Outcome of FATF Plenary, 19 June 2026
- The FATF June 2026 Plenary added Iraq and Bosnia and Herzegovina to the grey list and removed Algeria and Namibia.
- The grey list, formally Jurisdictions Under Increased Monitoring, now stands at 22 jurisdictions.
- The blacklist, formally High-Risk Jurisdictions Subject to a Call for Action, is unchanged: Iran, North Korea, and Myanmar.
- The Plenary, held in Paris from 17 to 19 June, was the final one under Mexico’s Presidency. The United Kingdom takes over from 1 July 2026.
- UAE FIs, DNFBPs, and VASPs should feed the change into their country risk, EWRA, screening, and due diligence using a risk-based approach, without indiscriminate de-risking.
On 19 June 2026, the FATF added Iraq and Bosnia and Herzegovina to its grey list and removed Algeria and Namibia. The grey list now includes 22 jurisdictions under increased monitoring. The FATF blacklist remains unchanged, covering Iran, North Korea, and Myanmar.
Key Takeaways of the FATF Plenary June 2026
- Added to the Grey List: Iraq; Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Removed from the Grey List: Algeria; Namibia
- Blacklist (Call for Action) — No Change: Iran, North Korea, Myanmar
What Changed on the FATF Grey List in June 2026
Countries Added to Increased Monitoring on 19 June 2026
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iraq were added to the list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring. Both have committed to action plans to address strategic deficiencies in their measures against money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing, within agreed timeframes.
Countries Removed from the FATF Grey List on 19 June 2026
Algeria and Namibia were removed after successful on-site visits confirmed they had completed their action plans. Algeria will continue working with its FATF-style regional body, MENAFATF, and Namibia with ESAAMLG, to sustain the improvements made.
FATF Grey List Countries in Full – as of 19 June 2026
The following 22 jurisdictions are under increased monitoring after the June 2026 Plenary. The two newest additions are marked.
- Angola
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina (Added 19 June 2026)
- Bulgaria
- Cameroon
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Haiti
- Iraq (Added 19 June 2026)
- Kenya
- Kuwait
- Lao PDR
- Lebanon
- Monaco
- Nepal
- Papua New Guinea
- South Sudan
- Syria
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Virgin Islands (UK)
- Yemen
FATF Blacklist Countries in Full – as of 19 June 2026
The FATF blacklist was not changed at this Plenary. These three jurisdictions remain subject to enhanced due diligence and, in the most serious cases, countermeasures.
- Iran — Call for action and countermeasures by FATF members.
- Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) — Call for action and countermeasures by FATF members.
- Myanmar — Call for enhanced due diligence proportionate to the risk.
What the Grey List and Blacklist Actually Mean
The grey list identifies jurisdictions that are actively working with the FATF to fix strategic AML/CFT and proliferation financing deficiencies under an agreed action plan. Being placed on the grey list is not a sanction. FATF does not call for enhanced due diligence to be applied solely because a country is grey-listed, and it actively discourages blanket de-risking. Grey-list status is an input into a firm’s risk assessment not an automatic trigger for enhanced measures or customer rejection.
The blacklist identifies jurisdictions with serious, unresolved deficiencies where the FATF calls on members to apply enhanced due diligence and, in the most severe cases, countermeasures.
Wider Outcomes of the June 2026 Plenary
Beyond the list changes, the Plenary agreed several measures that shape the year ahead:
- Presidency Handover: This was the final Plenary under the Mexican Presidency of Elisa de Anda Madrazo. Giles Thomson of the United Kingdom becomes FATF President from 1 July 2026, with stated priorities around fraud prevention, the risk-based approach, and information sharing.
- New Vice-President: Vivek Aggarwal of India was appointed as incoming FATF Vice-President for July 2026 to June 2027.
- Recommendation 6 Updated: Targeted financial sanctions standards now carry the humanitarian exemption in UN Security Council Resolutions 2664 and 2761, ensuring sanctions do not block humanitarian assistance or basic human needs.
- Recommendation 16 Consultation: A public consultation was approved on guidance to implement the strengthened cross-border payment transparency standard.
- Mutual Evaluations: The Plenary adopted the mutual evaluation reports of Canada and Türkiye, to be published in late 2026.
Does the FATF Grey List Affect UAE Customer Onboarding?
Grey-list status should be used as an input into country risk scoring, customer risk rating, due diligence decisions, transaction monitoring, and senior management escalation. It should not lead to automatic rejection or blanket de-risking of customers connected to a grey-listed country.
A UAE firm should document how the listing feeds its risk-based approach, and reserve enhanced measures for relationships its own assessment rates as higher risk.
FAQs on the FATF Grey List Update – June 2026
Which countries were added to the FATF grey list in June 2026?
Iraq and Bosnia and Herzegovina were added to the list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring at the 19 June 2026 Plenary.
Which countries were removed from the FATF grey list in June 2026?
Algeria and Namibia were removed after completing their action plans and passing on-site visits confirming sustained progress.
How many countries are on the FATF grey list now?
22 jurisdictions are currently under increased monitoring following the June 2026 Plenary.
What are the FATF blacklist countries in 2026?
The blacklist formally High-Risk Jurisdictions Subject to a Call for Action is unchanged: Iran, North Korea, and Myanmar.
Does grey listing mean sanctions or automatic enhanced due diligence?
No. Grey listing is not a sanction, and FATF does not call for enhanced due diligence solely because a country is grey-listed. It signals that a risk-based approach should be applied, with enhanced measures reserved for relationships a firm’s own assessment rates as higher risk.
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Hetal Kundalia
Hetal Kundalia brings deep expertise in anti-money laundering compliance, with a focused understanding of the UAE’s regulatory environment. She has worked across sectors, including financial institutions, DNFBPs, VASPs, and emerging fintechs. She has supported them in designing AML frameworks that are not just compliant on paper but operationally sound under review.
She holds the ICA / MOET certification in AML/CFT for DNFBPs and applies that training to real-world compliance delivery. Her work reflects the regulatory priorities of the FIU, DIFC, VARA, MoET, MoJ, and Central Bank, while aligning with FATF recommendations and UAE AML laws.
Hetal leads advisory across all our core services from enterprise-wide risk assessments and control design to CDD strategy, transaction monitoring, governance structuring, and remediation support. She works directly with MLROs and compliance teams to identify gaps, strengthen documentation, and prepare programs for regulatory scrutiny. Her work reflects a simple principle: doing the work in a way that stands up, holds together, and makes sense.
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