After the transition period (from 11pm on 31 December 2020)

EU sanctions will no longer apply in the UK after 11pm on 31 December 2020. UK sanctions regimes will come into force under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (the Sanctions Act) from that time. The government has already laid legislation before Parliament through the Sanctions Act.

There will be no gaps in implementing existing sanctions regimes after the transition period. Some EU sanctions regimes may not be addressed through regulations under the Sanctions Act by 31 December 2020. These will continue as retained EU law under the EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018.

The UK’s sanctions regulations include:

• the purposes of the sanctions regime (what the UK hopes will be achieved through imposing sanctions)
• the criteria for sanctions to be imposed on a person or entity
• the type of sanctions, such as trade and financial sanctions
• details of exemptions that may apply, such as exemptions which allow people to trade with a certain country that would otherwise be prohibited by the regulations
• how the government will enforce sanctions
• other rules, such as circumstances in which information about sanctions may be shared

The government will publish the names of sanctioned people or entities. We will also publish guidance once new regulations are published.

The government will implement UN sanctions in UK domestic law after the transition period.

What you need to do after the transition period

Check new legislation and ensure you comply with its requirements, and read the sanctions regime guidance. Do not assume that all aspects of existing EU sanctions will be exactly the same.

If the UK has not yet made UK regulations to replace an EU sanctions regime by 11pm on 31 December 2020, refer to any EU Council Regulations retained under the EU Withdrawal Act 2018, which may have been modified by regulations made under that Act.

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office will publish further guidance on sanctions at the end of the transition period. For information about licences or exemptions from sanctions, contact the Office for Financial Sanctions Implementation for financial sanctions, and the Export Control Joint Unit for trade sanctions.

More information

Find more information on UK sanctions regimes.

For more information on financial sanctions, contact the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation at OFSI@hmtreasury.gov.uk or subscribe to OFSI’s e-alerts.

For more information on export controls, contact the Export Control Joint Unit Helpline on +44 (0) 20 7215 4594 or email exportcontrol.help@trade.gov.uk or subscribe to the Export Control Joint Unit’s notices to exporters.

For further information on immigration sanctions: contact the Home Office on public.enquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk.

For more information on transport sanctions contact the Department for Transport on sanctions.enquiries@dft.gov.uk. For general information on sanctions, contact the Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s Sanctions enquiry line on +44 (0)20 7008 2747 or email the Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s Sanctions Unit on sanctions@fco.gov.uk.