How The New EU Anti-Money Laundering Regulation Effects Organisations 

According to Arendt, as of July 1, 2025, the European Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA), based in Frankfurt, will begin exercising direct and indirect supervision over selected obliged entities under the new AML framework. AMLA will also have the power to impose administrative sanctions and ensure consistent application of EU AML rules. 

Under the new regulation, obliged entities must meet the following requirements. The industries impacted are discussed further below in this blog.  

• Conduct robust Customer Due Diligence (CDD) 
• Identify Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBOs) 
• Perform enhanced due diligence on high-risk clients 
• Screen for Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) and sanctions 
• In some cases, monitoring adverse media 

The AMLA regulation is part of a package; in June 2024, the new Anti-Money Laundering (AML) package was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. This includes 2 regulations and 1 directive: 

• Regulation (EU) 2024/1620 – the Anti-Money Laundering Regulation (AMLR), also known as the ‘Single Rulebook’ Regulation 
• Regulation (EU) 2024/1624 – the regulation establishing the European Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) 
• Directive (EU) 2024/1640 – commonly referred to as the 6th Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD6) 

Its purpose is to harmonise AML/CFT rules across the EU, introduce stricter obligations for obliged entities, and strengthen the integrity of the financial system. 

Which Dates to Keep in Mind?  

• AMLA Regulation (2024/1624): Applies from July 1, 2025 
• AMLR (2024/1620): Applies from July 10, 2027, with specific provisions (e.g. for professional football clubs and agents) applying from July 10, 2029 
• AMLD6 (2024/1640): EU Member States must: 

1. Implement rules on beneficial ownership by July 10, 2026 
2. Implement real estate transparency provisions by July 10, 2029 

Which Industries Are Affected Under the New EU AML Regulation? 

While many sectors follow previous directives (AMLD4 and AMLD5), the new EU AML Regulation adds several new categories of entities to reflect changing money laundering risks and regulatory priorities. 

Industries Newly Added or Significantly Expanded Under The New EU AML Regulation  

The following sectors are new additions or have been explicitly expanded due to their elevated risk profile or previous regulatory gaps: 

1. Persons trading in high-value goods, such as luxury vehicles, yachts, designer items, and other expensive assets. Annex IV of the regulation defines high-value goods as the following: jewellery, gold, or silversmith, clocks and watches articles worth more than EUR 10,000, motor vehicles worth more than EUR 250,000, aircraft and boats worth more than EUR 7,500,000 (KPMG, 2024) 
2. Art galleries and auction houses, and other persons trading or acting as intermediaries in cultural goods with transactions of EUR 10,000 or more 
3. Entities trading, storing, or acting as intermediaries in cultural goods within free zones or customs warehouses, where the value of is EUR 10,000 or more 
4. Credit intermediaries for mortgage and consumer credit, where these are not credit or financial institutions 
5. Investment migration operators, including those offering services to third-country nationals seeking EU residence through investment 
6. Non-financial mixed activity holding companies, which operate in multiple sectors but fall outside typical financial supervision 
7. Football agents & Professional football clubs, when engaging in financial transactions with sponsors or investors 

Industries already covered by previous EU AML Directives 

1. Credit institutions 
2. Financial institutions 
3. Auditors, external accountants, and tax advisors providing advice on tax matters 
4. Notaries and lawyers, when engaged in specified high-risk activities (e.g., real estate transactions, managing client crypto funds, company formation, creation and organisation of trust funds, etc.)  
5. Trust or company service providers (TCSPs) 
6. Real estate agents and intermediaries, including those involved in rental transactions exceeding EUR 10,000 per month 
7. Persons trading in precious metals and stones 
8. Providers of gambling services 
9. Crowdfunding service providers (already regulated under sectoral EU legislation but now explicitly included) 

The New EU AML Regulation Implication  

With AMLA becoming fully operational in July 2025 and the new AML Regulation (AMLR) taking effect in July 2027, industries that have recently been brought into scope must take concrete steps to ensure compliance.  

Generally, organisations must now be: 

• Reviewing and updating AML policies and procedures to ensure compliance with stricter EU-wide standards, such as customer due diligence, beneficial ownership verification, and transaction monitoring. 
• Investing in employee training and awareness to ensure that teams understand their AML obligations under the new regulations and can effectively detect suspicious activities. 
• Implementing or upgrading risk assessment frameworks to capture sector-specific risks, such as new thresholds for cultural goods or real estate rental transactions. 
• Preparing for increased supervision and potential direct oversight by AMLA, which includes keeping detailed records, maintaining open client relationships, and being willing to cooperate with audits or enquiries. This might also mean verifying the source of funds and reporting suspicious transactions. 
• Engage with legal and compliance experts familiar with the most recent EU AML requirements to identify gaps and respond quickly to changing supervisory expectations. 

