Reviewed: 22 August 2026
There is no single global sanctions list and no list that can answer every question around a vessel, company or transaction.
Authorities publish designations under different legal regimes and for different forms of restriction. The list that matters will depend on the parties, activity and jurisdictions involved, while the legal effect of a match depends on the measure attached to that designation.
This reference explains four list sources often encountered in maritime screening. It does not determine which regimes apply to a particular transaction.
United States: OFAC sanctions lists
The US Office of Foreign Assets Control publishes the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, usually called the SDN List, alongside several non-SDN lists. The SDN List includes designated individuals, entities, vessels and aircraft. Non-SDN lists can impose narrower restrictions that differ from full blocking.
The OFAC Sanctions List Service provides the current list data and search tools. A match needs to be read against the relevant sanctions programme and record; appearing on an OFAC list does not produce the same restriction in every case.
OFAC restrictions can also apply to an entity that is not named on the SDN List when blocked persons own 50 per cent or more of it, directly or indirectly and individually or in aggregate. That is an ownership enquiry beyond a name-on-list search. See OFAC FAQ 401.
United Kingdom: the UK Sanctions List
The UK Sanctions List is the source for UK designations, including designated persons and specified ships. Since 28 January 2026, the former OFSI Consolidated List is no longer updated.
The list identifies the person, entity or ship and the sanctions measures attached to the designation. UK restrictions may also apply to an unlisted entity that is owned or controlled by a designated person. The test includes more than name matching and may require evidence about shareholdings, voting rights, board appointment or how the entity’s affairs are directed.
The current UK financial sanctions general guidance explains those concepts. The UK also publishes regime-specific statutory guidance, which should be checked where a designation may be relevant.
European Union: consolidated financial sanctions information
The European Commission maintains a consolidated list of individuals, groups and organisations subject to EU financial sanctions. It reflects legal acts published in the Official Journal of the European Union, while the legal obligations sit in the relevant EU regulations rather than in the consolidated search result alone.
The Commission’s sanctions resources link to the consolidated list, EU law and national competent authorities. Questions about ownership, control, prohibitions or authorisations need to be considered against the relevant measure and applicable guidance.
United Nations: the Security Council Consolidated List
The United Nations Security Council Consolidated List brings together individuals and entities subject to measures imposed by the Security Council. Each entry belongs to a specific sanctions regime, and the applicable measures are described by the relevant Security Council committee.
The UN list supports implementation by Member States. How a UN measure applies to a company or transaction will depend on the law through which it is implemented in the relevant jurisdiction. The consolidated list should not be treated as a substitute for national or regional requirements.
What to compare when a name matches
Names can be incomplete, translated or shared by unrelated people and companies. A possible match should therefore be compared with the other identifiers in the official record.
For vessels, the IMO number is particularly important because it stays with the hull when names and flags change. For companies and individuals, useful fields may include aliases, addresses, registration or identity numbers, nationality, date of incorporation or birth and the sanctions programme under which the record appears.
An exact identifier can strengthen a match. Conflicting identifiers can distinguish the subject from the listed party. Where the available information is incomplete, the result may remain unresolved and require further work.
What a list result cannot establish
A list result does not, by itself, establish that an unlisted company is outside ownership or control restrictions. It does not explain whether a cargo, service, port call or payment is prohibited, and it does not determine whether vessel behaviour is deceptive. Those are separate questions requiring the appropriate information and expertise.
Verihelm currently screens vessel and entity searches against supported US, UK and EU sanctions-list records, including aliases supplied in those records and available identifiers such as IMO numbers. It returns potential matches for the customer to examine. It does not replace the authorities’ lists, trace beneficial ownership, screen against every sanctions regime or provide a legal decision on the wider transaction.
For the practical sequence, see How to Screen a Vessel, Owner or Counterparty Against Sanctions.
This article provides general information and analysis. It is not legal advice, a sanctions opinion or confirmation that a transaction is permitted. Lists and guidance change; consult the current authority material and appropriate advisers before relying on a result.