FATF 40 Recommendations
The FATF 40 Recommendations (last comprehensive revision February 2012 with subsequent targeted updates - R.15 Virtual Assets / VASPs 2018-2024, R.24 + R.25 Beneficial Ownership 2022-2024, R.8 Non-Profit Organisations 2016+2023, R.5 Terrorist Financing 2024) are the international standards on combating money laundering + terrorist financing + proliferation financing. The Recommendations are adopted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and applied across 200+ jurisdictions through the FATF Global Network including the FATF-Style Regional Bodies (FSRBs): APG (Asia/Pacific), CFATF (Caribbean), EAG (Eurasian), ESAAMLG (Eastern + Southern Africa), GAFILAT (Latin America), GIABA (West Africa), GABAC (Central Africa), MENAFATF (Middle East + North Africa), MONEYVAL (Council of Europe). Mutual Evaluation cycles (currently the 5th round) assess country compliance through (a) Technical Compliance ratings (C / LC / PC / NC) against the 40 Recommendations + (b) Effectiveness ratings against the 11 Immediate Outcomes. Implementation is supplemented by Best Practices Papers + Methodology + Guidance documents on specific topics (Virtual Assets / VASPs, Beneficial Ownership, NPO sector, Politically Exposed Persons, Risk-Based Approach for various sectors). Non-compliance can lead to inclusion on the FATF Public Statement / 'Grey List' (jurisdictions under increased monitoring) or 'Black List' (High-Risk Jurisdictions Subject to a Call for Action) with severe market-access + correspondent-banking consequences. The 40 Recommendations are the foundational instrument for the EU AMLD6 + AMLD7 (Regulation (EU) 2024/1624 + Directive (EU) 2024/1640) + US Bank Secrecy Act / FinCEN Customer Due Diligence Rule + UK MLR 2017 + global AML/CFT laws.
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Framework Domains (7)
FATF Section A: AML/CFT Policies and Coordination (R.1-2)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| FATF-Methodology | FATF Methodology - Technical Compliance and Effectiveness (Immediate Outcomes) |
| FATF-R.1_2 | Risk-Based Approach + National Cooperation (FATF R.1 and R.2) |
| FATF-Status | FATF 40 Recommendations - corpus status, 5th + 6th Mutual Evaluation Rounds + targeted updates |
FATF Section B: Money Laundering and Confiscation (R.3-4)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| FATF-R.3_4 | ML Offence + Confiscation (FATF R.3 and R.4) |
FATF Section C: Terrorist Financing and Proliferation Financing (R.5-8)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| FATF-R.5_6_7_8 | Terrorist Financing + Targeted Financial Sanctions + NPO sector (FATF R.5, R.6, R.7, R.8) |
FATF Section D: Preventive Measures (R.9-23)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| FATF-R.10_11 | Customer Due Diligence + Record Keeping (FATF R.10 and R.11) |
| FATF-R.12_13 | Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) + Correspondent Banking (FATF R.12 and R.13) |
| FATF-R.14_15_16 | Money or Value Transfer Services + New Technologies + Wire Transfers (FATF R.14, R.15, R.16) |
| FATF-R.17_18_19 | Reliance on Third Parties + Internal Controls + Higher-Risk Countries (FATF R.17, R.18, R.19) |
| FATF-R.20_21_22_23 | Reporting of Suspicious Transactions + Tipping-Off + DNFBPs (FATF R.20, R.21, R.22, R.23) |
| FATF-R.9 | Financial Institution Secrecy Laws (FATF R.9) |
FATF Section E: Transparency and Beneficial Ownership of Legal Persons and Arrangements (R.24-25)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| FATF-R.24_25 | Transparency and Beneficial Ownership of Legal Persons and Legal Arrangements (FATF R.24 and R.25) |
FATF Section F: Powers and Responsibilities of Competent Authorities and Other Institutional Measures (R.26-35)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| FATF-R.26_27_28 | Regulation and Supervision of Financial Institutions + Powers of Supervisors + DNFBPs (FATF R.26, R.27, R.28) |
| FATF-R.29 | Financial Intelligence Units / FIUs (FATF R.29) |
| FATF-R.30_31_32_33_34_35 | Law Enforcement Powers + Cash Couriers + Statistics + Guidance + Sanctions (FATF R.30-R.35) |
FATF Section G: International Cooperation (R.36-40)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| FATF-R.36_37_38_39_40 | International Cooperation (FATF R.36-R.40) |
Maps to 2 other frameworks
Frequently Asked Questions
What is FATF 40 Recommendations?
FATF 40 Recommendations is a compliance framework from International with 7 domains and 16 controls. The FATF 40 Recommendations (last comprehensive revision February 2012 with subsequent targeted updates - R.15 Virtual Assets / VASPs 2018-2024, R.24 + R.25 Beneficial Ownership 2022-2024, R.8 Non-Profit Organisations 2016+2023, R.5 Terrorist Financing 2024) are the international standards on combating money laundering + terrorist financing + proliferation financing. The Recommendations are adopted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and applied across 200+ jurisdictions through the FATF Global Network including the FATF-Style Regional Bodies (FSRBs): APG (Asia/Pacific), CFATF (Caribbean), EAG (Eurasian), ESAAMLG (Eastern + Southern Africa), GAFILAT (Latin America), GIABA (West Africa), GABAC (Central Africa), MENAFATF (Middle East + North Africa), MONEYVAL (Council of Europe). Mutual Evaluation cycles (currently the 5th round) assess country compliance through (a) Technical Compliance ratings (C / LC / PC / NC) against the 40 Recommendations + (b) Effectiveness ratings against the 11 Immediate Outcomes. Implementation is supplemented by Best Practices Papers + Methodology + Guidance documents on specific topics (Virtual Assets / VASPs, Beneficial Ownership, NPO sector, Politically Exposed Persons, Risk-Based Approach for various sectors). Non-compliance can lead to inclusion on the FATF Public Statement / 'Grey List' (jurisdictions under increased monitoring) or 'Black List' (High-Risk Jurisdictions Subject to a Call for Action) with severe market-access + correspondent-banking consequences. The 40 Recommendations are the foundational instrument for the EU AMLD6 + AMLD7 (Regulation (EU) 2024/1624 + Directive (EU) 2024/1640) + US Bank Secrecy Act / FinCEN Customer Due Diligence Rule + UK MLR 2017 + global AML/CFT laws. It is used by organisations to establish and maintain compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
How many controls does FATF 40 Recommendations have?
FATF 40 Recommendations has 16 controls organised across 7 domains. The largest domains are FATF Section D: Preventive Measures (R.9-23) (6 controls), FATF Section A: AML/CFT Policies and Coordination (R.1-2) (3 controls), FATF Section F: Powers and Responsibilities of Competent Authorities and Other Institutional Measures (R.26-35) (3 controls). Each control defines specific requirements that organisations must implement to achieve compliance.
What frameworks does FATF 40 Recommendations map to?
FATF 40 Recommendations maps to 2 other compliance frameworks. The top mapping partners are Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Standard (2023) (6% coverage), GDPR (6% coverage). Use our comparison tool to explore control-level mappings between frameworks.
How do I get started with FATF 40 Recommendations compliance?
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