Revolut Tightens Account Restrictions Under EU’s 19th Sanctions Package

Date: November 3, 2025

Following the introduction of the 19th EU sanctions package, several fintech platforms — including Revolut — have reportedly increased restrictions and account closures for users with potential links to sanctioned regions or unclear KYC/AML status.

According to multiple reports, a number of Russian citizens legally residing in EU countries with D-type visas or residence permits have seen their Revolut accounts frozen or terminated without prior notice.

Experts suggest that Revolut’s compliance department may be applying an overly broad interpretation of EU sanctions, extending beyond the official requirements of EU law and potentially harming law-abiding EU residents.

“Fintech companies are increasingly acting as private regulators, interpreting sanctions in their own way — and often more aggressively than the law requires,”commented EXCH Consulting analysts.

Human Rights Groups Appeal to the European Commission

In response to these developments, human rights organizations have submitted an appeal to the European Commission, addressing the recent wave of account blocks against Russian and Belarusian citizens legally residing in the EU.

The appeal describes the situation as disproportionate and excessive, going beyond the intent of EU sanctions legislation and causing harm to lawful EU residents.

The organizations called on the European Commission to: issue an official clarification confirming that D-type visas, residence permit applications, and humanitarian visas are sufficient for compliance with Article 5b of Regulation (EU) No. 833/2014; communicate this clarification to EU financial institutions, emphasizing that denying service to lawful residents violates Directive 2014/92/EU and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights; prepare and publish official guidelines on applying sanctions law to residents with temporary legal status; advise national governments to consider the real administrative delays in processing residence permits, which often exceed statutory deadlines.

Human rights groups report dozens of cases across 14 EU countries where individuals had their accounts blocked over the weekend, citing the 19th sanctions package.

---

• Reuters: EU adopts 19th sanctions package targeting Russia and related entities

• Financial Times: Fintechs tighten compliance amid new EU sanctions

---

Executive Consulting HUB Comment:

We continue to monitor compliance enforcement trends across European fintech institutions.

Our team assists clients in:

– resolving KYC/AML compliance issues,

– challenging unjustified account freezes,

– developing legal and operational strategies for cross-border payments under new sanctions and regulatory frameworks.