Sanctioned Countries and Countries of Concern
Sanctioned Countries
With the exception of Cuba, U.S. citizens are free to travel to all countries without obtaining a license from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC); however, certain activities within, or with citizens of, various countries may require a license. The following table details countries sanctioned by OFAC. If you plan on traveling to, or collaborating with a colleague in, one of these countries, please contact expctrl@lists.upenn.edu for assistance in determining whether a license is required.
Sanctioned Countries*
| Country | Type of Sanction |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan-Related Sanctions | No contact or business with certain individuals and their associations. General Licenses for humanitarian activities are available. |
| Balkans-related | No contact or business with certain individuals and their associations |
| Belarus | No contact or business with certain individuals and their associations. Under strict export licensing requirements. |
| Burma-related | No contact or business with certain individuals and their associations |
| Central African Republic | No contact or business with certain individuals and their associations |
| Congo, Democratic Republic of | No contact or business with certain individuals and their associations |
| Cuba | Exports/imports strictly controlled. Certain academic activities may be authorized under a license. See https://researchservices.upenn.edu/cuba/ for more information. |
| Ethiopia-related Sanctions | No contact or business with certain individuals and their associations |
| Hong Kong-related Sanctions | No contact or business with certain individuals and their associations |
| Iran | Exports/imports strictly controlled. Certain academic activities may be authorized under a license. See https://researchservices.upenn.edu/iran/ for more information. |
| Iraq-related | No contact or business with certain individuals and their associations |
| Lebanon-related Sanctions | No contact or business with certain individuals and their associations |
| Libya | No contact or business with certain individuals and their associations |
| Mali-related | No contact or business with certain individuals and their associations |
| Nicaragua-related | No contact or business with certain individuals and their associations |
| North Korea | No imports without a license, strict export controls; no contact or business with certain individuals and their associations. Travel requires special validation from U.S. State Department. |
| Somalia | No contact or business with certain individuals and their associations |
| South Sudan-related | No contact or business with certain individuals and their associations |
| Sudan | Exports/imports strictly controlled. Certain academic activities may be authorized. |
| Syria | Exports/imports strictly controlled. Certain humanitarian activities and issues related to intellectual property protection may be authorized under a license. |
| Ukraine-/Russia-related | No contact or business with certain individuals and their associations. Russia, and the Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions of Ukraine under strict export controls. |
| Venezuela-related | No contact or business with certain individuals and their associations |
| Yemen-related | No contact or business with certain individuals and their associations |
| Zimbabwe | No contact or business with certain individuals and their associations |
*Note that any country, regardless of sanction status, may have individuals or entities that fall under the “no contact or business with certain individuals and their associations” prohibition; therefore, it is important to perform restricted party screening before entering into an agreement with, or shipping equipment/technical items to, foreign nationals. Please contact expctrl@lists.upenn.edu or 215-573-8817 for assistance with screening.
Sanctions are frequently updated, and can be found at: https://ofac.treasury.gov/sanctions-programs-and-country-information.
Countries with International Trade and Arms Regulations (ITAR) Restrictions
The ITAR restricts information and material related to defense and military technologies from being exported or released without a license to the following countries::
- Afghanistan
- Belarus
- Burma
- Central African Republic
- China
- Cuba
- Cyprus
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Iraq
- Lebanon
- Libya
- North Korea
- Russia
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Syria
- Venezuela
- Zimbabwe