The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) is part of the UK’s HM Treasury and is responsible for overseeing the implementation of financial sanctions in the UK. OFSI plays a crucial role in ensuring compliance with financial sanctions laws, including issuing and managing general licenses.

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A general license is a document issued by OFSI that allows certain activities or transactions to occur without the need for an individual license. It essentially provides blanket permission for a specific set of actions, as long as the conditions outlined in the license are met.OFSI may issue general licenses to permit activities that would otherwise be prohibited under sanctions regimes. These licenses are typically issued to provide flexibility in situations where certain transactions are consistent with the objectives of sanctions, such as humanitarian aid or payments for certain types of trade.