How to check a name against US, UK, EU and UN sanctions lists

Last checked: 20 October 2026 · How to check

Each sanctions authority publishes its own list. In the US, OFAC's Sanctions List Search covers the SDN List and the Non-SDN Consolidated Sanctions List ¹. The UK Sanctions List, kept by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, is the only source for UK designations ⁵. The European Commission keeps the EU consolidated financial sanctions list ⁶, and the UN publishes a Security Council Consolidated List ⁷. A name hit is a lead to check, not proof ⁴.

US tool: OFAC Sanctions List Search, covering the SDN List and the Non-SDN Consolidated Sanctions List ¹
UK list: UK Sanctions List, searchable at search-uk-sanctions-list.service.gov.uk, page updated 16 October 2026 ⁵
EU list: Consolidated list of persons, groups and entities subject to EU financial sanctions, managed by DG FISMA ⁶
UN list: UN Security Council Consolidated List, 736 individuals and 274 entities as of 15 October 2026 ⁷
US visa records: Confidential under 8 U.S.C. 1202(f) ⁸

United States: OFAC Sanctions List Search

OFAC's Sanctions List Search looks for potential matches on the SDN List and on the Non-SDN Consolidated Sanctions List ¹. The non-SDN list includes the Foreign Sanctions Evaders List, the Sectoral Sanctions Identifications List and other lists ¹. OFAC keeps lists of persons under non-blocking sanctions, apart from the SDN List ⁹.

A search can miss a blocked company. Under OFAC's 50 Percent Rule, an entity owned 50 percent or more in the aggregate by blocked persons is considered blocked, and OFAC's FAQ does not say such entities are added to the SDN List ¹⁰.

To confirm whether a name was removed, or when an entry was added or changed, OFAC points users to its FAQ 466 on the SDN List page ⁴.

How fuzzy matching works

Sanctions List Search can return a broader set of results than exact matches by using fuzzy logic ². The fuzzy logic applies only to the name field, and it uses character and string matching as well as phonetic matching ². Other fields use character matching only ².

Each result gets a score. OFAC says the tool uses two algorithms, Jaro-Winkler, a string difference algorithm, and Soundex, a phonetic algorithm, and shows the higher of the two scores ³.

United Kingdom, European Union and United Nations

UK: The UK Sanctions List names people, entities and ships designated or specified under regulations made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018, with the reasons ⁵. The OFSI Consolidated List of Asset Freeze Targets closed on 28 January 2026 and is no longer updated ⁵. The list comes in formats including XML, CSV and PDF ⁵.
EU: The European Commission's consolidated list covers persons, groups and entities subject to EU financial sanctions. It reflects the texts published in the Official Journal of the EU, where sanctions decisions become applicable EU law ⁶. The EU Sanctions Map sets out EU sanctions regimes and their legal acts ⁶.
UN: The Security Council Consolidated List includes all individuals and entities subject to measures imposed by the Security Council, across regimes run by separate committees ⁷. A search tool is hosted at search.sanctions.un.org ⁷. UN member states are obliged to implement the measures for each listed name ⁷.

What a match means

A hit is a starting point. OFAC advises that after a match, the user should do more research, for example whether the name is an exact or very close match and whether the customer is in the same general area as the listed entry ⁴. If there are many similarities, OFAC asks users to contact its hotline for verification ⁴.

False positives happen. OFAC's FAQ refers to a match that may be a "false hit" ⁴. A person mistaken for a listed person with a similar name should contact the OFAC Compliance Hotline, not the delisting process ⁴.

If property of a blocked person is confirmed, the holder must block it and report it to OFAC within 10 business days ⁹.

Result	What it shows	Next step
Exact name, matching details ⁴	Possible true match ⁴	Check identifiers and contact the OFAC hotline ⁴
Similar name, different details ⁴	Possible false hit ⁴	Research the other identifiers before deciding ⁴
No hit ¹	No listing found under that spelling on that list ¹	Check owners for the 50 percent rule and check other lists ^5,6 ^7,10

What a search cannot show: visa restrictions

Sanctions lists are not visa records. Under 8 U.S.C. 1202(f), records of the State Department and of diplomatic and consular offices on the issuance or refusal of visas are confidential ⁸. So no public list search can confirm whether a named person was refused a US visa or is ineligible for one.

A clean result on these lists says nothing about US visa status. It shows only that the name was not found on the lists searched ^1,8.

Common questions

Where do I search the OFAC list?

Use Sanctions List Search on the OFAC website. It searches the SDN List and the Non-SDN Consolidated Sanctions List ¹.

Why did the OFAC search show a name that is not my customer?

The tool uses fuzzy logic with phonetic matching, so it returns similar names ². OFAC calls such results possible false hits and advises further research ⁴.

Is the OFSI Consolidated List still in use?

No. It closed on 28 January 2026. The UK Sanctions List is now the only source for UK designations ⁵.

Can I check if someone has a US visa ban?

Not through a public database. US visa records are confidential under 8 U.S.C. 1202(f) ⁸.

Does the UN list apply in my country?

UN member states are obliged to implement the measures tied to each name on the Consolidated List ⁷.

Rules and fees change. Check the official site linked above before you apply or pay. Spotted an error? Email hello@sanctionsexplained.org with the official link.

Sources

OFAC sanctions explained
What OFAC sanctions are, the legal basis under IEEPA, the SDN List, blocking, the 50 percent rule, licenses and how delisting works.
Global Magnitsky sanctions explained
The Global Magnitsky Act of 2016 and Executive Order 13818: who can be designated, what designation does, and examples from Treasury releases.
US visa restrictions under INA section 212(a)(3)(C)
How the foreign policy visa ground in 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)(C) works, who decides, how visa records are kept confidential and what it covers.
Section 7031(c) designations explained
How Section 7031(c) of the annual State Department appropriations act bars officials and their families from US entry and how it differs from OFAC.