Restricted Destination Countries
Last Updated: December 1, 2025
Understanding Country Classifications
At Unicorn Currencies, we work with a network of FCA-authorized payment partners and licensed financial institutions to deliver cross-border payment services. We classify destination countries into three categories based on regulatory requirements, sanctions regimes, banking partner restrictions, and risk assessments across our partner network.
This page outlines which countries our partner network can support for payments and the requirements for each category. These classifications reflect the combined compliance frameworks of Unicorn Currencies and our payment infrastructure partners.
Destination countries refer to the country where the beneficiary's bank account is located (i.e., where the payment is going).
Category 1: Supported Countries
Status: ✅ Payments Supported
Our payment partner network supports these countries with standard onboarding and transaction documentation. Additional documents may be required on a case-by-case basis depending on transaction size, business sector, or beneficial ownership structure, as determined by our banking partners' compliance frameworks.
All Countries Not Listed in Categories 2 or 3
This includes, but is not limited to:
North America: Canada, United States
Europe: United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Austria, Portugal, Ireland, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Greece
Asia-Pacific: Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka
Middle East: United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Jordan, Israel, Turkey
Africa: South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Botswana, Mauritius, Rwanda, Namibia, Zambia, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia
Latin America: Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Panama (with EDD)
This list is representative and not exhaustive. If your destination country is not specifically listed in Categories 2 or 3 below, it is generally supported.
Category 2: Restricted Countries - Enhanced Due Diligence Required
Status: ⚠️ Payments Supported with Enhanced Review
Our payment partner network supports these countries, but all transactions will be subject to enhanced due diligence (EDD) in accordance with our partners' compliance frameworks. Documentary evidence is normally required, including:
Detailed commercial invoices or contracts
Proof of goods or services being provided
Beneficial ownership documentation
Source of funds verification
Business relationship documentation
Payments to these countries may experience longer processing times (24-72 hours) due to additional compliance reviews.
FATF Grey List Countries (Enhanced Monitoring)
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Cameroon
Croatia (enhanced monitoring)
Democratic Republic of Congo
Haiti
Jamaica
Kenya
Malta
Mozambique
Namibia
Nigeria
Pakistan
Panama
Philippines
Senegal
South Africa
South Sudan
Syria (payments generally prohibited - see Category 3)
Tanzania
Turkey
Uganda
United Arab Emirates
Vietnam
Yemen (payments generally prohibited - see Category 3)
Offshore Financial Centers & Tax Havens
Bahamas
Belize
Bermuda
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Gibraltar
Guernsey
Isle of Man
Jersey
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg (selective EDD)
Marshall Islands
Mauritius (selective EDD)
Monaco
Seychelles
Vanuatu
Additional EDD Jurisdictions
Albania
Algeria
Angola
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Cambodia
Egypt (selective EDD)
Georgia
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Lebanon
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco (selective EDD)
Serbia
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
Ukraine (excluding occupied territories - see Category 3)
Uzbekistan
Category 3: Not Supported - Payments Prohibited
Status: ❌ Payments Not Supported
Our payment partner network does not support payments to these countries and territories. Attempted payments will be automatically blocked and returned to your wallet or account balance.
These restrictions are due to:
Comprehensive international sanctions (OFAC, OFSI, EU, UN)
Occupied or illegally annexed territories
Active conflict zones with no banking infrastructure
Banking and payment partner restrictions across our network
FATF blacklist designation
Comprehensively Sanctioned Countries
Afghanistan
Belarus
Cuba
Iran
North Korea (DPRK)
Russia
Syria
Venezuela
Occupied & Illegally Annexed Territories
Crimea (Ukraine)
Donetsk People's Republic (DNR)
Luhansk People's Republic (LNR)
Zaporizhzhia Region (occupied areas)
Kherson Region (occupied areas)
Active Conflict Zones & Failed States
Burundi
Central African Republic
Libya
Mali
Myanmar (Burma)
Somalia
Sudan
Yemen
Additional Prohibited Jurisdictions
Bosnia and Herzegovina (banking partner restrictions)
Ethiopia (conflict-related restrictions)
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Iraq (most transactions prohibited; limited exceptions for certain sectors)
Kosovo (banking partner restrictions)
Nicaragua
Republic of the Congo
Zimbabwe
Important Notes
Banking Partner Requirements
Our ability to process payments to certain countries is determined not only by regulatory sanctions but also by the policies of our banking partners and payment service providers. These restrictions may change based on evolving risk assessments and partner requirements.
Transaction-Specific Reviews
Even for Category 1 (Supported) countries, certain transactions may trigger enhanced review based on:
Transaction size (typically payments over £50,000 / $65,000 / €60,000)
Beneficiary sector (high-risk industries)
Payment purpose (e.g., real estate, investment, loans)
Frequency and pattern of transactions
Source of funds
Real-Time Sanctions Screening
All payments are screened in real-time against:
OFAC SDN List
UK HM Treasury Sanctions List
EU Consolidated Sanctions List
UN Security Council Consolidated List
Canadian Sanctions List
Payments matching any sanctioned individual or entity will be automatically blocked, regardless of destination country.
Receiving Payments (Inbound)
The country classifications on this page apply primarily to outgoing payments (payouts). For incoming payments (collections), please see our separate Incoming Payments Policy or contact your account manager.
What If My Destination Country Is Restricted or Not Supported?
Category 2 Countries (Enhanced Due Diligence):
You can still process payments, but please be prepared to provide:
Detailed documentation of the business relationship
Commercial invoices or contracts
Proof of goods/services being delivered
Beneficial ownership information for the recipient
Source of funds verification
Processing times may be 24-72 hours instead of same-day.
Category 3 Countries (Not Supported):
We cannot process payments to these jurisdictions. Alternative options may include:
Using a third-country intermediary (subject to compliance review)
Exploring other payment corridors or providers
Waiting for changes in sanctions status (we will notify you if restrictions are lifted)
Important: Attempting to circumvent these restrictions through intermediary accounts or shell companies is a serious compliance violation and may result in immediate account closure and reporting to law enforcement.
Policy Updates
This policy is reviewed and updated:
Quarterly: Routine review of all country classifications
Immediately: Upon changes to sanctions regimes (OFAC, OFSI, EU, UN)
Monthly: Upon FATF grey/blacklist updates
As needed: Upon banking partner requirement changes
We will communicate material changes to this policy via email to all active account holders.
Questions?
If you need clarification on whether we can support a payment to a specific country, or if you need assistance with enhanced due diligence requirements, please contact us:
General Inquiries: support@unicorncurrencies.com
Compliance Questions: compliance@unicorncurrenceis.com
Phone: +44 20 8064 0818
Response Time: Within 24 business hours
Last updated: December 2025. This policy is subject to change without prior notice due to rapidly evolving sanctions and regulatory requirements.
Unicorn Currencies operates as a FINTRAC-registered Money Services Business and Bank of Canada RPAA-authorized Payment Service Provider, delivering services through FCA-authorized payment partners across Canada-UK-EU trade corridors.