Question 1

Who receives suspicious transaction reports in Ethiopia?

Accepted Answer

The Financial Intelligence Service is Ethiopia's financial intelligence unit. Financial institutions must submit through the prescribed FIS channel, protect report confidentiality and prevent tipping off.

Question 2

What is the Ethiopia STR deadline for financial institutions?

Accepted Answer

An STR must be submitted no later than 24 hours after suspicion is formed under the applicable AML/CFT framework and FIS Directive No. 01/2014. Internal review must not delay that legal deadline.

Question 3

What occasional cash CDD threshold applies to financial institutions?

Accepted Answer

CDD applies to an occasional cash transaction exceeding ETB 300,000 or USD 15,000, including linked transactions. CDD also applies irrespective of value when suspicion arises or existing identity information is doubtful.

Question 4

What wire-transfer threshold applies?

Accepted Answer

The financial-institution wire-transfer threshold is ETB 20,000 or USD 1,000 for the applicable information and verification controls. Relationship-based CDD, suspicion controls and any broader payment rule still apply.

Question 5

What cash transactions must financial institutions report?

Accepted Answer

Cash transactions above ETB 300,000 or USD 15,000 must be reported through the prescribed FIS process. Related cash transactions should be aggregated, and cash reporting does not replace STR analysis.

Question 6

How long must AML and KYC records be retained?

Accepted Answer

Financial institutions must retain CDD, transaction and relevant correspondence records for at least ten years under Proclamation No. 780/2013 and FIS Directive No. 01/2014. Apply a longer period where another law, licence condition or legal hold requires it.

Question 7

What happens if required CDD cannot be completed?

Accepted Answer

Do not open the relationship or perform the transaction. For an existing relationship, terminate it using a controlled process and consider whether the circumstances require an STR, without tipping off the customer.

Question 8

Which authority administers Ethiopia's personal-data law?

Accepted Answer

The Ethiopian Communications Authority is the statutory authority under Personal Data Protection Proclamation No. 1321/2024. The law includes controller and processor registration, conditional DPO, DPIA and record, Ethiopian-storage, transfer-approval and 72-hour breach-notification duties.

Question 9

Can a fintech use Fayda for KYC?

Accepted Answer

Fayda can support identity proofing through an authorised process, but it does not replace financial-sector CDD, KYB, beneficial-owner, PEP, sanctions, source-of-funds or monitoring obligations.

Question 10

Is Ethiopia currently on the FATF grey list?

Accepted Answer

No. Ethiopia is absent from FATF's 19 June 2026 increased-monitoring and call-for-action statements. After re-entering monitoring in 2017, Ethiopia completed its action plan and exited on 18 October 2019.

حمّل قائمة KYC وKYB وAML الخاصة بـ إثيوبيا

احصل على ملف PDF فورًا

مراجعة وموثقة بالمصادر

تحقق مرة واحدة. في كل مكان.

حمّل قائمة KYC وKYB وAML الخاصة بـ إثيوبيا

احصل على ملف PDF فورًا

مراجعة وموثقة بالمصادر

تحقق مرة واحدة. في كل مكان.