Australia and sanctions

The Australian Sanctions Office (ASO) has released three new guidance notes to assist the regulated community understand their sanctions obligations, particularly in the context of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) reforms.

This guidance note covers information relevant to real estate agents and conveyancers in managing sanctions risks.

This guidance note covers information relevant to managing sanctions risks in connection with providing legal services.

This guidance note covers information relevant to accountant in managing sanctions risks. It includes guidance in light of reforms to anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) legislation. It identifies key sanctions risks applicable to certain accounting services and outlines new sanctions-related AML/CTF legislative obligations that will apply to persons providing such 'designated services' from 1 July 2026.

The Australian Sanctions Office (ASO) has published 1 new advisory note on Sanctions Risks of incoming funds from Iran.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs (the Minister) has, by legislative instrument, designated persons and entities for targeted financial sanctions, declared persons for travel bans, and designated vessels as sanctioned vessels for Russia  (together, “listed”), under item 6A of regulation 6 (the Russia Criteria) and regulation 8 (the vessels criteria) of the Autonomous Sanctions Regulations 2011 (the Regulations).

The Australian Sanctions Office (ASO) has updated 5 guidance and advisory notes and released 1 new guidance note to assist the regulated community understand their sanctions obligations.

If you are hosting, or preparing to host a conference or an event in Australia with attendees from the following countries or entities that are subject to sanctions, you should consider risks associated with Australian sanctions laws.

This guidance note replaces 'Guidance Note - The Import, purchase and transport of transformed and de minimis quantities of Russia-origin petroleum gases, oil and refined petroleum products' published on 11 June 2025.