Frequently Asked Questions

No. Effective August 27, 2026, parties seeking to enter into a contract authorized by certain Venezuela General Licenses (GLs) (e.g., 46D , 47B , 48B , 50C , 51C , 52B , 54B , and 61A ) with the Government of Venezuela (GOV) or certain other blocked persons (e.g., Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. in GL… Read more

URGENT NOTE: The U.S. Department of State cautions against any travel by U.S. persons to Iran. The Department of State has issued a Level Four Travel Advisory ( Do Not Travel ) for Iran due to the risk of kidnapping, arbitrary arrest, and detention of U.S. citizens . See additional guidance… Read more

The general license at § 510.522 of the North Korea Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 510 (NKSR), authorizes news reporting organizations that are U.S. persons, and their U.S. person employees to engage in certain transactions in North Korea, provided that such transactions are ordinarily incident… Read more

Yes, non-governmental organizations may provide humanitarian assistance in Somalia without the need for a license from OFAC. Organizations considering entering Somali territory to conduct assistance operations should be aware that areas of Somalia are extremely unstable and dangerous, and should… Read more

No, provided that non-U.S. persons comply with certain conditions outlined in GLs 46D , 51D , and 52B as described below. Subject to certain conditions, GLs 46D , 51D , and 52B authorize established U.S. entities to engage in certain transactions involving Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), as… Read more

If you currently have a specific license from OFAC and seek to amend the terms of the license due to a change in circumstance, or wish to renew or extend the license's expiration date, please visit the OFAC Specific Licenses and Interpretive Guidance page on OFAC's website and submit the same type… 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

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

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

No. The United States no longer maintains comprehensive sanctions on Syria, effective July 1, 2025, following the issuance of E.O. 14312 . You may send U.S.-origin food or medicine to Syria without a specific license from OFAC. The Department of Commerce maintains jurisdiction over the export of… Read more