The Email You Received — What It Says
Thousands of UAE businesses recently received this email from the Ministry of Economy and Tourism (MoET):
Subject: Reminder to Submit FY 2025 AML/CFT Risk Assessment Data
Dear Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions,
The Anti-Money Laundering Department at the Ministry of Economy and Tourism would like to remind all DNFBPs under its supervision of the ongoing AML/CFT Risk Assessment Data Collection exercise for the year 2025. In light of the current circumstances, the deadline for submission has been extended until 24 April 2026.
Entities are kindly requested to access the Risk Assessment Portal via: amlquestionnaire.moec.gov.ae
Please note that your username is the email address through which you received the notification.
Participation in this exercise is mandatory for all relevant entities.
Important Notes: Failure to participate or submission of inaccurate information may result in administrative measures, including financial penalties, in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.
"I Didn't Register for AML — Why Did I Get This?"
This is the most common reaction. The answer: you don't need to have separately registered for AML compliance to receive this questionnaire.
The Ministry of Economy pulls business data directly from DED (Department of Economic Development) and free zone authority records. If your trade licence activity falls under the Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBP) categories, MoET sends you the questionnaire automatically — based on your licence activity, not whether you've registered for anything.
Which Businesses Are DNFBPs?
| DNFBP Category | Common Examples |
|---|---|
| Real estate agents & brokers | Property sales, leasing, management |
| Precious metals & stones dealers | Gold trading, jewellery, gemstones |
| Lawyers & legal consultants | Law firms handling client money or transactions |
| Accountants & auditors | Accounting firms, audit practices, tax agents |
| Company service providers (CSPs) | Company formation, corporate services, registered agents |
| Trust & escrow providers | Trust administration, escrow services |
If your trade licence includes any of these activities — even if you're a small free zone company — you're classified as a DNFBP and subject to MoET's AML supervision. The email is legitimate, and the questionnaire is mandatory.
The MoET email explicitly states: "Failure to participate or submission of inaccurate information may result in administrative measures, including financial penalties." Ignoring it won't make it go away — it will create a compliance issue that could result in fines or other penalties during a future MoET inspection.
What Is the AML/CFT Risk Assessment Questionnaire?
The questionnaire is an annual data collection exercise conducted by MoET's Anti-Money Laundering Department. Its purpose is to assess the AML/CFT risk profile of every DNFBP under its supervision — how exposed your business is to money laundering and terrorism financing risks, and what controls you have in place.
The data MoET collects helps them understand the national risk landscape, identify high-risk sectors, and target supervisory resources. It's part of the UAE's broader compliance with FATF (Financial Action Task Force) recommendations.
The Numbers: 290 Questions Across 3 Sections
| Section | Questions | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Section 1 | 18 | Company profile — basic entity information, ownership structure, business activities, licensing details |
| Section 2 | 97 | AML/CFT policies & procedures — your internal controls, compliance officer details, training programs, risk assessment framework, customer due diligence procedures, suspicious transaction reporting |
| Section 3 | 175 | Detailed risk assessment — customer risk, product/service risk, geographic risk, delivery channel risk, transaction patterns, PEP (Politically Exposed Persons) screening |
| Total | 290 | 100% completion required for submission |
The portal tracks your progress and won't allow submission until all 290 questions are answered. Partial submissions are not accepted.
💡 This is not a simple checklist. Many questions require detailed knowledge of AML/CFT regulations, your company's specific risk profile, and the correct terminology. Answering inaccurately is explicitly called out as a potential penalty trigger. If you're not confident about the correct answers, get professional help.
How to Access the Portal
Portal URL: amlquestionnaire.moec.gov.ae
Username: The email address that received the MoET notification. This is your login — don't try to use a different email.
Password: Set during your first login. If you haven't logged in before, use the password reset/creation function.
Once logged in, you'll see the "AML/CFT Assessment - CSP FY 2025" (or the relevant assessment for your DNFBP category). The left menu shows: User Profile, Initiate Assessment, Progress Tracker, Resubmit Response (Rejected Responses), Historical Assessments, and Resources.
Don't Have Time for 290 Questions? We Fill It for AED 499
Fastlane completes the AML/CFT Risk Assessment Questionnaire on your behalf. We review your business profile, answer all 290 questions accurately, and submit through the MoET portal.
What Information You'll Need to Answer
To complete the questionnaire — whether yourself or through Fastlane — you'll need the following information about your business:
Company details: Trade licence number, legal name, business activities, ownership structure, number of employees, annual revenue.
AML compliance setup: Whether you have a designated compliance officer, written AML policies, customer due diligence (CDD) procedures, enhanced due diligence (EDD) for high-risk customers, suspicious transaction reporting procedures.
Customer profile: Types of customers you deal with (individuals, corporates, PEPs), geographic locations of customers, nature of transactions, payment methods used.
Training: Whether staff have received AML/CFT training, frequency of training, training provider details.
Risk indicators: Whether you've filed any Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs), whether you screen against sanctions lists, whether you monitor transactions for unusual patterns.
The Deadline & What Happens After Submission
FY 2025 deadline: Extended to 24 April 2026.
After submission, MoET reviews the data. If your responses are incomplete or raise concerns, MoET may reject them and require resubmission (the portal has a "Resubmit Response (Rejected Responses)" section for this). If everything is satisfactory, the assessment is recorded and you'll be asked to complete the next year's assessment when it's issued.
MoET may also use the data to prioritise inspections. Companies with weak AML controls or high-risk profiles may receive a follow-up supervisory visit.
✅ Already completed and submitted? If you've already filled and submitted the FY 2025 Risk Assessment, you can disregard the reminder email. The MoET email confirms: "If you have already completed and submitted the FY 2025 Risk Assessment, please disregard this email."
This Is Different from AML Registration
A common confusion: the AML Risk Assessment Questionnaire is not the same as AML registration (goAML registration or DNFBP registration with MoET). They're separate obligations:
| Obligation | What It Is | Who Triggers It |
|---|---|---|
| AML Risk Assessment Questionnaire | Annual data collection — 290 questions about your AML risk profile | MoET sends it automatically based on your DED/free zone licence activity |
| AML/DNFBP Registration | One-time registration as a Designated Non-Financial Business/Profession | You must register proactively with MoET |
| goAML Registration | Registration on the FIU's goAML portal for Suspicious Transaction Reporting | Required after DNFBP registration |
If you received the questionnaire but haven't done your AML/DNFBP registration yet, that's a separate compliance gap you should address. Fastlane handles AML registration →
For MoET Support
If you have technical issues with the portal or questions about the questionnaire itself, MoET's AML/CFT Department can be reached at: AMLRA@moet.gov.ae
AML Risk Assessment — AED 499
We answer all 290 questions, submit through the portal, and ensure your compliance is complete.
Written & Reviewed by Nithin — FTA-Registered Tax Agent (TRN: 104218042400003)
Based on the actual MoET AML/CFT Risk Assessment portal (amlquestionnaire.moec.gov.ae), the FY 2025 assessment questionnaire, and Fastlane's experience completing assessments for DNFBP clients. The 290-question count and 3-section structure reflect the CSP category assessment — other DNFBP categories may vary slightly.