If you have any information about potential contravention of Australian sanctions laws, please, Contact Us via the Pax form or via email at sanctions@dfat.gov.au.

Australian sanction laws apply to:

• activities conducted in Australia
• activities conducted overseas by Australian citizens and bodies corporate overseas
• activities conducted on Australian-flagged vessels and aircraft.

Contravening a sanctions measure or a sanctions permit

Contravening a sanctions measure or a condition of a sanctions permit under Australian law is a serious criminal offence:

Individuals: Up to 10 years imprisonment, and/or a fine of 2500 penalty units ($825,000 as of 7 November 2024) or three times the value of the transaction/s.

Bodies Corporate: A fine of 10,000 penalty units ($3.3 million as of 7 November 2024) or three times the value of the transaction/s.

Sanctions offences are strict liability offences for bodies corporate, meaning that it is not necessary to prove any fault element (intent, knowledge, recklessness, or negligence) for a body corporate to be found guilty.

Giving false or misleading information

Providing false or misleading information related to sanctions administration is also a serious offence:

Penalties: Up to ten years imprisonment and/or a fine of 2500 penalty units ($825,000 as of 7 November 2024).

Sanctions Permits: A permit is considered invalid if obtained through false or misleading information.

Notice to give information or documents

The Australian Sanctions Office (ASO) may issue a notice requiring an individual to provide information or documents, under oath, to verify compliance with sanctions laws. This notice must be complied with, even if the information could be self-incriminating. Failure to comply is punishable by up to 12 months in prison.