There are three3 licensing teamsbodies in the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) responsible for administering licences on behalf of the Secretary of State to carry out activity prohibited under UK trade sanctions. Which body you need to sendapply your application to is dependent on the activity you want to carry out. The guidance below sets out how trade sanctions licensing responsibilities are split between these teams.

1. The Office of Trade Sanctionsservices Implementation (OTSI)licence

From  2710 AprilOctober 2026,2024, OTSI took on additional trade sanctions licensing responsibilities from the ExportOffice Controlof JointTrade UnitSanctions (ECJU).Implementation Its(OTSI) expandedis remitresponsible nowfor includes licensing for:

• export,relating transfer, and making available of goods and technology not subject to strategicthe export controls
• provision of servicesstandalone ancillaryservices, toincluding aprofessional goodand orbusiness technology,services, wherewhich theis goodotherwise orprohibited technologyunder theUK servicessanctions relateregimes.

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are:
• provision

  a ofUK standaloneincorporated servicescompany (servicesplanning not related to aprovide good or technology), including provision of professional and business services prohibited under the UK’s sanctions on Russiasanctions 

Visit our guidance on applying for a licencecompany fromwith OTSIno forUK morenexus informationbut andwith toemployees beginwho theare applicationUK process.

2.persons Thewho Exportwill Controlbe Jointinvolved Unitin (ECJU)

The Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) is responsible for licensing the export,provision transfer, and making available of goods,services software and technology prohibited under thesanctions 

• a UK’sUK sanctionsnational wheresole thosetrader goods,planning softwareto orprovide technologyservices areprohibited alsounder subject to strategic export controls. sanctions

This meanslist thatof exportersexamples onlyis havenot toexhaustive.

3.2. Import Controls and Sanctions teamlicence

The Import Controls and Sanctions team is responsible for administering licences for the import of goods and associated activities – for example, the provision of ancillary services – that are prohibited under UK import controls or sanctions.

For example, if you are:

• a trader looking to import controlled goods, such as firearms or ammunition 

• a trader looking to import sanctioned goods, such as Russian wood or hydraulic brake fluid

This list of examples is not exhaustive.

Note that a trader must apply for for an import licence before before the goods are transported to the UK. A licence cannot be granted if an application is made for goods at the UK border or goods otherwise held in storage in the UK prior to making a customs declaration. It is a criminal offence to import sanctioned goods without the necessary licence.