Guidance

UK Sanctions List search tool: user guide

Updated 13 February 2026

This user guide accompanies the UK Sanctions List search tool. It sets out the functions and features of the search tool, how it works and how to use it.

The search tool can be used to find individuals, entities and ships subject to UK sanctions (designated persons and specified ships). Each entry shows the details held on the UK Sanctions List. Prohibitions also apply in relation to unlisted entities that are owned or controlled by a designated person.

For guidance on how to use the list to identify persons subject to financial sanctions, refer to section 2.2 of OFSI’s general guidance.

Reliance on, or use of, the search tool or its results does not limit any criminal or civil liability or reduce the obligation to undertake due diligence.

Overview of search features

The user enters a search term or search terms into the search box. The search tool takes each sequence of letters, numbers, or non-Latin characters separated by a space or other punctuation and searches for matches within multiple fields of the data held in the sanctions list.

This means you can search for names, addresses, identification numbers, or other data types. The search is not case sensitive.

The search tool has multiple features to help determine if a person, entity, or ship is included on the UK Sanctions List. These include:

• Exact matches and partial matches of a search term

• Fuzzy searching

• Exact word or phrase

• Highlighting of search matches

• Multi-select filters 

• Search URLs 

• Results ranking  

How the search works

The search can return 3 types of result:

1. Exact matches
2. Partial matches
3. Fuzzy matches

Each sequence of letters, numbers, or non-Latin characters separated by a space or other punctuation is a search term.

The search tool will return exact matches against any entered term and partial matches against any single entered term or against the last entered term (if more than one term is entered). These behaviours cannot be disabled.

Exact matches

When a complete search term is found within the list’s data, separated by a space or other punctuation, this is an ‘exact match’.

If 2 or more search terms are entered then they are searched for independently, returning entries that contain any of the searched terms.

For example, if you enter Alpha Bravo the search will return all entries that contain:

• Alpha and Bravo
• Alpha
• Bravo

Entries containing exact matches are always shown first in the list of results.

Partial matches

Partial matches are when a search term is found as part of a longer word with the same initial character. For example, a search for Alp returns entries such as Alpha or Alphabet.

To get results for a partial match, enter just one search term.

If you enter more than one term, the tool looks for entries that contain an exact match for the first term(s) and a partial match for the last term only. Because of this, you may not see partial matches when multiple terms are used.

For example, a search for Alpha Gam would return an entry for Alpha Gamma, but not Beta Gamma, since the term Alpha is not also present. If no entries are an exact match with ‘Alpha’, then no results would be returned.

Partial matches are ranked below exact matches. See How results are ranked for more details.

Widening your search with fuzzy search

Fuzzy matches are those with close spellings and small variations to the search terms. This can help you find alternate spellings of names or transliterations.

Fuzzy search is off by default and is activated with the tick box next to the search bar. When activated, the tool returns matches where the characters are slightly different from what you entered.

For example, a fuzzy search for Alexander returns matches like Alecsander, Aleksander, Alixander, and so on.

To avoid returning too many results, fuzzy search has been configured as follows:

• 1 to 2-character search term: will not return fuzzy search results.
• 3 to 4-character search term: matches with 1 character different.
• 5 or more character search term: matches with up to 2 characters different.

Matches are combined and ranked as described in How results are ranked.

Search for exact phrases using quotation marks

If you want to search for only the terms entered as you have entered them, use double quotation marks around the search term, “like this”.

For example, a search for Alpha Bravo will return entries containing alpha or bravo. A search for “Alpha Bravo” will only return entries containing that exact phrase, in that order.

This feature can be useful when searching for details of a known designated person or sanctioned ship, or when you need to include characters that are normally ignored by the search tool.

Be cautious when using this feature. The UK Sanctions List stores some data types in multiple formats, which could mean you receive a ‘false negative’ result. For instance, the ‘name’ field puts the last name ahead of first names, whereas the ‘Other information’ field typically puts the first name ahead of the last name.  

Highlighting of search matches

Matches of search term(s) are now highlighted on the results grid, allowing you to see why a certain match has been made, and within what data fields. Click ‘More info’ to see additional matches in other fields.

Using filters to narrow your search

Filters can be applied by regime, date designated, designation source, designation type, or sanctions imposed.

Filtering reduces the result set and can hide irrelevant entries, such as individuals mentioned in entity records. Always search unfiltered first. 

You can filter to a single selection such as ‘Russia’ or multiple, such as ‘ISIL, Counter-terrorism, Syria and Somalia’.

The search tool offers filtering by:

• Regime
• Date designated
• Designation source
• Designation type
• Sanctions imposed

Always consider the thematic regimes as well as the country regimes, and be aware that some nationals may be sanctioned under a regime that is not their native country. Be aware that using filters too early on could make you miss a match. Searching the full list in the first instance removes this risk, particularly for individual names.

Return all entries under a filter

It is not possible to perform a blank search on the search tool. However, it is possible to return a complete list of the entries under a particular filter. To do this:

1. Open ‘More Search Options’
2. Select a filter. (For example, Regime: Russia, or Designation Type: Ship).
3. Enter the same term in the search box. (For example, Russia or Ship)
4. Click ‘Search’

Examples:

Filter: Afghanistan regime

https://search-uk-sanctions-list.service.gov.uk/?searchValue=Afghanistan&regimeNames=Afghanistan

Filter: Global Human Rights regime

https://search-uk-sanctions-list.service.gov.uk/?searchValue=global%20human%20rights&regimeNames=Global%20Human%20Rights

Filter: Ships

https://search-uk-sanctions-list.service.gov.uk/?searchValue=ship&designationTypes=Ship

To return all entries in the list, search for UK UN. As all designated persons or specified ships are designated by either UK, UN, or both, this will return all listed entries.   

Search URLs

Each search now generates a unique URL, allowing you to bookmark or share a link to your search with others.

Search results returned are not static, and results displayed from shared URLs may change when the UK Sanctions List is updated.

How results are ranked

Search results are ranked by relevance and match type.

The tool ranks entries as follows: 

1. Exact matches
2. Partial matches
3. Fuzzy matches

Within each group, entries are ordered by a relevance score: 

Relevance = TF × IDF 

TF (term frequency): how often the term appears in an entry. 

IDF (inverse document frequency): how rare the term is across all entries.

In this way the most relevant exact matches should always appear at the top of returned results.