# UK Sanctions List Screener (`sterlingverify/uk-sanctions-screener`) Actor

Screen people and companies against the official UK Sanctions List (FCDO) with fuzzy alias matching. Always up to date. Screening aid, not legal advice.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/sterlingverify/uk-sanctions-screener.md
- **Developed by:** [Luke Mangan](https://apify.com/sterlingverify) (community)
- **Categories:** Business, Developer tools, Automation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$2.00 / 1,000 name screeneds

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## UK Sanctions Screener

**UK Sanctions Screener** checks person and company names against the official UK Sanctions List (FCDO) with fuzzy matching on names and aliases, downloading the latest list on every run.

**Best for:** Customer and merchant onboarding, supplier checks, payments operations and anyone who needs a quick, current UK sanctions screening aid.

### What does UK Sanctions Screener do?

Fuzzy-screens person and company names against the **UK Sanctions List** — the FCDO single list that, since 28 Jan 2026, is the sole UK source (OFSI Consolidated List closed). Downloads the latest official CSV each run, so data is always current.

- Normalises accents, punctuation, legal suffixes (Ltd, LLC, OOO…)
- Matches primary names **and aliases** (token-sort / token-set similarity)
- Returns regime, designation type, date designated, DOB, nationality, sanctions imposed, score

### How to screen names against the UK Sanctions List

1. Add the people or companies to **Names to screen** (`names`).
2. Adjust the **Match threshold** (default 88) if you want stricter or looser matching.
3. Click **Start** and have a person review every potential match.

### Output

`query, listReportDate, hit, matches[{uniqueId, matchedName, matchedNameType, score, regime, designationType, ...}]`

**Disclaimer:** screening aid only. Potential matches must be reviewed by a human; this is not legal advice and is not a substitute for a regulated screening provider where required.
Data: UK Sanctions List, © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

### Pricing (pay-per-event)

- `name-screened`: **$0.002** per name ($2 / 1,000).
- Example: 10,000 names cost $20.00.

### Example input

```json
{
  "names": [
    "Igor Sechin",
    "Acme Trading Ltd"
  ],
  "threshold": 88
}
```

### Example output

Values below are illustrative.

```json
{
  "query": "Igor Sechin",
  "listReportDate": "08-Oct-2026",
  "hit": true,
  "matches": [
    {
      "matchedName": "Igor Ivanovich SECHIN",
      "score": 100,
      "regime": "The Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019",
      "designationType": "Individual"
    }
  ]
}
```

### Use it via API, schedules and integrations

Run it in Apify Console, or call it from your own code with the Apify API or the Python and JavaScript clients. Save an input as a task and add a schedule to run it regularly, and send results to Slack, email, webhooks, Zapier, Make or n8n with Apify integrations. AI agents can find and run it through the Apify MCP server.

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN")
run = client.actor("sterlingverify/uk-sanctions-screener").call(run_input={"names": ["Acme Trading Ltd"]})
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)
```

### FAQ

#### Which list does it use?

The UK Sanctions List published by the FCDO, which has been the single UK source since 28 Jan 2026 (the OFSI Consolidated List closed).

#### Is a match a confirmed hit?

No. It is a screening aid only, not legal advice. Potential matches must be reviewed by a human.

### Disclaimer

**Screening aid only, not legal advice.** Not affiliated with FCDO/OFSI. Potential matches must be reviewed by a human; not a substitute for a regulated screening provider where required. Data: UK Sanctions List © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

Platform usage is included in the per-event price; you pay only for results.

### Related sterlingVerify tools

Part of the sterlingVerify UK payments, KYB and data toolkit on Apify Store:

- [UK Company Check](https://apify.com/sterlingverify/uk-company-check): Companies House, VAT and UK sanctions KYB check in one call
- [UK Director Search](https://apify.com/sterlingverify/uk-director-search): every Companies House appointment for a director
- [Merchant Website Compliance Checker for Onboarding](https://apify.com/sterlingverify/merchant-compliance-checker): onboarding review of a merchant's website
- [EU VAT Number Validator (VIES)](https://apify.com/sterlingverify/eu-vat-vies-validator): bulk EU VAT number checks against VIES

# Actor input Schema

## `names` (type: `array`):

Person or entity names

## `threshold` (type: `integer`):

Lower = more matches, more false positives

## `maxMatchesPerName` (type: `integer`):

Top N

## `entityType` (type: `string`):

Optional filter

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "names": [
    "Vladimir Putin",
    "Acme Trading Ltd"
  ],
  "threshold": 88,
  "maxMatchesPerName": 5
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

All results in the default dataset

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "names": [
        "Vladimir Putin",
        "Acme Trading Ltd"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("sterlingverify/uk-sanctions-screener").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "names": [
        "Vladimir Putin",
        "Acme Trading Ltd",
    ] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("sterlingverify/uk-sanctions-screener").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "names": [
    "Vladimir Putin",
    "Acme Trading Ltd"
  ]
}' |
apify call sterlingverify/uk-sanctions-screener --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,sterlingverify/uk-sanctions-screener"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/7IOJRhb1ujEgGqIyk/builds/vvz5wbxKdtyEzw11O/openapi.json