40 FATF 40 Recommendations
22

Recommendation 22 · Group D · Preventive Measures

Former: R.12

DNFBPs: customer due diligence

Recommendation 22 extends customer due diligence (R.10) and record-keeping (R.11) obligations to designated non-financial businesses and professions (DNFBPs): casinos, real estate agents, dealers in precious metals and stones, lawyers, notaries, accountants and trust and company service providers. The trigger thresholds and activities are specifically defined for each profession, but the underlying obligation — identify and verify the customer and beneficial owner — is the same as for banks.

Who must comply?

  • Casinos (including internet casinos) — when customers engage in financial transactions ≥ USD/EUR 3,000
  • Real estate agents — when buying/selling property
  • Dealers in precious metals and stones — for cash transactions ≥ USD/EUR 15,000
  • Lawyers, notaries and other independent legal professionals — when preparing or carrying out specified transactions
  • Accountants and accounting firms — when preparing or carrying out specified transactions
  • Trust and company service providers (TCSPs) — when acting in a defined capacity

Key requirements

  1. 1

    Apply CDD measures of R.10

    DNFBPs must apply the same CDD measures required of financial institutions under Recommendation 10: identify and verify the customer, identify the beneficial owner, understand the purpose of the relationship, and conduct ongoing due diligence.

  2. 2

    Specific triggers per profession

    Casinos: when financial transactions cross the threshold. Real estate: when involved in a buying/selling transaction. Dealers in precious metals/stones: for cash transactions ≥ threshold. Lawyers/notaries/accountants: when preparing or carrying out transactions involving (a) buying and selling of real estate, (b) managing client money/assets, (c) management of bank/securities accounts, (d) organisation of contributions for company creation, (e) creation/operation of companies/trusts. TCSPs: when acting as formation agent, director, registered office, trustee, nominee shareholder.

  3. 3

    Apply record-keeping of R.11

    All CDD records and transaction documentation must be retained per Recommendation 11 — at least 5 years (often 10) and made available to authorities promptly.

  4. 4

    Risk-based approach

    Apply CDD on a risk-sensitive basis. Higher-risk customers, products or geographies trigger enhanced measures; lower-risk situations may permit simplified measures (subject to local regulation).

  5. 5

    PEP and high-risk-country screening

    Apply Recommendations 12 (PEPs) and 19 (higher-risk countries) when relevant — DNFBPs are not exempt from these enhanced requirements.

Practical example

Example: a Mexican notary preparing a company formation

A Mexican notary is asked to formalise the constitution of a corporation with three shareholders. Under R.22 (and Art. 17 Fr. XII LFPIORPI), the notary must: (a) identify each shareholder (INE, RFC, CURP, address), (b) identify the beneficial owner of any corporate shareholder, (c) verify identification through reliable sources, (d) document the source of contributions, (e) screen all parties against UN/OFAC and SHCP blocked-persons list, (f) keep the file for 10 years, (g) file an aviso with SAT via SPPLD if the operation crosses the relevant threshold, and (h) maintain an internal compliance manual and annual training.

How Mexico implements it

Country-specific section in Spanish — Mexican regulatory references (LFPIORPI, CNBV, SAT, UIF).

México implementa la R.22 mediante el Art. 17 LFPIORPI con 16 fracciones de actividades vulnerables:

16 fracciones de Actividades Vulnerables

El Art. 17 LFPIORPI lista 16 actividades vulnerables que abarcan los sectores DNFBP del GAFI: inmuebles, joyería, vehículos, blindaje, juegos y sorteos, profesionales independientes, fe pública (notarios y corredores), donativos, activos virtuales, entre otros. Cada fracción tiene umbrales propios.

Las 13 obligaciones de actividades vulnerables

Fr. XII — Notarios y corredores públicos

Los notarios y corredores tienen obligaciones específicas para constituciones, modificaciones, fusiones, escisiones, fideicomisos sobre inmuebles y poderes generales. Umbrales recientemente reformados (julio 2025): 4,000 UMA para fideicomisos, 8,025 UMA para otras operaciones.

Fr. XI — Profesionales independientes

Abogados, contadores y administradores son AV cuando prestan servicios de constitución/operación de personas morales, administración de bienes ajenos, gestión de inmuebles o representación en operaciones financieras.

Casinos, inmobiliarias y otros

Casinos (Fr. I), inmobiliarias (Fr. V y V Bis), joyerías (Fr. VI), comerciantes de obras de arte (Fr. VII), comercializadores de vehículos (Fr. VIII y X) — cada uno con umbrales y obligaciones particulares conforme al sector.

Milestones

  1. 2003

    Original Recommendation 12 extends CDD to DNFBPs

  2. 2012

    Renumbered as Recommendation 22

  3. 2024

    Updated DNFBP guidance addresses real-estate and legal-profession typologies

  4. 2025

    October 2025 update reinforces beneficial ownership in DNFBP context

Related Recommendations

Other Recommendations in Group D — Preventive Measures

9 R.9 Financial institution secrecy laws 10 R.10 Customer due diligence (CDD) 11 R.11 Record keeping 12 R.12 Politically exposed persons (PEPs) 13 R.13 Correspondent banking 14 R.14 Money or value transfer services (MVTS) 15 R.15 New technologies & virtual assets 16 R.16 Payment transparency (Travel Rule) 17 R.17 Reliance on third parties 18 R.18 Internal controls & foreign branches 19 R.19 Higher-risk countries 20 R.20 Suspicious transaction reports (STRs) 21 R.21 Tipping-off & confidentiality 23 R.23 DNFBPs: other measures

Official citation

FATF (2012-2025), International Standards on Combating Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism & Proliferation, Recommendation 22, FATF, Paris, France. Last updated October 2025.

Read the official text on fatf-gafi.org