ownership and control
Lists name designated persons but not every company they own. Under OFAC's 50 percent rule, an entity owned 50% or more in aggregate by blocked persons is itself blocked even if not listed, so screening must extend to the ownership chain established in the counterparty checks. EU sanctions are adopted by the Council by unanimity and become law on publication in the Official Journal; national competent authorities, such as OFSI in the UK and the Trésor in France, handle implementation, licences and reporting.1011129
| List | Published by | What it covers | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UN Security Council Consolidated List | UN Security Council | All individuals and entities subject to Security Council measures | Implemented nationally (e.g. UAE 24-hour freeze) | Saudi MOFA; UAE Cabinet Decision 74 of 2020 |
| SDN List | OFAC (US Treasury) | Designated individuals, entities, groups, vessels and aircraft | 50 percent rule extends to owned entities | OFAC |
| Non-SDN consolidated files | OFAC | Other OFAC sanctions lists | Searchable with SDN in Sanctions List Search | OFAC |
| UK Sanctions List | UK Government | All UK sanctions designations | Sole source since 28 Jan 2026; OFSI list closed | GOV.UK |
| EU consolidated financial sanctions list | European Commission | Persons, groups and entities under EU financial sanctions | Reflects Official Journal texts | European Commission |
| Registre national des gels | Direction générale du Trésor | National, EU and UN freezes in force in France | Consolidated view for France | DG Trésor |
Decisions to make
- Which sanctions regimes bind the business, its banks and its staff?15784UN measures bind all member states, while US, UK and EU lists apply according to nationality, location and currency; banks may apply them contractually.
- Who owns the counterparty, and do designated persons together hold 50% or more?10Under OFAC's 50 percent rule such entities are blocked even if unlisted.
- Is the screening tool using the current UK source?7The OFSI Consolidated List closed; the UK Sanctions List has been the only source since 28 January 2026.
- What must happen if a match is found in the UAE?2Funds must be frozen within 24 hours of listing and reported to the authorities.
Documents usually needed
- Screening record showing lists checked, date, search terms and match decisions
- Ownership chart used to apply ownership-based rules
- Contract sanctions clause and representations from the counterparty
- Escalation and freezing procedure, including authority contacts
Common mistakes
- Screening only the company name and not its owners, directors and banks
- Still pulling UK data from the closed OFSI Consolidated List
- Treating an unlisted company as clear when designated persons own 50% or more of it
- Relying on a single commercial database without checking the official list when a near match appears
Questions businesses ask
Which UK list should we screen against now?
The UK Sanctions List. The OFSI Consolidated List has closed, and since 28 January 2026 the UK Sanctions List is the only source for all UK designations.7
Is there one EU list?
The European Commission publishes a consolidated list of persons, groups and entities subject to EU financial sanctions, reflecting the texts published in the Official Journal.811
If a company is not on the SDN list, is it safe to deal with under US rules?
Not necessarily. Entities owned 50% or more in aggregate by blocked persons are treated as blocked even if they are not named.10
What this guide does not yet confirm
These points need checking with a qualified local professional before you rely on them.
- India's implementation of UN sanctions and its lists of designated terrorists and organisations were not researched.
- The UN's own consolidated list page could not yet be checked; its description comes from the Saudi foreign ministry.
- The current UK Sanctions List page itself could not yet be checked, only the notice of the OFSI list's closure.
- Germany's national implementation (Bundesbank and BAFA roles) and Saudi national lists were not researched.
- Adverse media, politically exposed person and enforcement-database sources for reputational screening were not covered.
Sources and review status
Each statement is numbered to the source it was checked against. We use official sources where we can, and each statement says whether it was checked against an official or a secondary source. Sources last checked on 19 October 2026. None of it has been professionally reviewed yet: it is research checked against official and secondary sources by WONE Global, not legal or tax advice.
The UN Security Council Consolidated List includes all individuals and entities subject to measures imposed by the Security Council, while each sanctions committee publishes its own list of names and the measures that apply. UN Member States must implement the measures; questions on the list go to the UN Secretariat.
The UN's own page (un.org, redirecting to main.un.org) could not yet be checked; the description is taken from the Saudi foreign ministry page.
Any person in the UAE must freeze, without prior notice, funds owned or controlled by persons on the UN Sanctions List or the UAE Local Terrorist List within 24 hours of the listing decision. Applies to all persons in the UAE; financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses must also screen records and transactions (Article 21).
In Saudi Arabia, a permanent committee implements UN Security Council Chapter VII resolutions, liaises with UN sanctions committees, can instruct Saudi authorities to amend or lift a freezing measure, and receives de-listing requests. National. The page does not describe a separate Saudi national list.
MAS gives effect to United Nations Security Council targeted financial sanctions for all financial institutions in Singapore through the Financial Services and Markets Regulations, while regulations made by the Minister for Law under the United Nations Act 2001 apply to non-financial institutions and natural persons in Singapore. Financial institutions must screen customers, including beneficial owners, against the designated lists. MAS has also issued financial measures in relation to Russia and to violent Israeli settlers. Banks and counterparties may additionally apply US, EU or UK sanctions under contract.
Corrected: the earlier scope said Singapore does not generally adopt unilateral sanctions; the MAS page lists financial measures in relation to Russia (MAS Notice SNR-N01) and violent Israeli settlers (SNR-N03), so that wording was removed.
OFAC's Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List contains individuals, entities and groups designated by OFAC and lists maritime vessels and aircraft blocked by OFAC. Federal.
OFAC publishes its non-SDN sanctions lists as a separate consolidated set of data files, and its Sanctions List Search tool applies fuzzy name matching across both the SDN and non-SDN lists. Federal. The Sanctions List Service also lets users build custom datasets by list and programme.
The OFSI Consolidated List of asset freeze targets closed, and from 28 January 2026 the UK Sanctions List is the only source for all UK sanctions designations. United Kingdom; financial and trade sanctions designations.
The European Commission publishes a consolidated list of individuals, groups and organisations subject to EU financial sanctions, which reflects the adopted texts published in the Official Journal of the EU, and an EU Sanctions Map detailing all EU sanctions regimes and their legal acts. EU Member States. The consolidated list is published as the Financial Sanctions Files.
France's Direction générale du Trésor keeps a national register of all national, EU and UN asset-freezing measures in force in France, and directs businesses to the French and EU Official Journals to identify designated persons. National. Unresolved name matches can be referred to the Trésor through its homonymy procedure.
Under OFAC's 50 percent rule, entities owned 50 percent or more in the aggregate, directly or indirectly, by one or more blocked persons are themselves treated as blocked, even if not named on the sanctions list. Federal; OFAC programmes. Indirect ownership through other entities counts. Control without majority ownership is not captured by the rule but can still create risk.
Only the question text and opening of FAQ 401 were visible on the index page; the full FAQ page could not yet be checked. The point on control is general knowledge, not from the page.
EU sanctions are proposed jointly by the Commission and the High Representative and adopted by the Council of the EU by unanimity, become applicable EU law when published in the Official Journal, and are implemented mainly by Member States' national competent authorities. EU Member States.
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, part of HM Treasury, implements and enforces UK financial sanctions, including the Russian oil price cap. Trade sanctions are handled separately.
Questions on this topic
12 statements on sanctions and reputational screening sources
