Registration is mandatory for every designated business
goAML Registration in the UAE
We register your business on goAML, the UAE Financial Intelligence Unit's reporting portal, and set up the reporting you need afterwards: suspicious transaction reports, cash threshold reports for real estate and precious metals, and sanctions screening reports.
Unregistered businesses have had their operations suspended
Key facts
| What goAML is | The UAE Financial Intelligence Unit's (FIU) online system for registering reporting entities and filing anti-money laundering reports |
| Who must register | Designated non-financial businesses and professions (DNFBPs) such as real estate brokers and agents, dealers in precious metals and stones, auditors and accountants, and corporate service providers, plus financial institutions and virtual asset service providers |
| Legal basis | Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025 on combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism and proliferation, which replaced Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2018 |
| Who you need | An appointed compliance officer (MLRO), usually with a deputy, whose details are registered on the portal |
| Cash threshold | AED 55,000 for real estate (REAR) and precious metals and stones (DPMSR) reports |
| Enforcement | The Ministry of Economy has suspended the operations of DNFBPs for failing to register, and administrative fines run from AED 10,000 to AED 5,000,000 per violation |
What goAML registration actually involves
goAML is the platform the UAE Financial Intelligence Unit uses to receive reports from businesses that have anti-money laundering obligations. Registration is not optional for designated businesses, and it is not a formality: once registered, your business must use the portal to report suspicious transactions, file threshold reports where they apply, and respond to information requests from the FIU.
Registration happens in two stages. Your business first pre-registers through the FIU's system to receive a pre-registration number and access credentials, then completes the full goAML organisation registration. You need a valid trade licence, the identity documents of your compliance officer and deputy, and an email address and mobile number for each user that are not already used on the portal.
Registration is also the start of an ongoing obligation, not the end of one. Your supervisory authority expects you to keep users current when staff change, to screen customers against the UAE and UN sanctions lists, and to keep records of reports and supporting documents for at least five years.
The reports you may have to file on goAML
Which reports apply depends on your sector. These are the most common for designated businesses.
Is this actually relevant to you?
- You are a real estate broker or agent, a gold, jewellery or precious stones dealer, an auditor or accountant, or a corporate service provider, on the mainland or in a free zone
- You have just been licensed for a designated activity and have not yet registered
- Your registration is incomplete, your compliance officer has left, or you cannot log in
- You are registered but have never filed a report and are unsure whether you should have
Our process, step by step
Designation check
We confirm whether your licensed activity makes you a designated business and which supervisory authority oversees you.
Compliance officer and documents
We help you appoint a suitable compliance officer and deputy and prepare the documents the portal requires.
Pre-registration and goAML registration
We complete both registration stages with you, so the time-limited codes are used before they expire.
Reporting set-up and training
We map which reports apply to your business, show your team how to file them, and connect this to your AML policy and sanctions screening.
The mistakes that leave businesses exposed
- Completing the first stage but never the second, so the business believes it is registered when it is not.
- Registering the owner's personal email and mobile, then losing access when roles change or the person leaves.
- Treating registration as the whole obligation, with no process for screening customers or filing threshold reports afterwards.
- Assuming a free zone licence removes the requirement. Designation follows the activity, not the jurisdiction.
Related compliance services
goAML registration works alongside your wider AML programme and regulatory filings.
Common questions
Who must register on goAML in the UAE?+
Financial institutions, virtual asset service providers and designated non-financial businesses and professions. In practice that includes real estate brokers and agents, dealers in precious metals and stones, auditors and accountants, and corporate service providers, whether licensed on the mainland or in a free zone.
What documents are needed for goAML registration?+
A valid trade licence, the Emirates ID or passport of the appointed compliance officer and deputy, and a unique email address and mobile number for each user. Some supervisory authorities also ask for an appointment or authorisation letter.
What happens if we don't register?+
The Ministry of Economy has suspended the operations of designated businesses that failed to register, and administrative fines for AML violations run from AED 10,000 to AED 5,000,000 per violation. Registering late does not remove exposure for reports that should already have been filed.
Is registering on goAML enough to be AML compliant?+
No. Registration gives you the ability to report. You still need a documented risk assessment, an AML policy, customer due diligence, sanctions screening and staff training. Our AML compliance service covers the full programme.
When must a real estate or gold business file a threshold report?+
Real estate businesses file a REAR for property transactions involving cash of AED 55,000 or more, virtual assets, or funds converted from virtual assets. Dealers in precious metals and stones file a DPMSR for cash transactions of AED 55,000 or more.
How long does goAML registration take?+
Once the documents and compliance officer are in place, the registration itself can usually be completed within a few working days. Approval timing then depends on the FIU and your supervisory authority.
Not sure whether you are registered correctly?
Tell us your licensed activity and we will confirm whether you need goAML, check your current registration, and tell you what is missing.