From 9:00 am (UK time) on Wednesday, 28 January 2026, the UK government will consolidate its sanctions lists into a single authoritative source: the UK Sanctions List (UKSL). This marks the retirement of the OFSI Consolidated List of Asset Freeze Targets and its associated search tool. [gov.uk]
Why the Change?
Currently, UK sanctions designations are published in two separate lists:
- UK Sanctions List (UKSL) – covering all sanctions under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (SAMLA).
- OFSI Consolidated List – detailing financial sanctions only.
This dual system has often led to duplication and complexity for businesses and compliance teams. Following a cross-government review and industry feedback, the move to a single list aims to:
- Simplify compliance processes
- Reduce duplication of effort
- Minimise risk of errors [assets.pub…ice.gov.uk]
What Will Change?
- UKSL becomes the sole source for all UK sanctions designations.
- The OFSI Consolidated List and its search tool will no longer be updated after 28 January 2026.
- UKSL will continue to include comprehensive details of designated persons, entities, and ships, along with applicable sanctions measures (financial, immigration, trade, transport). [gov.uk]
How to Prepare
Businesses and compliance teams should:
- Update systems to source data exclusively from the UK Sanctions List.
- Ensure any processes relying on the OFSI Group ID or the Consolidated List are revised.
- Familiarise themselves with the UKSL formats (CSV, PDF, TXT, XML, HTML) and the upgraded search tool, which will include:
- Fuzzy search
- Ranked results
- Highlighted matches
- Improved download options [assets.pub…ice.gov.uk]
Key Dates
- 13 October 2025: Announcement of OFSI list retirement.
- 3 December 2025: New UKSL formats published.
- 17 December 2025: Government webinar explaining the transition.
- Mid-late January 2026: Upgraded UKSL search tool goes live.
- 28 January 2026: OFSI Consolidated List retired; UKSL becomes the single source. [assets.pub…ice.gov.uk]
Further Information
For detailed guidance and resources, visit the official GOV.UK page. [gov.uk]