Sanctions Screening – OFAC, EU, UK, UN Lists

Sanctions Screening – OFAC, EU, UK, UN Lists checks names of people, companies, vessels and aircraft against the official sanctions lists (OFAC SDN, OFAC Consolidated non-SDN, UN Security Council Consolidated List, EU Consolidated Financial Sanctions List and UK Sanctions List) and returns one record per name: potential_match or no_match, the best score and the matching list entries with their programs, aliases, dates of birth and nationalities. Built for onboarding, payment and vendor checks, compliance tools and AI agents. $0.003 per screened name; lists are downloaded straight from the publishers and every record carries the list versions it was screened against.

• What you get: matchStatus, bestScore, and per match the list, entry id, listed name, matched name or alias, programs, date of birth, nationalities, countries, listing date, score and the reasons behind it; plus listsVersion (source URL, fetch time, publication date and record count per list).
• Matching: transliteration of any script (Cyrillic, Arabic, Greek, CJK …), legal forms ignored (LLC, GmbH, OOO, PJSC …), word order and missing middle names tolerated, spelling variants scored with Jaro-Winkler and an IDF-weighted token set, aliases and weak aliases included; optional date of birth, country and type checks.
• Price: $0.003 per screened name (name-screened), whatever the outcome; invalid names and errors are not charged.
• Works everywhere: API, MCP for AI agents, Make, Zapier, n8n, schedules and webhooks.

Input

Field	Type	Default	Description
names	string[]	–	Names to screen, one per line. Names contain commas ("PUTIN, Vladimir"), so a plain string is split on line breaks and semicolons only.
entities	object[]	–	Names with details: { "name", "type", "dateOfBirth", "country" }. type is person, entity, vessel or aircraft; dateOfBirth YYYY-MM-DD, YYYY-MM or YYYY; country an ISO code or a country name.
entityType	string	any	Type for all names: any, person, entity (companies, organisations, vessels, aircraft), vessel or aircraft.
lists	string[]	all five	ofac-sdn, ofac-cons, un, eu, uk.
threshold	number	0.85	Minimum score (0.5–1) of a reported match.
maxMatchesPerName	integer	5	Matches returned per name (1–25), best first.
includeWeakAliases	boolean	true	Also compare with low-quality aliases (their scores are 5% lower).
cacheMaxAgeHours	integer	24	Reuse lists your account downloaded within this many hours (0 = always download).
maxItems	integer	10000	Safety cap on names per run; further names are ignored and counted as inputItemsDropped in the OUTPUT record.
includeRaw	boolean	false	Attach the complete list entries of the matches under raw.

{
  "names": ["AEROCARIBBEAN AIRLINES", "Acme Bakery Ltd"],
  "entities": [{ "name": "Ivan Petrov", "type": "person", "dateOfBirth": "1960-03-12", "country": "RU" }],
  "threshold": 0.85
}

Output

One dataset record per name (matches trimmed to one for brevity):

{
  "input": "AEROCARIBBEAN AIRLINES",
  "status": "ok",
  "charged": true,
  "chargedEvent": "name-screened",
  "source": "sanctions-lists",
  "fetchedAt": "2026-10-14T22:40:00.000Z",
  "name": "AEROCARIBBEAN AIRLINES",
  "entityType": "any",
  "dateOfBirth": null,
  "country": null,
  "normalizedName": "AEROCARIBBEAN AIRLINES",
  "matchStatus": "potential_match",
  "bestScore": 1,
  "threshold": 0.85,
  "matchCount": 1,
  "totalMatches": 1,
  "topMatchName": "AEROCARIBBEAN AIRLINES",
  "topMatchList": "ofac-sdn",
  "topMatchScore": 1,
  "matches": [
    {
      "list": "ofac-sdn",
      "listName": "OFAC Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List",
      "entryId": "36",
      "name": "AEROCARIBBEAN AIRLINES",
      "matchedName": "AEROCARIBBEAN AIRLINES",
      "matchedNameType": "primary",
      "aliases": ["AERO-CARIBBEAN"],
      "type": "entity",
      "programs": ["CUBA"],
      "dateOfBirth": [],
      "nationalities": [],
      "countries": ["CU"],
      "listedOn": null,
      "ids": [],
      "remarks": null,
      "score": 1,
      "nameScore": 1,
      "reasons": ["name_exact"],
      "sourceUrl": "https://sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov/"
    }
  ],
  "listsComplete": true,
  "listsStale": false,
  "listsScreened": ["ofac-sdn", "ofac-cons", "un", "eu", "uk"],
  "listsVersion": {
    "ofac-sdn": {
      "list": "ofac-sdn",
      "name": "OFAC Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List",
      "status": "ok",
      "sourceUrls": ["https://sanctionslistservice.ofac.treas.gov/api/PublicationPreview/exports/SDN.CSV"],
      "fetchedAt": "2026-10-14T22:39:12.000Z",
      "publishedAt": "2026-10-14T14:02:30.000Z",
      "recordCount": 19430,
      "fromCache": false
    }
  },
  "screenedAt": "2026-10-14T22:40:00.000Z"
}

