OpenSanctions MCP. Check Names and Companies Against Global Sanction Lists
OpenSanctions connects your agent to a massive, global database of sanctions and Politically Exposed Persons (PEP) lists. Use this MCP to check names, companies, and vessels against major international watchlists like OFAC, EU, and UN. It's essential for any process requiring Know Your Customer (KYC) or Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance.
Give Claude and any AI agent real-world access
Checks individuals against sanctions lists and Politically Exposed Persons databases to flag potential risks.
Searches for corporate entities, verifying registration details and checking their current sanction status.
Retrieves detailed records on ships, including IMO numbers, owners, and any associated sanctions.
Lists all available global sanctions datasets so you know exactly what information is being checked against.
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What AI agents can do with OpenSanctions: 8 Compliance Tools Available
This MCP gives your agent eight specialized tools to query data sets, match identities, and screen entities against global sanctions lists.
Make your AI actually useful.
Add this MCP to Claude, Cursor, or Windsurf and your AI stops guessing. It gets real tools to look things up, take action, and handle the stuff you keep doing by hand.
Start using OpenSanctions MCPGet Datasets
Lists all available sanctions data sets, showing dataset names, publishers, and the total number of entities contained in each.
Get Entity
Retrieves comprehensive details for a single entity using its unique ID, including...
Match Pep
Screens an individual's name against Politically Exposed Persons (PEP) lists to...
Match Sanctions
Runs fuzzy matching on a name to find potential matches in global sanctions...
Search Company
Searches the database specifically for companies, providing their registration...
Search Entities
Performs a flexible search across all entity types (Person, Company, Vessel) using free-text queries and fuzzy matching.
Search Person
Finds personal profiles by name, returning aliases, dates of birth, nationalities, and sanctions status for individuals.
Search Vessel
Searches for ships using names or IMO numbers, providing details on flags, owners...
Security and governance baked right in.
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Turn any API into an MCP. Import a spec, define Agent Skills, or deploy with MCPFusion.
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The Pain of Manual Due Diligence
When vetting a new partner or client, the process is a nightmare of tabs and copy-pasting. You pull the company name from one source, run it through a government database portal, then manually look up key executives' names in a separate PEP tracker, and finally cross-check the vessel involved against maritime watchlists. It takes hours, involves jumping between different web portals, and every little mistake introduces risk.
With this MCP connection, your agent handles the entire sequence. You simply ask: 'Is this company compliant?' The system runs multiple searches—checking companies using `search_company`, screening people via `match_pep`, and verifying vessels with `search_vessel`—and delivers a single, consolidated risk report back to you.
OpenSanctions MCP Provides Complete Compliance Context
You eliminate the need for disparate searches. Instead of running separate queries to check company details, person aliases, and sanctions history, you use `get_entity`. This single tool pulls together name variations, addresses, nationalities, and all related sanction hits.
The difference is simple: You move from reactive data gathering—where you have to ask for every piece of information individually—to proactive risk assessment. You get the full context in one flow.
What OpenSanctions MCP does for your AI
When you need to know if a client, partner, or transaction is flagged by global regulators, OpenSanctions provides the answers. This MCP lets your agent query the world's largest collection of sanctions and PEP data through simple conversation—no API keys are required for non-commercial use.
It handles everything from searching individual names against Politically Exposed Persons lists to screening entire companies or vessels. You can get detailed profiles, including aliases, dates of birth, and full ownership structures. If your current workflow involves manually cross-referencing multiple government watchlists, this MCP cuts out all the friction. Simply connect it through Vinkius and let your agent do the heavy lifting.
It aggregates data from major global regimes like OFAC, EU, and UN into one place, giving you a clear compliance picture instantly.
019d8467-ef4c-7301-8ed2-d753536b788b How to set up OpenSanctions MCP
The bottom line is that you talk naturally to your agent, and it handles the complex database queries for compliance checks.
Subscribe to the OpenSanctions MCP catalog.
Connect your preferred AI client (Claude, Cursor, etc.) through Vinkius.
Ask your agent to screen a name or entity against specific sanctions lists.
Who uses OpenSanctions MCP
Financial institutions and regulated industries need this. If you deal with cross-border transactions or client due diligence, you hit a compliance wall manually checking every name. This MCP gets your agent past that roadblock.
