Frequently Asked Questions

OFAC itself does not seize or hold blocked funds. To comply with U.S. sanctions regulations administered by OFAC, U.S. financial institutions are required to block or "freeze" certain property (e.g., funds, accounts) in their possession or control and report such blocked property to OFAC. Even… Read more

Case Identification Number: Once OFAC receives and begins to process your specific license application, OFAC's Licensing Division will assign a case identification ("Case ID") number. This number will be in the Year-Case ID format (i.e., YYYY-9999999). Note the Case ID number is different from the… Read more

OFAC encourages applicants to file an electronic license application, available via the OFAC Specific Licenses and Interpretive Guidance page on OFAC's website. It is essential to follow instructions and include all necessary information in your application, as detailed in the online application… Read more

Some OFAC sanctions programs that broadly prohibit transactions involving an entire jurisdiction have exemptions or general licenses for certain donated goods, such as humanitarian articles, to relieve human suffering. For information on the exemptions and general licenses under a particular OFAC… Read more

An OFAC license is an authorization from OFAC to engage in transactions that otherwise would be prohibited by U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC. There are two types of OFAC licenses: general licenses and specific licenses. General License: A general license authorizes certain categories of… Read more

OFAC reviews each specific license application on a case-by-case basis, generally in the order in which they are received. The review process for each license application may vary, which will affect the length of the review. For example, in some instances, OFAC may require additional information… Read more

When attempting to verify or disqualify potential matches to individuals or entities on OFAC's sanctions lists, organizations should follow their own sanctions compliance policies and procedures for investigating potential matches.  OFAC recommends that such procedures include the following steps… Read more

E.O. 14312 removes sanctions on Syria, effective July 1, 2025, while maintaining sanctions on Bashar al-Assad and certain other destabilizing regional actors. Specifically, the E.O. revokes the following six E.O.s that form the foundation of the Syrian Sanctions Program and terminates the national… Read more

OFAC encourages anyone who is aware of possible violations of OFAC-administered sanctions to report them to OFAC through OFAC's Disclosure Portal . In considering any enforcement action, OFAC looks at the totality of the circumstances surrounding any possible violation, including whether a matter… Read more

Yes. All Syrian financial institutions, including the Central Bank of Syria, were removed from OFAC's List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN List) on June 30, 2025. Effective July 1, 2025, U.S. persons are not prohibited from providing financial services to Syria,… Read more