What are sanctions?
Page last updated 31/03/2026
Sanctions are restrictive measures that can be put in place to fulfil a range of purposes. In the UK, these purposes include complying with UN and other international obligations, supporting foreign policy and national security objectives, as well as maintaining international peace and security.
Sanctions can include trade restrictions, asset freezes and travel bans. Sanctions lists are regularly updated and cover individuals and entities from around the world, across a variety of sectors with different rules for different regimes.
| Sanction type | Broad description |
| Financial sanctions | These could prevent the transfer of funds, or other economic resources, to named individuals, institutions, regimes or via specific banking networks. |
| Trade sanctions |
These include restrictions that can prohibit:
The sanctions could be applied because of:
|
For more information please read the government's Starter guide to UK sanctions
Countries subject to sanctions
Countries currently subject to UK sanctions are listed in the table below - please click on the county's link for more details of the specific restrictions in place.
Additionally, the University must comply with US sanctions as many of the areas of University activity are covered by US sanctions, and as we also work with funders or partners who themselves must comply with US Sanctions. All of the countries sanctioned by the UK are also sanctioned by the US but the US sanction regime can include additional countries as indicated in the list below.
| Country | Financial Sanctions | Trade Sanctions | Other trade restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Y | Y | arms embargo, transit controls |
| Albania | N | N | transit control |
| Argentina | N | N | trade restrictions, transit control |
| Armenia | N | N | arms embargo, trade controls , transit controls |
| Azerbaijian | N | N | arms embargo, trade controls , transit controls |
| Belarus | Y | Y | |
| Benin | N | N` | ECOWAS, transit controls |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Y | N | transit controls |
| Burundi | not from 14 May 2024 | N | transit controls |
| Cameroon | N | N | transit controls |
| Cape Verde | N | N | ECOWAS, transit controls |
| Central African Republic | Y | Y | arms embargo, transit controls |
| Chad | N | N | transit control |
| China | US only -Chinese military-industrial complex companies | N | arms embargo, transit controls |
| Colombia | N | N | transit controls |
| Congo (Brazzaville) | N | N | transit controls |
| Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) | N | N | ECOWAS, transit controls |
| Cuba | US sanctions only Barclays pre-authorisation required |
N | N |
| Democratic People's Republic of Korea |
Y |
Y | arms embargo, transit controls |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | Y | Y | arms embargo, transit controls |
| Dubai | N | N | transit controls |
| East Timor (Timor-Leste) | N | N | transit controls |
| Eritrea | N | N | transit controls |
| Ethiopia | US sanctions only | N | transit controls |
| Gambia | N | N | ECOWAS, transit controls |
| Georgia | N | N | transit controls |
| Ghana | N | N | ECOWAS, transit controls |
| Guinea | Y | N | ECOWAS, transit controls |
| Haiti | Y | N | transit controls |
| Hong Kong | US financial sanctions | N | arms embargo, transit controls |
| Iran | Y Barclays pre-authorisation required |
Y | arms embargo, transit controls |
| Iraq | Y | Y | arms embargo, transit controls |
| Israel | entities who are sanctioned under Global Human Rights sanctions regime | ||
| Jamaica | N | N | transit controls |
| Kenya | N | N | transit controls |
| Krygyzstan | N | N | transit controls |
| Lebanon | Y | Y | arms embargo, transit controls |
| Liberia | N | N | ECOWAS, transit controls |
| Libya | Y | Y | arms embargo, transit controls |
| Macao Special Administrative Region | N | N | transit controls |
| Mali | Y | ECOWAS, transit controls | |
| Mauritania | N | N | transit controls |
| Moldova | N | N | transit controls |
| Montenegro | N | N | transit controls |
| Morocco | N | N | transit controls |
| Myanmar (formerly Burma) | Y | Y | |
| Nepal | N | N | transit controls |
| Nicaragua | Y | ||
| Niger | N | N | ECOWAS, transit controls |
| Nigeria | N | N | ECOWAS, transit controls |
| Oman | N | N | transit controls |
| Pakistan | N | N | transit controls |
| Republic of Guinea-Bissau | Y | ||
| Russia | Y | Y | arms embargo, transit controls |
| Rwanda | N | N | transit controls |
| Senegal | N | N | ECOWAS, transit controls |
| Serbia | N | N | transit controls |
| Sierra Leone | N | N | ECOWAS, transit controls |
| Somalia | Y | Y | arms embargo, transit controls |
| Sri Lanka | N | N | transit controls |
| South Sudan | Y | Y | arms embargo, transit controls |
| Sudan | Y | Y | arms embargo, transit controls |
| Syria | Y Barclays pre-authorisation required |
Y | arms embargo, transit controls |
| Taiwan | N | N | transit controls |
| Tajikistan | N | N | transit controls |
| Tanzania | N | N | transit controls |
| Togo | N | N | ECOWAS, transit controls |
| Trinidad & Tobago | N | N | transit controls |
| Turkmenistan | N | N | transit controls |
| Uganda | N | N | transit controls |
|
Ukraine -non government controlled territories
|
Y Barclays pre-authorisation required |
Y | transit controls |
| Uzbekistan | N | N | trade controls |
| Venezuela - |
Y |
Y | arms embargo, transit controls |
| West Bank | US sanctions only | ||
| Western Balkans | US sanctions only | ||
| Yemen | Y | Y | arms embargo, transit controls |
| Zimbabwe | Y | Y | arms embargo, transit controls |
- Chemical weapons - sanctions in place for those involved with the proliferation and use of chemical weapons.
- Counter-terrorism - financial sanctions applied to those with assessed involvement in terrorist activity.
- Cyber - sanctions in place for those involved in certain cyber activity
- Global anti-corruption - sanctions for those involved in serious corruption or linked to those involved with serious corruption
- Global human rights (GHR)- includes entities of various nationalities/locations who have a connection with human rights abuses across the world
- Global Irregular migration and trafficking in persons - financial sanctions for persons involved with people smuggling and human trafficking
- International counter-terrorism
- ISIL (Da'esh) and Al- Qaida organisations
- Unauthorised drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean sanctions
| UK Sanctions | US Sanctions | |
|---|---|---|
| General | UK Sanctions general guidance | US Sanctions general guidance |
| Financial sanctions |
Check the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) list Short videos on the basics of Finance Sanctions
|
Check the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) list for individuals and organisations list
Counties subject to the US Economic Sanctions programs |
|
University Triage Group for further assistance in case of doubt, where complex ownership structures exist, their is an association with Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) or if you have any other suspcions regarding the activity and the true end user.
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| Trade sanctions | See the Government’s lists of Financial sanctions targets by regime. | |
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For any exports or sales of services contact the Export Controls Team, in the Research Operations Office and refer to ROO sanctions guidance |
||
| For imports please contact the University’s Import Export Hub at importexporthub@admin.cam.ac.uk | ||
A triage group has been created to support departments and institutions if they have any concerns regarding activities that may be subject to sanctions. The triage group includes members of the Finance Division and Legal Services Division and has links with Research Operations Office (ROO), the University’s Import and Export Hub and Cambridge University Press and Assessment (CUP&A).
Email the Triage Group at fin_sanctions@admin.cam.ac.uk and provide the following information:
- full names (and any known aliases) of all parties or entities
- the nature and details of the transaction/connection e.g.
- details of any goods or services, reason for reimbursement
- has this already occurred or is it planned for the future
- dates of delivery and how shipped/provided
- where they have been performed or shipped to/from
- any existing contracts
- estimate of values involved
- proposed methods of funds transfers including bank and account names
- any other information that may be of use.