ESR & goAML Compliance Services in UAE

Since 2023 the UAE has required every licensee to register on the goAML platform, and relevant entities must file Economic Substance notifications and reports on time. These are administrative obligations — until they are missed, and the penalties begin.

Our compliance team handles the full cycle. We start by confirming whether your activity falls within a Relevant Activity for Economic Substance purposes, then prepare and submit the notification and, where required, the annual report with the supporting evidence of adequate substance in the UAE.

For goAML we manage registration, the appointment of the reporting person, submission of the required data and the drafting of an anti-money-laundering and combatting the financing of terrorism policy that matches your business model — not a generic template.

We also deliver the training that regulators expect staff to have completed, keep a documented risk assessment on file, and stay available through the year for suspicious transaction and activity reporting questions. If a regulator or a bank compliance team asks for evidence, you will have it ready.

What is included

The scope below is our standard service. Anything outside it is agreed in writing before the work starts, so nothing arrives as a surprise invoice.

Economic Substance relevant-activity assessment
ESR notification and annual report preparation and filing
Adequate substance documentation and supporting evidence
goAML registration and reporting-person setup
AML/CFT policy and procedure manuals tailored to your business
Customer due diligence and record-keeping templates
Staff awareness training with attendance records
Ongoing support for STR and SAR reporting obligations

Why clients choose us for this

Bank reviews ask for this first

When your bank refreshes its KYC file, the compliance pack we prepare answers the questions before they are asked — reducing the risk of a frozen or restricted account.

Written, not verbal

Every assessment we make is documented with the reasoning, so if the authority reviews your file in two years the position is still clear.

Before you engage us

Which companies need to register on goAML?

Regulators require all licence holders within their remit to register on the goAML platform, regardless of size. We confirm your regulator, complete registration and set up your reporting person.

What is ESR and who must file?

The Economic Substance Regulations apply to UAE entities earning income from specified relevant activities such as holding, distribution, licencing, shipping, headquartering and certain financial activities. Such entities must notify and, if relevant, file an annual report.

What happens if the ESR report is late?

Late notifications and reports attract administrative penalties that can escalate with continued failure. We track the deadline from your financial year end and file before it falls due.

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