Frequently Asked Questions

1201. What authorizations exist for diplomatic or consular missions operating in or outside of Russia and Russian diplomatic or consular missions operating abroad?

1201 … The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued several authorizations related to U.S. and third-country diplomatic or consular missions operating in or outside of Russia and Russian diplomatic or consular missions operating abroad. Russian Diplomatic or Consular Missions, Wherever… Read more

1202. Following the November 21, 2024 designation of Russian financial institutions, Treasury has now designated a significant number of financial institutions in Russia. Will this negatively impact the processing of personal, non-commercial remittances to or from Russia?

1202 … No. Treasury's sanctions target Russian financial institutions that have continued to help Russia gain access to the critical goods it needs to prosecute its war in Ukraine. As a general matter, personal, non-commercial remittances are not the target of sanctions imposed by the United States… Read more

1220. How does the Executive Order (E.O.) of June 30, 2025, "Providing for the Revocation of Syria Sanctions," affect OFAC's Syria Sanctions Program?

1220 … The E.O. of June 30, 2025 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… Read more

1221. Can U.S. financial institutions establish relationships with Syrian financial institutions, including the Central Bank of Syria?

1221 … Yes. All Syrian financial institutions, including the Central Bank of Syria, have been removed from OFAC's List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN List). Effective July 1, 2025, U.S. persons are not prohibited from providing financial services to Syria, processing… Read more

1222. Do I need a specific license from OFAC to export or reexport food or medicine to Syria?

1222 … No. The United States no longer maintains comprehensive sanctions on Syria, effective July 1, 2025, following the issuance of the E.O. of June 30, 2025 . You may send U.S.-origin food or medicine to Syria without a specific license from OFAC. Furthermore, the Department of Commerce maintains… Read more

1223. Can persons continue to rely on Syria General License (GL) 25 after the revocation of the Syrian Sanctions Program, on July 1, 2025?

1223 … Yes. While Syria GL 25 authorizes transactions otherwise prohibited under the Syrian Sanctions Regulations, it also authorizes transactions involving specified persons otherwise prohibited by certain other sanctions programs. To the extent necessary, persons may continue to rely on GL 25 and… Read more

1029. How do the prohibitions of Executive Order (E.O.) 14024 and other Russia-related sanctions impact gold-related transactions or persons participating in the gold market?

1029 … Gold-related transactions involving the Russian Federation may be sanctionable under E.O. 14024 or other Russia-related sanctions authorities. For example, E.O. 14024 authorizes sanctions against: Persons determined to be responsible for or complicit in, or to have directly or indirectly… Read more

1030. What obligations do operators of credit card systems have under the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations, 31 C.F.R. part 587 (RuHSR), and the Belarus Sanctions Regulations, 31 C.F.R. part 548 (BSR), with regard to payment cards issued by sanctioned Russian financial institutions?

1030 … Pursuant to the RuHSR and BSR, U.S. persons, including U.S. operators of credit card systems and U.S. acquirers, are prohibited from processing transactions involving certain sanctioned foreign financial institutions, unless exempt or authorized by OFAC. Non-U.S. operators of credit card… Read more

1031. What is a UID? And why does OFAC sometimes publish lists of UIDs in its Recent Actions notices?

1031 … Throughout OFAC’s sanctions list data products , such as the XML file, each entry is assigned a unique identification number (UID) as a means to help make sorting and filtering through information easier. In OFAC’s files, a UID is a numeric string that is associated with a single entry… Read more

1032. On April 20, 2022, Transkapitalbank (TKB) was designated pursuant to Russia-related Executive Order 14024. Can U.S. persons continue to engage in Afghanistan-related transactions with TKB?

1032 … Yes. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued two general licenses (GLs) related to TKB, which allow U.S. persons to engage in certain transactions involving TKB for specified time periods. Russia-related GL 28 (this content is no longer available) authorizes U.S. persons to… Read more

Frequently Asked Questions

Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence