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Guidance: Reporting information to OFSI – what to do

Hm Treasury

November 14
16:55 2024

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Reporting obligations mostly apply to relevant firms (as defined in the UK regulations and referred to below). Relevant firms are required to inform OFSI as soon as practicable if they know or reasonably suspect a person is a designated person or has breached a prohibition or failed to comply with an obligation under specified provisions of sanctions regulations. If a relevant firm knows or has reasonable cause to suspect that a person is a designated person and that person is a customer of your relevant firm, you must also state the nature and amount or quantity of any funds or economic resources held by you for that customer.

The obligation to report applies where the information is received by a relevant firm in the course of carrying on their business. Reports are essential to help OFSI detect and address illegal activity.

Information received by OFSI may be disclosed to third parties in accordance with provisions set out in the Information and Records part of the regulations and in compliance with applicable data protection laws. You can reviewOFSIs general guidancefor more information on reporting obligations.

Relevant firms

Definitions of relevant firms can be found in the Information and records part of the statutory instrument for each sanctions regime. Details of regimes under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (the Sanctions Act) can be found on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office web pages.

By way of example, relevant firms that are subject to specific reporting obligations as set out in UK regulations made under the Sanctions Act include:

  • a person that has permission under Part 4A of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA 2000) (Permission to carry on regulated activities)
  • an undertaking that by way of business operates a currency exchange office, transmits money (or any representations of monetary value) by any means, or cashes cheques which are made payable to customers
  • a firm or sole practitioner that is a statutory auditor or local auditor
  • a firm or sole practitioner that provides by way of business accountancy services, legal or notarial services, advice about tax affairs or certain trust or company services
  • a firm or sole practitioner that carries out, or whose employees carry out, estate agency work
  • the holder of a casino operating licence
  • a person engaged in the business of making, supplying, selling (including selling by auction) or exchanging articles made from gold, silver, platinum, palladium or precious stones or pearls.
  • a cryptoasset exchange provider
  • a custodian wallet provider
  • a high value dealer [from 14 May 2025]
  • an art market participant [from 14 May 2025]
  • a firm or individual who acts as an insolvency practitioner [from 14 May 2025]
  • a firm or sole practitioner that carries out, or whose employees carry out, letting agency work. [from 14 May 2025]

Compliance reporting form

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Further reporting requirements

In December 2023, the UK government introduced an additional reporting requirement for relevant firms under the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.

A relevant firm is required to inform OFSI as soon as practicable if it knows, or has reasonable cause to suspect, that it holds funds or economic resources for a person to whom financial services must not be provided to under regulation 18A(1) (a prohibited person).

A prohibited person means the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the National Wealth Fund of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation, a person owned or controlled directly or indirectly by these entities, or a person acting on behalf of or at the direction of these entities.

To comply with this requirement, please send a completed version of this form, including any associated documents, toofsi@hmtreasury.gov.uk.

Immobilised Assets Reporting Document

How to report to OFSI

The compliance reporting form provides details on what information is required for each section. Please email this form, including any associated documents, to ofsi@hmtreasury.gov.uk. You should include Suspected breach, Suspected designated person or Frozen assets in the subject line of your email, whichever is most applicable.

All reports to OFSI involving a person on one or both of the OFSI lists should include their Group ID reference number. The Group ID is a unique identifier for a person which can be found in their entry on the Consolidated List or List of Persons Subject to Financial and Investment Restrictions.

For more information and guidance on financial sanctions, please visit our

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