STR Filing Services in UAE | Suspicious Transaction Report

STR Filing Services in the UAE

Spotted a payment that does not feel right? In the UAE, you cannot simply ignore it. If your business is regulated for anti-money laundering (AML), you must report it to the UAE Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) through the goAML portal. This report is called a Suspicious Transaction Report (STR).

Who files: FIs, DNFBPs and VASPs
When to file: Without delay
Filed on: goAML, to the UAE FIU
Legal basis: FDL 10/2025, Art. 18

With our STR Filing Services, you get expert help from the first red flag to the final goAML submission. We help banks, exchange houses, real estate brokers, gold dealers, accountants, corporate service providers and crypto businesses file STRs correctly and quickly. If you do not have goAML access yet, we sort out your goAML registration first.

What Is an STR in AML?

STR stands for Suspicious Transaction Report. In simple terms, it is a confidential message to the UAE FIU saying: "we think this transaction may be linked to money laundering, terrorist financing or the financing of weapons of mass destruction, and here is why."

Filing an STR does not mean you are accusing your customer of a crime. You are passing on facts so the FIU, which sees reports from across the country, can decide whether to investigate.

What Is an STR in Banking and Other Sectors?

The term started in banking, but today every AML-regulated business in the UAE uses it. A jeweller, a property broker or a crypto exchange files the same STR on goAML as a bank does.

UAE Laws on Suspicious Transaction Reporting

Yes, filing an STR is mandatory. The duty comes from the UAE's AML law and its Executive Regulations. Here is what each rule asks of your business, in plain words:

“they shall notify the Unit without delay and directly, by providing a detailed report containing all available data and information concerning such Transaction and the relevant parties, through the electronic system designated by the Unit”
Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025, Article 18(1)

Law and article	What it means for your business
FDL 10/2025, Art. 18(1)	Report to the FIU straight away through goAML, whatever the amount, and give any extra information the FIU asks for.
CR 134/2025, Art. 17	Keep a written list of red-flag indicators for your business and update it as criminal methods change.
CR 134/2025, Art. 18(1)	The STR must include all available data on the transaction, the funds and the related parties, and you must answer FIU requests promptly.
CR 134/2025, Art. 22(2)	Your Compliance Officer reviews suspicious transaction data and decides, confidentially, whether to notify the FIU, recording the reasons.
FDL 10/2025, Art. 24	Information about suspicious transactions is confidential and may only be shared where the law allows.
FDL 10/2025, Art. 5(1)	After analysing STRs, the Head of the FIU can suspend a suspected transaction for up to 10 working days without prior notice.
FDL 10/2025, Art. 37(1)	No criminal, civil or administrative liability arises from reporting in good faith.

Who Has to File STRs?

Every Financial Institution, Designated Non-Financial Business and Profession (DNFBP) and Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) in the UAE. Inside the business, the decision to report is made by the Compliance Officer, also called the MLRO (Money Laundering Reporting Officer).

There is one narrow exception in Article 18(2) of the AML law: lawyers, notaries, other legal professionals and independent auditors do not have to report information they obtained in circumstances covered by professional secrecy.

Money Laundering Red Flags That Should Trigger an STR

Here are everyday warning signs UAE businesses come across:

Structuring: a customer splits cash into smaller amounts to stay below a limit.
No clear reason: a payment makes no business sense or does not fit what you know about the customer.
Unknown payers: money arrives from, or is sent to, people with no obvious link to the customer.
Money in, money out: funds pass through an account or crypto wallet quickly and leave almost nothing behind.
Hidden owners: layers of companies make it hard to see who really owns the business.
Bad news: credible media reports link the customer to fraud, corruption or other crime.

One red flag on its own does not always mean you must file. Your MLRO looks at the full picture and decides whether there are "reasonable grounds to suspect".

When Must You File an STR?

As soon as your MLRO forms a suspicion. The law does not give a set number of days, because "without delay" means straight away. Waiting until you have perfect proof is one of the most common mistakes. You do not need proof, only a reasonable suspicion.

How Our STR Filing Service Works on goAML

Your business needs its own goAML account before any STR can be sent. Getting one has two parts: SACM registration with the UAE FIU, then logging in to goAML with a 6-digit code from Google Authenticator. Once that is done, our STR process looks like this:

01
Review: we go through the alert, the customer file and the transaction history with your MLRO.
02
Choose the right report: we confirm an STR is correct, and not a SAR, HRC or sanctions report.
03
Gather facts: dates, amounts, accounts or wallets, the people involved and supporting papers.
04
Write the story: a clear explanation of who, what, when, how much and why it looks suspicious.
05
Enter it in goAML: we add every party, account and transaction in the format goAML accepts.
06
Submit: your MLRO checks and submits it from your goAML login.
07
Answer the FIU: if the FIU asks for more information, we help you reply quickly.

Suspicious Transaction Report Example

A trading company deposits AED 48,000 in cash on three days in a row. Each deposit is just under its bank's internal review limit, and the money is then wired abroad to a company with no link to its business. The MLRO sees a pattern of structuring and files an STR the same day, attaching the deposit slips, the transfer details and a short, clear explanation.

What Is an Internal Suspicious Transaction Report?

Before an STR reaches the FIU, staff usually raise an internal report to the MLRO. This internal report is not sent to the FIU. It is how front-line employees flag a concern. The MLRO then reviews it and records whether an STR is needed and why.

Tipping Off: What You Must Never Do

"Tipping off" means warning the customer, directly or indirectly, that a report has been or will be filed. It is strictly banned. Under Article 29 of Federal Decree-Law No. (10) of 2025, it can lead to prison, a fine of at least AED 50,000, or both. Keep STRs on a need-to-know basis inside your compliance team.

What Happens If You Do Not File an STR?

Criminal penalty: Article 28 of the AML law allows prison, a fine of AED 100,000 to AED 1,000,000, or both, for anyone who deliberately, or through gross negligence, fails to report.
Regulator fines: your supervisor can fine the business AED 10,000 to AED 5,000,000 per breach under Article 17, and can suspend or cancel its licence.

How Long Should STR Records Be Kept?

For at least five years, together with the customer file and supporting documents, under Article 25 of Cabinet Resolution No. (134) of 2025.

Why Choose Our STR Filing Services?

We focus only on goAML registration and reporting.
We write reports in plain, factual English that the FIU can act on.
We turn cases around quickly to meet the "without delay" rule.
We keep every case confidential.
We set up your records so they are ready for an inspection.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does STR mean in AML?

STR means Suspicious Transaction Report. It is the report a regulated business sends to the UAE FIU through goAML when it suspects a transaction is linked to money laundering, terrorist financing or proliferation financing.

Is there a minimum amount for an STR in the UAE?

No. The law requires a report whatever the value of the transaction.

How many days do I have to file an STR?

There is no fixed number of days. The law says without delay, so file as soon as your MLRO forms a suspicion.

Can I file an STR without goAML registration?

No. STRs can only be sent from your own goAML account, so goAML registration must be done first.

Will the customer find out about the STR?

Not from you. Telling the customer is tipping off, which is a criminal offence.

Need help filing an STR?

Talk to our goAML team for fast, confidential STR support and goAML registration.