Guidance and legislation • Australia
AML/CTF Guidance and Legislation.
Direct links to the law, regulator guidance and trusted international sources. Each link includes a short note on what it covers and when it may help.
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Australia sources
Australian Law and AUSTRAC Guidance.
Start with the Act and Rules. AUSTRAC guidance then explains how the regulator applies them in practice.
- 01Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006Federal Register of LegislationThe current Australian AML/CTF Act. It sets the main legal duties for reporting entities.Useful for: Checking the law on designated services, programs, CDD, reporting, governance and records.Open source
- 02Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Rules 2025Federal Register of LegislationThe rules that add detail to the duties in the AML/CTF Act. The latest compilation is shown on the register.Useful for: Checking detailed requirements for enrolment, programs, CDD, reporting groups and reports.Open source
- 03AML/CTF transitional rules 2026AUSTRACAUSTRAC explains the staged changes and temporary arrangements that apply during the 2026 reforms.Useful for: Checking which new requirements apply now and whether a transition period affects your business.Open source
- 04Who and what AUSTRAC regulatesAUSTRACA plain overview of the services and businesses that can be covered by the Australian AML/CTF regime.Useful for: Starting a check of whether your business provides a designated service.Open source
- 05Your AML/CTF obligationsAUSTRACA current summary of the core duties that apply to Australian reporting entities.Useful for: Getting a clear view of governance, programs, CDD, reporting and record-keeping duties.Open source
- 06AUSTRAC guidance by industryAUSTRACThe main index for AUSTRAC guidance written for each regulated industry.Useful for: Finding sector guidance for accountants, lawyers, real estate, financial services, VASPs and other industries.Open source
- 07Your AML/CTF program overviewAUSTRACAUSTRAC explains how the ML/TF risk assessment and AML/CTF policies form the program.Useful for: Understanding what the program must contain and how it should be approved, used and kept current.Open source
- 08Identify and assess your ML/TF risksAUSTRACThe regulator’s step-by-step guidance on the risks an ML/TF risk assessment must cover.Useful for: Building or reviewing a risk assessment for services, customers, countries, delivery channels and technology.Open source
- 09Customer due diligenceAUSTRACCurrent guidance on initial, ongoing, simplified and enhanced customer due diligence.Useful for: Checking what information must be collected, verified, reviewed and kept.Open source
- 10Suspicious matter reportsAUSTRACGuidance on forming a suspicion, recording the decision and sending a suspicious matter report.Useful for: Checking reporting grounds, deadlines, required information and tipping-off controls.Open source
- 11Conduct an independent evaluationAUSTRACAUSTRAC explains the required frequency, independence, scope, reporting and follow-up.Useful for: Planning an evaluation or checking whether the evaluator and scope meet the rules.Open source
- 12Latest AUSTRAC guidance updatesAUSTRACA dated list of new and changed AUSTRAC guidance that may affect how obligations are applied.Useful for: Checking whether guidance used in your program or processes has changed.Open source
- 13Money laundering in Australia: National Risk Assessment 2024AUSTRACAustralia’s national assessment of current and emerging money-laundering threats and vulnerabilities.Useful for: Informing the risks and controls in a business-level ML/TF risk assessment.Open source
- 14Terrorism financing in Australia: National Risk Assessment 2024AUSTRACAustralia’s assessment of terrorism-financing threats, methods and vulnerabilities.Useful for: Considering terrorism-financing exposure in the risk assessment and control design.Open source
- 15Risks and indicators of suspicious activityAUSTRACAUSTRAC’s index of national risk information and suspicious-activity indicators for different industries.Useful for: Updating risk assessments, staff guidance, monitoring rules and escalation prompts.Open source
- 16Australian sanctions consolidated listDepartment of Foreign Affairs and TradeThe list of people, entities and vessels subject to Australian sanctions.Useful for: Checking Australian sanctions exposure. The list is updated when sanctions change.Open source
International sources
Standards, Sanctions and Country-Risk Material.
These sources can support research and risk decisions. They do not replace the law or regulator guidance that applies to your business.
- 01The FATF RecommendationsFinancial Action Task ForceThe global standards that countries use to shape their AML, CFT and proliferation-financing systems.Useful for: Understanding the international basis for risk-based controls, CDD, reporting and supervision.Open source
- 02FATF high-risk and monitored jurisdictionsFinancial Action Task ForceThe current FATF statements on jurisdictions subject to a call for action or increased monitoring.Useful for: Country-risk assessment and enhanced checks. A listing should be read with the relevant local rules.Open source
- 03FATF mutual evaluationsFinancial Action Task ForceDetailed peer reviews of how a country’s AML/CFT system is designed and how well it works.Useful for: Looking beyond a country score to understand the strengths, gaps and effectiveness of its system.Open source
- 04FATF consolidated assessment ratingsFinancial Action Task ForceA comparison table of technical compliance and effectiveness ratings from FATF and regional assessments.Useful for: A quick country comparison before reading the full mutual evaluation report.Open source
- 05Basel AML Index 2025Basel Institute on GovernanceAn independent country-risk index based on 17 public data sources across 177 jurisdictions.Useful for: One input to a country-risk assessment. It should not be used as the only reason for a rating.Open source
- 06KnowYourCountryKnowYourCountryFree country overviews and paid reports that bring together AML, sanctions, corruption and tax information.Useful for: An early country-risk check. Important points should be confirmed against the original official source.Open source
- 07Corruption Perceptions Index 2025Transparency InternationalA comparison of perceived public-sector corruption across 182 countries and territories.Useful for: One corruption-risk indicator. It is not a full country AML risk rating.Open source
- 08United Nations Security Council consolidated sanctions listUnited Nations Security CouncilThe consolidated list of people and entities subject to United Nations Security Council sanctions.Useful for: Checking UN designations. Local sanctions laws and national lists must also be checked.Open source
- 09Wolfsberg Group guidance libraryWolfsberg GroupGuidance, principles and questionnaires written by major global banks for financial-crime risk management.Useful for: Practical ideas for financial institutions. Wolfsberg material is not legislation or regulator guidance.Open source
A note about country risk
Do Not Rely on One List or Score.
FATF lists, the Basel AML Index, KnowYourCountry and the Corruption Perceptions Index measure different things. A sound country-risk decision should use several current sources and record why the final rating was chosen.
Laws, sanctions lists and regulator guidance can change. Use the official links on this page to check the current position.
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