OpenSanctions vs the official sanctions lists: which should I use?

Use the official lists for sanctions, and a data provider such as OpenSanctions for politically exposed persons (PEPs) and adverse media. They answer different questions.

The official lists say who is sanctioned. The UK Sanctions List (published by the FCDO; since 28 January 2026 the single UK list, replacing OFSI's Consolidated List) is the one UK law enforces. The UN, EU and US OFAC lists cover other jurisdictions. Each comes straight from the government that maintains it.

OpenSanctions is an aggregator. It gathers sanctions lists from many countries, data on politically exposed persons (people in prominent public roles, their family and close associates), and lists drawn from regulators, courts and other public sources. Its data is free for non-commercial use; businesses pay for a licence or its matching service.

Which to use:

• Sanctions: the UK list is the one that counts in UK law, so screen it directly, and add the UN, EU and US lists for parties with links elsewhere. An aggregator's copy can lag behind the source.
• PEPs: the official lists don't cover them. Where the money-laundering rules apply, MLR 2017 reg 35 requires you to find out whether a customer is a PEP, and a PEP database is the practical way to do it.
• Adverse media: part of enhanced due diligence where the risk is higher; a provider's collection saves searching the news by hand.

Certaby's sanctions check screens the official UK, UN, EU and US (OFAC) lists straight from the government sources and names each list and its date on the certificate. PEP and adverse media screening, using OpenSanctions data, is a 40p add-on to the sanctions check.

Source: OpenSanctions

Last updated 2 October 2026.