Runs automated daily checks on large batches of clients and partners against global sanctions lists for AML/KYC adherence.
Researches complex transactions, checking names and companies to ensure no sanctioned parties or PEPs are involved before approving a wire transfer.
Explores deep entity relationships by querying multiple datasets, finding aliases, and tracing ownership structures for risk assessment reports.
Benefits of connecting OpenSanctions MCP
Deep compliance checks: Instantly run match_sanctions or match_pep to check any name against OFAC, EU, and UN lists. You get a match score, not just a yes/no answer.
Comprehensive entity views: Don't just search by name; use search_entities to filter results by type (Person, Company, Vessel) or country for precision.
Know your data sources: The get_datasets tool lets you see exactly which sanctions regimes are available, giving you confidence in the compliance depth of the check.
Full company profiles: Instead of basic searches, use search_company to get full details on a corporate entity, including registration numbers and sanctioned status.
Vessel tracking: For maritime risk, run search_vessel with an IMO number. This is critical for understanding trade flow risks and sanctions violations.
OpenSanctions MCP use cases
Onboarding a new corporate client
A compliance officer needs to vet a potential partner. Instead of running three separate manual checks (company name, key executives' names, and jurisdiction), the agent uses search_company and then runs multiple individual screens using search_person and match_sanctions. It compiles all findings into one risk report.
Investigating suspicious transactions
A financial analyst detects a shipment that might be flagged. They use search_vessel with the ship's name or IMO number to check ownership and sanctions status, confirming if the vessel is connected to any restricted parties.
Auditing client portfolios
A risk manager needs to review 100 clients. They use search_entities with a schema filter for 'Person' and then iterate through them, running match_pep on each name to ensure no politically exposed individuals are involved.
Understanding data scope
A researcher needs to know what compliance databases are available. They simply call get_datasets, which immediately provides a list of all global sanctions regimes and how many entities each database holds.
OpenSanctions MCP tradeoffs
What to watch out for, and the recommended way to handle each one.
Searching by only one field
Only running search_person when the name is misspelled or has an alias. You might miss a critical match because the search was too narrow.
Always start with search_entities. This tool supports free-text input and fuzzy matching, allowing you to check names and types simultaneously before narrowing down using specific tools like match_sanctions.
Using outdated compliance methods
Relying on simple keyword searches in internal spreadsheets that don't cross-reference global regulatory lists.
Use the MCP to run a full, structured check. For example, combine search_company with get_entity to pull registration details and then use match_sanctions to verify risk.
Forgetting vessel context
Only searching for the name of a ship without its IMO number, risking false negatives or incomplete data.
When checking maritime goods, use search_vessel and provide both the name and the available IMO number. This gives the most complete record.
When to use OpenSanctions MCP
Use this MCP if your core requirement is validating an identity (person, company, or vessel) against established, international regulatory watchlists. You need to know if a party is sanctioned, who they are connected to (PEP status), and what their official details are.
Don't use this if you simply need to check internal records, like verifying an employee ID or checking a local business license not tracked by global regulators. If the data lives only in your private database, an internal query tool is better. However, if that private data needs to be cross-referenced against international compliance standards (AML/KYC), OpenSanctions is mandatory.
Frequently asked questions about OpenSanctions MCP
Does OpenSanctions help with KYC/AML compliance? +
Yes, absolutely. The MCP is designed specifically for KYC and AML checks by screening identities against major global sanctions lists and PEP databases.
Can I search for people using OpenSanctions MCP? +
You can use search_person to find individuals by name, or run a targeted check with match_sanctions to see if they are listed on sanctions lists.
What is the difference between `search_entities` and `get_entity`? +
search_entities lets you look for potential matches using free text. get_entity, however, requires a specific ID to pull comprehensive details on an already identified entity.
Does OpenSanctions require me to pay per API call? +
No, the MCP is available without needing an API key for non-commercial use. You just connect through Vinkius and start screening with your agent.
Can I check vessels using OpenSanctions MCP? +
Yes, you can run search_vessel to look up ships by name or IMO number, checking them against sanctions databases for maritime risk management.