Field	Description
matchStatus	potential_match when at least one list entry scores at or above threshold, else no_match.
bestScore	Highest score among the entries compared (0–1), also when below the threshold. Entries that cannot reach the threshold or 0.7, whichever is lower, are not compared, so 0 means no entry came that close.
matchCount / totalMatches	Matches returned (at most maxMatchesPerName) / all entries at or above the threshold.
matches[]	Potential matches, best first: list, entryId, listed name, matchedName and matchedNameType (primary, alias, weak_alias, former, non_latin), aliases, type, programs, dateOfBirth, nationalities, countries, listedOn, ids (UN reference, IMO …), remarks, score, nameScore (before date/country adjustments) and reasons (name_exact, name_similar, alias, weak_alias, transliterated, dob_exact, dob_year, dob_mismatch, country_match).
topMatchName / topMatchList / topMatchScore	The best match, as flat columns for spreadsheets.
listsComplete	true when every selected list was screened. false only on a potential match while a selected list could not be loaded (a name without a match is then an uncharged lists_incomplete error, see below).
listsStale	true when a selected list was screened against an older cached copy (up to 7 days old) because its download failed in this run; listsVersion shows when that copy was fetched.
listsVersion	Per list: status (ok, stale, unavailable), sourceUrls, fetchedAt, publishedAt, recordCount, fromCache. Also saved as the LISTS_VERSION record of the run's key-value store.

status is one of:

• ok: the name was screened (charged, whether or not it matched);
• error: the name could not be screened (not charged); error.code lists_incomplete when it has no match on the lists that loaded but a selected list could not be loaded, so it is not cleared against every selected list;
• skipped_invalid: the name has no letters or digits (not charged);
• skipped_budget: your Maximum cost per run was reached (not charged);
• skipped_free_plan: beyond the free-plan limit below (not charged);
• skipped_unmetered: the run is not pay-per-event (not charged).

If none of the selected lists, or the OFAC SDN list, can be downloaded, the run stops before screening anything (nothing is charged). When a download fails, a cached copy from the last 7 days is used instead (listsStale: true and a warning on each record). A list with neither a download nor such a copy is unavailable: names that match on the other lists are still delivered and charged (listsComplete: false), while names without a match come back as uncharged lists_incomplete errors, because they are not cleared against every selected list. Run those again later, or leave the unavailable list out of lists.

Pricing

Pay-per-event. You are charged only for screened names:

Event	Price	When
name-screened	$0.003	once per name screened against the lists (status: "ok"), potential match or not; a name without a match while a selected list is unavailable (lists_incomplete) is not charged

Screening 1,000 names costs $3. Set Maximum cost per run on the run to cap spend; the Actor stops cleanly (records marked skipped_budget) when the cap is reached. Accounts on the Apify free plan can process up to 10 names per run; further names are returned with status: "skipped_free_plan" and are not charged. Upgrade to any paid Apify plan for full batches.

Use with AI agents (MCP)

Use this Actor from Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, VS Code or any other MCP client through the Apify MCP server. Add this server URL to your client and sign in with your Apify account when asked:

https://mcp.apify.com?tools=sfoln/sanctions-screening

To run the MCP server locally instead, start npx -y @apify/actors-mcp-server --tools sfoln/sanctions-screening with your APIFY_TOKEN in the environment.

Example prompt:

Screen "AEROCARIBBEAN AIRLINES" and "Acme Bakery Ltd" against the OFAC, UN, EU and UK sanctions lists and tell me which ones are potential matches.

Runs started by an agent are billed like any other run (see Pricing). Agents can cap what a run may spend with maxTotalChargeUsd.

API usage

Run the Actor and get its dataset items in one call (the call waits up to 5 minutes for the run to finish):

curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/sfoln~sanctions-screening/run-sync-get-dataset-items" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_TOKEN>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"names": ["AEROCARIBBEAN AIRLINES", "Acme Bakery Ltd"]}'

For large inputs, start the run asynchronously and download the dataset when it has finished:

# 1. Start a run: the response holds the run ID (data.id) and its dataset ID (data.defaultDatasetId)
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/sfoln~sanctions-screening/runs" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_TOKEN>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"names": ["AEROCARIBBEAN AIRLINES", "Acme Bakery Ltd"]}'
# 2. Repeat until data.status is SUCCEEDED (each call waits up to 60 s)
curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/actor-runs/<runId>?waitForFinish=60" -H "Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_TOKEN>"
# 3. Download the results (format=json, csv or xlsx)
curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/datasets/<defaultDatasetId>/items?format=json" -H "Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_TOKEN>"

Python (apify-client):

from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("<APIFY_TOKEN>")
run = client.actor("sfoln/sanctions-screening").call(run_input={"names": ["AEROCARIBBEAN AIRLINES", "Acme Bakery Ltd"]})
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)

Instead of polling, you can attach a webhook to the run (see Integrations). The API tab of this page shows the same calls for JavaScript and the Apify CLI.

