DRC, Monaco, Bulgaria, and Côte d’Ivoire Removed from FATF Grey List Countries, 30th October 2026
The FATF concluded its October 2026 Plenary in Paris on 30 October 2026. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Monaco, Bulgaria, and Côte d’Ivoire were removed from the grey list, bringing the list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring to 18. The FATF blacklist remained unchanged. This page sets out the full country lists and what UAE regulated entities need to update.
Key takeaways: FATF Plenary October 2026
- Added to the grey list: None
- Removed from the grey list: DRC, Monaco, Bulgaria, and Côte d’Ivoire
- Grey list now has 18 jurisdictions (22 before the October 2026 Plenary)
- Blacklist (call for action): No change
- First Plenary under UK President Giles Thomson (term 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2028)
- Next review: FATF Plenary, 22–26 February 2027
Outcome of the FATF Plenary, October 2026
FATF Week ran from 26 to 30 October 2026 in Paris, with delegates from more than 200 jurisdictions and observer organisations. It was the first Plenary chaired by Giles Thomson of the United Kingdom, who took over the FATF Presidency from Elisa de Anda Madrazo (Mexico) on 1 July 2026. The UK Presidency has named fraud, the risk-based approach to supervision, and information sharing as its priorities.
At each Plenary the FATF reviews the progress of every grey-listed jurisdiction against its action plan. Jurisdictions that complete their plan and pass an on-site visit are removed; jurisdictions found to have strategic AML/CFT/CPF deficiencies, and that make a high-level political commitment to fix them, are added.
What changed on the FATF grey list in October 2026
The October 2026 Plenary removed four jurisdictions from the grey list: DRC, Monaco, Bulgaria, and Côte d’Ivoire. No jurisdictions were added.
Countries added to the FATF grey list on 30 October 2026
None
Countries removed from the FATF grey list on 30 October 2026
DRC, Monaco, Bulgaria, and Côte d’Ivoire completed their action plans within the agreed timeframe, and on-site visits confirmed the reforms are being implemented. They will continue to work with their FATF-style regional bodies to strengthen their AML/CFT/CPF regimes.
FATF grey list countries in full, as of 30 October 2026
The FATF grey list (officially, “Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring”) now contains 18 jurisdictions:
1. Angola
2. Bolivia
3. Bosnia and Herzegovina
4. Cameroon
5. Haiti
6. Iraq
7. Kenya
8. Kuwait
9. Lao People’s Democratic Republic
10. Lebanon
11. Nepal
12. Papua New Guinea
13. South Sudan
14. Syria
15. Venezuela
16. Vietnam
17. Virgin Islands (UK)
18. Yemen
FATF blacklist countries in full, as of 30 October 2026
The FATF blacklist (officially, “High-Risk Jurisdictions subject to a Call for Action”) lists jurisdictions with serious strategic deficiencies:
- Iran and DPRK: the FATF calls on members to apply countermeasures.
- Myanmar: the FATF calls for enhanced due diligence proportionate to the risk, without disrupting humanitarian aid or remittance flows.
What the grey list and blacklist mean for UAE firms
| Grey list | Blacklist |
Official name | Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring | High-Risk Jurisdictions subject to a Call for Action |
Status | Cooperating with the FATF on an action plan | Serious, unresolved strategic deficiencies |
UAE expectation | Risk-based: higher geographic risk score, EDD where risk warrants | EDD on all relationships; countermeasures where the FATF calls for them |
goAML reporting | STR/SAR only where there is suspicion | HRC/HRCA reports for cross-border transactions or activity linked to call-for-action jurisdictions |
Grey-listing is not a sanction and does not by itself require automatic enhanced due diligence. It is a signal that the jurisdiction’s controls have gaps, which UAE firms must reflect in their risk assessment.
UAE AML compliance: what regulated entities should do now
Under Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025 and Cabinet Resolution No. 134 of 2025, financial institutions, DNFBPs and VASPs must keep their risk assessments current and apply measures proportionate to geographic risk. After this update:
- Update your Enterprise-Wide Risk Assessment (EWRA) so the geographic risk factor reflects the removal of DRC, Monaco, Bulgaria, and Côte d’Ivoire.
- Revise your high-risk country list in your AML/CFT policy and customer risk assessment methodology, and record the date of change.
- Re-rate affected customers. Identify customers, UBOs, counterparties and transactions linked to the delisted countries and refresh their risk rating, reviewing whether enhanced measures are still justified.
- Recalibrate screening and transaction monitoring rules, thresholds and country lists so alerts fire correctly from day one.
- Check goAML reporting triggers. File HRC/HRCA reports for in-scope cross-border activity linked to call-for-action jurisdictions, and STRs/SARs wherever suspicion arises.
- Brief staff and senior management through targeted training and a documented board or MLRO update.
Does the FATF grey list affect UAE customer onboarding?
Yes, but not as a blanket ban. A link to a grey-listed jurisdiction should raise the customer’s geographic risk score and may trigger enhanced due diligence. Rejecting every customer from a listed country (de-risking) is inconsistent with the risk-based approach. For delisted countries, firms can review whether enhanced measures are still justified, rather than removing them automatically.
FAQs on the FATF grey list update, October 2026
Which countries were added to the FATF grey list in October 2026?
No countries were added to the FATF grey list at the Plenary that concluded on 30 October 2026.
Which countries were removed from the FATF grey list in October 2026?
DRC, Monaco, Bulgaria, and Côte d’Ivoire were removed after completing their FATF action plans and passing on-site visits.
How many countries are on the FATF grey list now?
As of 30 October 2026, 18 jurisdictions are under increased monitoring.
Does grey-listing mean sanctions or automatic enhanced due diligence?
No. Grey-listing is not a sanction. UAE firms should treat it as a higher geographic risk factor and apply EDD where the risk assessment warrants it.
When is the next FATF grey list update?
The next FATF Plenary is scheduled for 22–26 February 2027, with updated lists expected at its close.
Need support updating your compliance framework for the October 2026 FATF changes?
We assess the impact of the grey list changes on your business and update your EWRA, policies, customer risk methodology and screening settings.
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