Are accountants and auditors required to register on the goAML portal in the UAE?
Yes. Accountants and auditors classified as DNFBPs in the UAE are required to register on the goAML portal, which is the official platform of the UAE’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). Registration is mandatory for all entities obligated to file Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) and other financial intelligence reports.
Under Article 18 of Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025, all Financial Institutions, DNFBPs, and Virtual Asset Service Providers must submit STRs directly and exclusively to the FIU. The FIU has designated the goAML system as the approved electronic channel for all such reports. Accountants and auditors who are triggered as DNFBPs, when conducting qualifying financial transactions on behalf of clients, must register their firm on the goAML portal before submitting any required reports.
The registration process involves providing entity details, appointing a nominated contact and an MLRO, and completing the system onboarding. Failure to register, or failure to submit STRs through the approved channel, constitutes a violation of UAE AML law and can result in significant administrative penalties. With FATF’s onsite mutual evaluation of the UAE scheduled for mid-2026, supervisory authorities are actively checking whether DNFBPs are registered and reporting correctly on goAML.
Legal Reference (UAE):
- Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025, Article 18, All STRs must be submitted exclusively to the FIU through designated electronic systems
- Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025, Article 11, Establishment of the FIU as the exclusive recipient of STR reports
For more details, consult the full text of Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025 or seek guidance from your AML compliance officer.