IFSCA circular e.F. No.IFSCA-DAC/8/2024-AMLCFT · 17 Nov 2025
Official title
Requirement of Certification on AML/CFT for Designated Director and Principal Officer under the IFSCA (AML/CTF/KYC) Guidelines, 2022
Summary
Check the official recordThe International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has mandated that all Designated Directors and Principal Officers of Regulated Entities (REs) in the IFSC must complete the 'NISM-IFSCA-01: Certification Course on Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing in the IFSC'. This certification, developed by the National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM) in collaboration with the IFSCA Academy, is required to ensure compliance with the IFSCA (AML, CTF and KYC) Guidelines, 2022. Affected individuals must complete the course within four months of the course launch date (November 18, 2025) or within four months of their appointment, whichever is later. They are required to maintain this certification throughout their tenure. Other employees are encouraged to undertake the training as part of continuous capacity building.
What you must do
Key dates
Who is affected
Thresholds
e.F. No.IFSCA-DAC/8/2024-AMLCFT
17th November 2025
CIRCULAR
To, All Regulated Entities in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC)
Sub: Requirement of Certification on AML/CFT for Designated Director and Principal Officer under the IFSCA (AML/CTF/KYC) Guidelines, 2022
Sir/Madam,
Reference is drawn to the Clause 8.2 and Clause 8.4 of Chapter VIII of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (Anti Money Laundering, Counter-Terrorist Financing and Know Your Customer) Guidelines, 2022 [hereinafter referred as IFSCA (AML,CFT and KYC) Guidelines,/ Guidelines’] dealing with the Compliance and training requirements of the Principal Officer and other relevant employees of a Regulated Entity.
Accordingly, a customized certification course, namely “NISM-IFSCA-01: Certification Course on Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing in the IFSC” has been developed by the National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM) in collaboration with the IFSCA Academy. The course is aligned with the IFSCA (AML, CTF and KYC) Guidelines and is being launched on November 18, 2025.
To ensure effective implementation of Guidelines and related compliances by the Regulated Entities, it is hereby directed that all the Designated Directors and Principal Officers under the Guidelines shall mandatorily undergo the said certification course and they shall continue to hold the said certification at all times while discharging their responsibilities under the Guidelines.
All Designated Directors and Principal Officers of all REs shall complete the course within four (4) months from the date of launch of the course, or from their date of their appointment as such, as the case may be.
Apart from the Designated Director and Principal Officer, other employees of the Regulated Entity may also be encouraged to undergo the said certification course.
The Regulated Entities shall ensure that in compliance with the clause 8.4 of the Guidelines, all front-line staff, Principal Officer and other relevant employees undergo continuous capacity building programme including any other program as may be advised by the Authority from time to time.
This Circular is issued in exercise of the powers conferred under section 12 of the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019 read with rule 9 (14) of the Prevention of Money- Laundering (Maintenance of Records) Rules, 2005, and shall come into force with immediate effect.
The link for registration for the course and other details may be found at https://cert.nism.ac.in/.
A Copy of this circular is available on the IFSCA website “https://ifsca.gov.in/” under “Circulars” tab and “What’s New” window.
(Arun Kumar Singh) General Manager/ Addl. Dir.(IFSCA Academy)
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