Apply for a licence to provide sanctioned trade services
Source: gov.uk (2025-10-22)

Check if you need a licence and apply online.

Other types of trade licences

You cannot use the online service on this page to apply for licences for the:

provision of sanctioned services relating to goods (ancillary services) (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/current-arms-embargoes-and-other-restrictions)

export of sanctioned goods (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-strategic-export-controls#sanctions)

import of sanctioned goods (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/import-controls#import-licensing)

What a services licence allows you to do

A services licence allows you to provide certain trade services that would otherwise be prohibited under sanctions legislation.

Prohibited services which can be covered by this licence are:

professional and business services (under the Russia sanctions regime)

accounting

advertising

architectural

auditing

business and management consulting

engineering

IT consultancy and design

legal advisory

public relations

energy-related services (under the Russia sanctions regime), such as drilling, well testing, logging and completion services or the supply of specialised floating vessels

infrastructure or tourism-related services to non-government-controlled Ukrainian territories (under the Russia sanctions regime)

interception or monitoring services (under the Russia, The Republic of Belarus, Iran, Myanmar, Syria and Venezuela sanctions regimes)

mining, manufacturing or computer services (under The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea sanctions regime)

ships or aircraft-related services (under The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea sanctions regime), such as leasing and chartering, crew services, ship classification services, bunkering or ship supply services

The sanctions regulations relating to these prohibited services are:

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/411)

The Iran (Sanctions) Regulations 2023 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/1314)

The Myanmar (Sanctions) Regulations 2021 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/496)

The Republic of Belarus (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/600)

The Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) regulations 2019 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/855)

The Syria (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/792)

The Venezuela (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/135)

When you need a services licence

UK sanctions apply to you if you have a link to the UK, known as a UK nexus. This means:

all individuals or businesses within the territory and territorial sea of the UK

all UK nationals or UK businesses, wherever they are in the world

If you have a UK nexus and you want to provide services which are prohibited under sanctions regulations, you will need to apply for a licence.

When you do not need a services licence

If you have a UK nexus, you do not need a licence to:

provide services that are not prohibited by sanctions regulations

provide prohibited services if they are covered by an exception in sanctions regulations (find information on exceptions in section 3 of the relevant statutory guidance)

If your business does not have a UK nexus

If your business does not have a UK nexus, but it has, for example, employees or consultants who have a UK nexus and will be providing the sanctioned services on behalf of the business, you’ll need to apply for a licence for these named individuals only.

Who is covered by a services licence

A services licence authorises all named parties to provide the specified services only, for the period stated.

Once you’re authorised by a licence, you must follow its terms. If you do not, you may be committing a breach of trade sanctions and could be subject to enforcement action.

You’ll need to select who you want the licence to authorise. A licence authorises either:

a business, or businesses, with a UK nexus (the licence will usually cover all employees, members, partners, consultants, contractors, officers and directors)

named individuals with a UK nexus working for a business with no UK nexus (for example, if your business has no UK nexus and therefore cannot be licensed, but you have employees or consultants with a UK nexus who will be providing the services)

yourself as an individual (for example, if you’re a sole trader and not able to apply under a business with a UK nexus)

If you’re naming any individuals on the licence, you should get their consent before you apply. Individuals within the territory and territorial sea of the UK, and UK nationals wherever they are in the world, must comply with UK sanctions, and are personally liable for their compliance.

A third party, such as a legal adviser, can apply on your behalf. They will need to upload a letter of instruction to the application to show they have your permission to act for you.

Renewing a licence

You must apply for a new licence if you want to:

renew it

add or remove details that affect the coverage of the licence, such as services, providers or recipients

What you need to show in your application

A definition of your services

You’ll need to describe the specific services you want to provide and show how these align with one, or more, of the definitions of prohibited services in sanctions regulations. To do this, you’ll need to refer closely to the sanctions regulations relevant to you.

Your purposes for providing these services (including specific licensing grounds)

You’ll also need to show how providing your services would be consistent with the purposes of the sanctions.

These are some activities which the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) considers are likely to be consistent with the purposes of the sanctions, and therefore a licence may be granted for these activities. These pre-defined activities are known as licensing considerations or licensing grounds. If you’re applying under any of these grounds, you’ll need to consider and demonstrate in your application how provision of your services aligns with one, or more, of these grounds.

