The changing landscape of UK sanctions
With effect from 28 January 2026, the UK government will establish a single official sanctions list. The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) will cease to update its Consolidated List, and the UK Sanctions List (UKSL) will become the only authoritative source for UK designations. While this change simplifies compliance in many ways, it will require system updates and team retraining for many organisations, as well as verification of where their sanctions data is sourced from.
At Northdoor, our Sanctions Checker solution will be fully aligned with this update by January 2026, which means our clients will be able to continue screening without disruption, manual updates, or additional configuration once the new list goes live.
The UK Sanctions List will become the single authoritative source for designations from 28 January 2026. Make sure your systems are ready. Share on X
What’s changing?
The transition to a single unified system
Until now, the UK has maintained two overlapping lists:
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The UK Sanctions List (UKSL): Covers all designations under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018.
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The OFSI Consolidated List: Lists individuals and entities who are subject to UK financial sanctions, such as asset freezes.
As of 09:00 GMT on 28 January 2026, the OFSI list will be closed, and the UK Sanctions List will be the single source of sanctions data. All financial institutions, corporates, and service providers should ensure that their compliance systems reference the UKSL directly.
The government has stated that this shift to a single list is in response to industry feedback that managing two lists adds complexity and risk. This consolidation aims to simplify sanctions compliance for businesses and reduce duplication.
Why this change matters
The UK sanctions regime is evolving with this consolidation, and the implications for businesses are significant:
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System updates required: Organisations will need to update their sanctions-screening systems and data feeds to reference the UKSL.
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Policy revisions needed: Internal policies and controls must be revised to refer to the UKSL and not OFSI.
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Third-party verification: Companies must confirm whether their compliance tools are aligned with the new standard.
Failure to update your screening systems could result in missed designations and potential breaches of UK sanctions law. Effective sanctions compliance requires staying updated with regulatory changes like this upcoming list consolidation.
Northdoor’s Sanctions Checker: we will be prepared by 28 January 2026
Northdoor will integrate the UK sanctions list as part of our Sanctions Checker solution, ensuring:
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Full alignment with the forthcoming closure of the OFSI list
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Continuous updates using the official UKSL data source
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Automatic mapping of legacy OFSI identifiers (Group IDs) for historic designations
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Zero disruption for clients during the transition period and post-transition
Our clients can be confident that their sanctions screening will remain accurate, compliant, and current before, during, and after the January 2026 change. Understanding how OFSI sanctions will be affected by this change is crucial for compliance teams, and our solution addresses all these concerns.
What businesses should do now
We recommend that organisations:
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Check your existing data sources: ensure your sanctions screening system references the UKSL
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Engage your vendors: confirm that any third-party tools or feeds are UKSL-compliant
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Update internal documentation: revise compliance manuals, due diligence checklists, and staff training materials
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Test your systems to ensure they recognise the new UKSL identifiers
The UK government’s UK Sanctions List search tool is already live and will become the sole authoritative source from 28 January 2026. Organisations can use it to verify designations, test system recognition, and ensure alignment with the new compliance standard.
The UKSL is available in multiple formats (Excel, Word, HTML, XML), with new formats (CSV, PDF, TXT) being added before the end of 2025. A UKSL search tool is already live on gov.uk, with improvements planned to include fuzzy logic searching.
Northdoor’s team can help you audit your sanctions screening setup to prepare it for the single-list transition. Your sanctions screening system must be updated to reference the UKSL before January 2026 to maintain compliance with sanctions law.
Conclusion
The move to a single UK Sanctions List represents a positive step toward simpler, more consistent compliance. Northdoor’s Sanctions Checker solution gives you complete confidence that your screening will remain accurate, auditable, and future-proof.
Contact Northdoor today to book a free demo and see how our Sanctions Checker keeps you one step ahead of regulatory change.
Read our Sanctions Checker FAQ section here.