Netherlands

The law of Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorist Financing (Wwft) is the main Dutch anti-money laundering legislation that aims at protecting the financial system from money laundering and terrorist financing. It became active on August 1, 2008, setting out specific gatekeepers of the industry (banks, notaries, accountants, and traders) and obliging them to carry out strict client due diligence (KYC/UBO) and instantly report any suspicious transactions to FIU-Nederland. The regulation is implemented by specific agencies, among which is a newly created Dienst Financieel-Economische Integriteit (DFEI) for non-financial service providers, along with De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) and the AFM. On January 1 and July 1, 2026, the legislation has been significantly updated, imposing a strict cash transaction limit of €3,000 for commercial goods traders and providing legal rights to the FIU to order the temporary freezing of transactions for up to 10 working days during the evaluation process.