Integrations

• Make, Zapier and n8n: run sfoln/sanctions-screening with the Apify app (in n8n, the Apify node) and pass the dataset items to the next step of your workflow.
• Google Sheets: add the items to a sheet with the Google Sheets step of Make, Zapier or n8n, or download them as CSV or Excel from the run's Storage tab or the API (format=csv or format=xlsx).
• Webhooks: get a POST request when a run succeeds or fails: add a webhook in the Actor's Integrations tab, or pass webhooks when you start a run through the API.
• Schedules: run it hourly, daily or weekly with the same input from Apify Schedules; every run keeps its results in its own dataset.
• More: Slack, Google Drive, GitHub, LangChain, LlamaIndex and other Apify integrations.

Related Actors

• KYB Company Check – Registry, LEI, VAT
• LEI Lookup – GLEIF Legal Entity Search
• EU VAT Number Validator (VIES)
• Domain WHOIS & DNS Lookup
• Website Contact Details Scraper

See all our Actors on Apify Store.

FAQ

How much does it cost, and am I charged for failed items?

You pay per event at the prices under Pricing above, plus a run start fee of $0.00005 per GB of memory, with no subscription; platform usage is included. Errors and skipped items (skipped_… statuses) are never charged; a lookup that finds nothing is charged only where Pricing says so, and every record's charged field shows whether it was billed. Set Maximum cost per run to cap what a single run can spend.

How fresh is the data?

Each run queries its source while it runs, so you get what the source returns at that moment. Source-specific details, such as how often a provider refreshes its own database, are under Limits & notes.

What are the limits?

Per-run caps (for example the maximum number of items) are listed under Input, source limits under Limits & notes, and the free-plan limit under Pricing. For big batches, start the run asynchronously (see API usage) and read the dataset when it has finished.

Can I schedule runs or get results by webhook?

Yes. Create a schedule in Apify Console to run it hourly, daily or weekly with the same input, and add a webhook to get a POST request when a run finishes (see Integrations).

What does this Actor record about my runs?

This Actor records operational metrics about each run (item counts, duration, charges, error codes and a pseudonymous hash of your Apify user ID) to monitor reliability and costs. It never stores your input or results.

Which sanctions lists are included?

OFAC Specially Designated Nationals (SDN), the OFAC Consolidated (non-SDN) lists, the UN Security Council Consolidated List, the EU Consolidated Financial Sanctions List and the UK Sanctions List, downloaded from the official publishers. Every record shows each list's source URL, download time, publication date and record count (listsVersion).

How does the matching work?

Names are transliterated to ASCII (Cyrillic, Arabic, Greek and other scripts), normalised (case, punctuation, legal forms such as LLC or OOO) and compared with every primary name and alias using a weighted token-set and Jaro-Winkler score that tolerates word order, missing middle names and spelling variants. A date of birth or country raises the score when the list entry agrees; a distant date of birth lowers it.

Is a potential match a confirmed sanctions hit?

No. A potential match means a list entry's name is similar enough to need a review; compare the date of birth, nationality, programs and remarks in the match before deciding.

How fresh are the lists?

Lists are downloaded at most once every 24 hours per Apify account (set List cache age to 0 to always download). OFAC and the UN publish daily; the EU and UK update on each new designation.

How do I get help?

Open an issue in the Actor's Issues tab and include the link to the run, so we can reproduce the problem. Feature requests are welcome there too.

Limits & notes

• A potential match is a lead for review, not a determination: compare dates of birth, nationalities, programs and remarks before acting.
• Lists: OFAC SDN and Consolidated (US Treasury CSV exports), UN Security Council Consolidated List (XML), EU Consolidated Financial Sanctions List (FSF XML 1.1) and UK Sanctions List (FCDO XML). Other national lists (Canada, Australia, Switzerland) and PEP or adverse-media data are not included.
• The first run of the day downloads about 60 MB of list files (the EU file alone takes up to 20 s) and needs 1 GB of memory; later runs within cacheMaxAgeHours read the parsed lists from your account's sanctions-screening-cache key-value store and start in seconds.
• OFAC's CSV exports do not mark weak aliases; weak a.k.a.s that OFAC lists in remarks are included as weak_alias.
• Up to 100,000 names per run (maxItems); screening takes a few milliseconds per name.