You must both enrol and register with us if you’re any of the following:

• remittance service provider (RSP)
• virtual asset service provider (VASP).

You must enrol and apply for registration using the approved form (which will be developed before the laws come into force on 31 March 2026). We encourage you to enrol and register with us at the same time.

You can’t start providing remittance or virtual asset services before we’ve approved your registration. We scrutinise applications and will only approve your registration application if we are satisfied it is appropriate.

When applying for registration, you’ll need to provide both of the following: 

• some of the information you provided when you enrolled
• more information set out in the Rules to show us you can effectively manage and mitigate money laundering and terrorism financing risks faced by your business. 

Obligations related to the regulation of new virtual asset services start from 31 March 2026. If you provide one of these designated services, you must apply to be registered before 31 March 2026. This is in addition to enrolling. From 31 March 2026, you must not provide virtual asset-related designated services before we have confirmed your registration.

The Department of Home Affairs is considering transitional rules to extend the deadline for registration. The impact of these rules will be included in this guidance once known.

Update your information

You must update your information with us. If there are any changes to your circumstances which would materially affect our decision about your registration within 14 days of the change occurring. 

This includes:

• any changes relating to details of your beneficial owners or key personnel (including any criminal or civil proceedings or enforcement action taken against them)
• any changes to your beneficial owners or key personnel
• changes to other people or businesses that help you provide remittance or virtual asset services
• any details you gave us that are inaccurate or incomplete.
• details such as your name, ABN or address
• any new countries you’re operating or dealing in
• if you stop providing registrable designated services
• details about changes to any foreign licenses or registration you have for RSP or VASP services.

If you’re an RNP and an affiliate advises you of these changes you must tell us within 7 days.

Affiliates of remittance network providers

If you’re an affiliate of a RNP or an RNP you must register the affiliate business. You may only register as an affiliate if you also plan to provide remittance services as an independent remittance service provider.

An application for registration as an affiliate of an RNP must include information that shows whether the RNP has assessed the suitability of the prospective affiliate to be a part of its network. This includes information on whether the RNP has considered the money laundering, terrorism financing and proliferation financing risks (we refer to these as ML/TF risks) the RNP may face by having the affiliate as part of its network. 

If an RNP has assessed the suitability of an affiliate, the application must show both of the following:

• candidate was found to be suitable

• prospective affiliate has consented to the application and when. 

How we process registration applications

After reviewing your application, we may choose to do any of the following: 

• approve registration
• approve registration with conditions
• refuse registration.

Details we consider in your application

We may take up to 90 days to assess your application. We may seek more information as part of this process. 

If you provide more information we request as part of this application process, this 90-day period will reset from the date this information is provided. 

If we don’t decide on your application within 90 days and it has not been extended, your application has been refused. 

When deciding whether to register or refuse your application we consider whether registering you would involve a significant ML/TF or other serious crime risk. Factors impacting this consideration include:

• the operational readiness of your business to comply with the Act, the proposed resourcing in relation to the provision of the registerable services and the level of AML/CTF experience of you and your key personnel
• criminal offences you, or your key personnel, have been charged or convicted with
• history of compliance or non-compliance with Commonwealth, state or territory, or foreign laws by you and your beneficial owners or other associated persons
• if a business has consented to becoming an affiliate of an RNP
• the likelihood of you conducting a business involving the provision of the registrable services.

Reasons to suspend or cancel a registration

We can suspend or cancel your registration if we think you pose a significant risk of any of the following:

• money laundering
• terrorism financing
• other serious crime. 

There are additional circumstances where we can suspend, cancel or impose conditions. For example, if you or any of your key personnel satisfy any of the following: 

• have been charged with or convicted of an offence, such as money laundering, terrorism financing or fraud in Australia or overseas (this includes your associates)
• have contravened the Act or breached your registration conditions
• have been subject to civil or criminal proceedings relating to your previous management of an entity
• no longer have the required operational capability or experience
• give or omit material information that is false or misleading.

Reviewing registration decisions

If a decision is made to refuse, impose conditions on, suspend or cancel your registration, we’ll notify you. You may also have the option to have the decision reviewed internally or externally, which will be outlined in the notice. 

Renew your registration

Your registration is for 3 years. To renew your registration, apply through your business profile. 

You may apply to renew your registration 90 days before your registration ends. If you submit a renewal application during this period, your registration will continue until we decide your application.

If you don’t apply to renew your registration, your registration will lapse, and you’ll be removed from the register. This means you can no longer provide remittance and virtual asset designated services. 

If a business reapplies for registration after this it’ll be treated as a new registration. 

Related pages

• Check if you need to enrol or register
• Enrol with us
• Check if you may be regulated
• New industries and services to be regulated