Activities under the new regulation may also include: 

• Crypto-Asset Service Providers (CASPs), including exchanges, wallets, and platforms, are considered “obliged entities” under EU anti-money laundering regulations. They must now meet the same stringent requirements as banks and financial institutions. The new rules prohibit anonymous crypto transactions, requiring CASPs, banks, and financial institutions to verify users’ identities before allowing accounts or transactions. MiCA prohibits trading anonymous or untraceable tokens unless their entire history can be traced. 
• High net-worth individuals will now be subject to specific enhanced due diligence (EDD) measures. Financial and credit institutions, as well as trust company service providers, must perform EDD when a business relationship is identified as high risk and involves the handling of assets worth EUR five million or more, or when the customer’s net worth exceeds EUR 50 million. 
• Politically Exposed Persons: The ‘single rulebook’ expands the definition of PEPs. When it comes to heads of state, heads of government, ministers, and deputy or assistant ministers, siblings of PEPs will now be considered family members alongside parents, spouses, and descendants.  
• Identify Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBOs): Criminals often hide behind layers of companies, trusts, or intermediaries to obscure their identity. That’s why the new AML Regulation introduces harmonised rules across the EU requiring all corporate and legal entities—including trusts and similar arrangements—to obtain information on their Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBOs). For the first time, non-EU entities with links to the EU will also be required to disclose their UBOs (Article 67 AMLR).  
• Appoint a compliance manager: Under the EU’s Anti-Money Laundering Regulation (AMLR), obliged entities are required to appoint a compliance officer to oversee the implementation of AML policies, ensuring due diligence procedures are followed, and acting as the main point of contact for authorities, as mentioned by Loyens & Loeff. 

The Critical Role of ID Documents and Identity Verification in Meeting AML Rules 

Identity documents form the foundation of customer verification in anti-money laundering (AML) compliance. Passports, national ID cards, and residence permits are usually required to confirm a person’s legal identity.  

One of the most important aspects of complying with the new AML framework is strong identity verification. AML Regulations place a significant emphasis on accurately identifying customers and beneficial owners in order to conduct effective customer due diligence. 

As an identity verification solution provider, Keesing provides tools to assist businesses in meeting these stringent regulatory requirements in an efficient and secure manner. Our solutions can automate and streamline the verification process, reduce onboarding friction, and ensure that required entities maintain comprehensive and reliable proof of identity, thereby mitigating risks and preparing for increased oversight by AMLA. 

DocumentChecker is a comprehensive and up-to-date database of over 7000 ID documents from more than 200 countries and territories. Including filters to thousands of security features, HQ images of documents in white light, UV light, or infrared light, notifications of new and outdated documents, and other features that help professionals who need to manually verify documents with confidence. 

For automated onboarding and real-time verification, AuthentiScan delivers fast and secure identity checks by scanning and validating ID documents. Whether it’s face-to-face (scanner-based) or remote, AuthentiScan supports optional biometric face verification to confirm that the person presenting the ID matches the photo on the document—adding an extra layer of assurance. An audit trail is available to share, and customers have access to document experts when faced with unusual cases. When needed, Keesing also offers PEP & Sanctions Lists screening. 

To further support compliance efforts, Keesing offers the ID Academy—a specialized training program designed to equip employees with the skills to accurately verify identity documents. ID Academy provides practical, expert-led E-Learning or on-site ID Workshop on how to spot counterfeit documents and apply verification techniques confidently.  

Combined, these solutions help obliged entities to detect forged or invalid IDs, ensure regulatory compliance, and prevent fraud—making them ideal tools in the upcoming AML landscape. 

Need to Verify Identities Due to AML Regulation? 

If you are part of one of these industries, call us at +31 (0) 207157825 and we’ll provide support for you to meet the new regulations. If you have any questions or would like a demo, reach out to us via the link below or email us at sales@keesingtechnologies.com.

Sources: 

1. EU AMLA L_202401620EN.000101.fmx.xml 
2. EU AMLR L_202401624EN.000101.fmx.xml 
3. EU AMLD6 L_202401640EN.000101.fmx.xml 
4. Clarity on the implementation timeline for a strengthened EU AML/CFT framework – Arendt 
5. The New AML Package: Single Rulebook, 6AMLD and AMLA – KPMG Malta\ 
6. The new EU AML/CFT regime has arrived – are you ready? | Global law firm | Norton Rose Fulbright 
7. New EU Anti-Money Laundering legislation impacts the Dutch AML landscape | Loyens & Loeff