You can find all the pre-defined licensing grounds in the relevant statutory guidance:

Statutory guidance on the Russia sanctions (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/russia-sanctions-guidance/russia-sanctions-guidance#are-there-circumstances-when-i-can-get-an-authorisation-or-licence-for-a-sanctioned-activity) (section 3.4)

Statutory guidance on The Republic of Belarus sanctions (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/republic-of-belarus-sanctions-guidance/the-republic-of-belarus-sanctions-guidance#are-there-circumstances-when-i-can-get-an-authorisation-or-licence-for-a-sanctioned-activity) (section 3.4)

Statutory guidance on the Iran sanctions (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/iran-sanctions-guidance/iran-sanctions-guidance#are-there-circumstances-when-i-can-get-an-authorisation-or-licence-for-a-sanctioned-activity) (section 3.4)

Statutory guidance on the Myanmar sanctions (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/myanmar-sanctions-guidance/myanmar-sanctions-guidance#are-there-circumstances-when-i-can-get-an-authorisation-or-licence-for-a-sanctioned-activity) (section 3.3)

Statutory guidance on the Syria sanctions (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/syria-sanctions-guidance/syria-sanctions-guidance#are-there-circumstances-when-i-can-get-an-authorisation-or-licence-for-a-sanctioned-activity) (section 3.3)

Statutory guidance on the Venezuela sanctions (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/venezuela-sanctions-guidance/venezuela-sanctions-eu-exit-regulations-2019-guidance#are-there-circumstances-when-i-can-get-an-authorisation-or-licence-for-a-sanctioned-activity) (section 3.3)

Statutory guidance on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea sanctions (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea-sanctions-guidance/democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea-sanctions-guidance#are-there-circumstances-when-i-can-get-an-authorisation-or-licence-for-a-sanctioned-activity) (section 3.3)

For professional and business services supplied under the Russia sanctions, these licensing grounds are:

services necessary for the delivery of humanitarian assistance activity

services in connection with the production or distribution of food, provided this is for the benefit of the civilian population

medical and pharmaceutical purposes, provided this is for the benefit of the civilian population

civil society activities that directly promote democracy, human rights or the rule of law in Russia

services that are necessary for non-Russian persons to divest from Russia, or to wind down business operations in Russia

services which are required to enable activities necessary for the urgent prevention or mitigation of an event likely to have a serious and significant impact on human health or safety, including the safety of existing infrastructure or the environment.

services that are necessary for ensuring critical energy supply

This works differently if you’re providing legal advisory services. A licence may be granted for the provision of legal advisory services where a licensing ground would apply to the activity in relation to which the legal advisory services are being given (the ‘relevant activity’) if the relevant activity was done by a UK person or taking place in the UK.

Different licensing grounds may apply to the provision of services that are not professional or business services (such as interception or monitoring services, or ships and aircraft-related services). Find these in the relevant statutory guidance.

You can still apply for a services licence if your services do not align with any of the pre-defined licensing grounds. Instead, you’ll need to show how your services are consistent with the purpose of the sanctions. To do this, you’ll need to refer closely to the Purposes section in Part 1 of the sanctions regulations relevant to you.

Before you start

When you provide details of your services, you may also need the following information:

any previous licence numbers

home addresses of named individuals being licensed

documents such as control structure charts, or detailed plans for divestment or wind-down of operations

details of who will receive the services

Apply for a services licence

You need a GOV.UK One login to sign in to this service. You can create one if you do not already have one.

Start now (https://apply-sanctioned-services-licence.trade.gov.uk/apply/)

If you’re unable to use this service, contact OTSI (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/office-of-trade-sanctions-implementation).

What happens next

The licensing body for sanctioned trade services is the Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation (OTSI), part of the Department for Business and Trade (DBT).

OTSI may contact you if they need further information to assess your application.

OTSI will tell you whether your licence has been granted or denied. They cannot give a timescale for this, due to the complexity of some applications.

You must not engage in any activities prohibited by trade sanctions until a licence has been granted.

Get help

If you’re unsure whether this is the right type of trade sanctions licence for your activities, contact OTSI using the enquiry form (https://submit.forms.service.gov.uk/form/3576/contact-otsi) before submitting your application.