Is the OFAC SLS API Key required?

No. The SLS API is publicly accessible. However, providing an API key if you have one ensures higher rate limits and consistent access.

What is the difference between SDN and Non-SDN lists?

The SDN (Specially Designated Nationals) list contains individuals and entities whose assets are blocked. Non-SDN lists contain entities subject to other sanctions, such as sector-specific or prohibited accounts.

Can I see aliases for a specific person?

Yes! Use the `get_entity_details` tool with the specific Entity ID. The agent will return the full profile, including all known aliases, addresses, and identifying information.

OFAC Sanctions Service MCP Server for VS Code Copilot 10 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: OFAC Sanctions Service
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/chat/mcp-servers

Built by Vinkius GDPR 10 Tools IDE

GitHub Copilot in VS Code is the most widely adopted AI coding assistant, embedded directly into the world's most popular code editor. With MCP support in Agent mode, Copilot can access external data and APIs to generate context-aware code grounded in real-time information.

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Classic Setup·json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ofac-sanctions-service": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

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Stream every event to Splunk, Datadog, or your own webhook in real-time

* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure

About OFAC Sanctions Service MCP Server

Connect to the OFAC Sanctions List Service (SLS) API through your AI agent and explore authoritative data on sanctioned individuals, groups, and entities using natural conversation.

GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings OFAC Sanctions Service data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 10 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.

What you can do

List Discovery — Retrieve identifiers for all available sanctions lists, including the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) and Consolidated Non-SDN lists.
Update Monitoring — Check the timestamp of the last update for any sanctions list to ensure you are using the most current data.
Version Tracking — List historical and current versions of sanctions lists and retrieve specific version metadata.
Entity Inspection — Access detailed profile information for specific sanctioned entities, including names, aliases, and addresses.
Deltas & Full Versions — Retrieve metadata for full list versions or just the changes (deltas) between specific versions.
Entry Metrics — Get the total count of entities within a specific list version for audit purposes.
Tag Management — List all descriptive tags and labels associated with list versions.

The OFAC Sanctions Service MCP Server exposes 10 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to VS Code Copilot in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.

How to Connect OFAC Sanctions Service to VS Code Copilot via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the OFAC Sanctions Service MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

Create MCP config

Create a .vscode/mcp.json file in your project root

Add the server config

Paste the JSON configuration above

Enable Agent mode

Open GitHub Copilot Chat and switch to Agent mode using the dropdown

Start using OFAC Sanctions Service

Ask Copilot: "Using OFAC Sanctions Service, help me...". 10 tools available

Why Use VS Code Copilot with the OFAC Sanctions Service MCP Server

GitHub Copilot for Visual Studio Code provides unique advantages when paired with OFAC Sanctions Service through the Model Context Protocol.

VS Code is used by over 70% of developers. adding MCP tools to Copilot means your team can leverage external data without leaving their primary editor

Project-scoped MCP configs (`.vscode/mcp.json`) let you commit server configurations to your repository, ensuring the entire team shares the same tool access

Copilot's Agent mode integrates MCP tools seamlessly with file editing, terminal commands, and workspace search in a single agentic loop

GitHub's enterprise compliance and audit features extend to MCP tool usage, providing visibility into how AI interacts with external services

OFAC Sanctions Service + VS Code Copilot Use Cases

Practical scenarios where VS Code Copilot combined with the OFAC Sanctions Service MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Live API integration: Copilot can query an MCP server, inspect the response schema, and generate typed API client code in the same step

DevSecOps workflows: security teams can give developers access to domain intelligence tools directly in their editor for real-time vulnerability assessment during code review

Data pipeline development: Copilot fetches sample data via MCP and generates transformation scripts, validators, and test fixtures from actual API responses

Documentation generation: Copilot queries available tools and auto-generates README sections, API reference docs, and usage examples

OFAC Sanctions Service MCP Tools for VS Code Copilot (10)

These 10 tools become available when you connect OFAC Sanctions Service to VS Code Copilot via MCP:

get_delta_version_metadata

Get delta version metadata

get_entity_details

Get specific entity metadata

get_full_version_metadata

Get full version metadata

get_list_last_updated

Check for list updates

get_sls_about

Get SLS API info

get_version_entry_count

Get total entries in a version

list_list_versions

List versions of a sanctions list

list_sanctions_lists

g. SDN, NONSDN). List available sanctions lists

list_version_entities

List entities in a version

list_version_tags

List tags for a version

Example Prompts for OFAC Sanctions Service in VS Code Copilot

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your VS Code Copilot agent to start working with OFAC Sanctions Service immediately.

"When was the SDN sanctions list last updated?"

"Get the details for entity ID '12345' in the latest SDN version."

"List all historical versions available for the SDN list."

Troubleshooting OFAC Sanctions Service MCP Server with VS Code Copilot

Common issues when connecting OFAC Sanctions Service to VS Code Copilot through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

MCP tools not available

Ensure you are in Agent mode in Copilot Chat. MCP tools only appear in Agent mode.

OFAC Sanctions Service + VS Code Copilot FAQ

Common questions about integrating OFAC Sanctions Service MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

Which VS Code version supports MCP?

MCP support requires VS Code 1.99 or later with the GitHub Copilot extension. Ensure both are updated to the latest version. Older versions of Copilot may not expose the Agent mode toggle.

How do I switch to Agent mode?

Open the Copilot Chat panel and look for two mode options: "Ask" and "Agent". Click "Agent" to enable autonomous tool calling. In Ask mode, Copilot provides conversational answers but cannot invoke MCP tools.

Can I restrict which MCP tools Copilot can access?

Yes. VS Code shows a tool consent dialog before any MCP tool is invoked for the first time. You can also configure tool access policies at the organization level through GitHub Copilot settings.

Does MCP work in VS Code Remote or Codespaces?

Yes. MCP servers configured via .vscode/mcp.json work in Remote SSH, WSL, and GitHub Codespaces environments. The MCP connection is established from the remote host, so ensure the server URL is accessible from that environment.