In 1989, the Financial Action Task Force on money laundering (FATF) is set up. The Netherlands is one of the founding members and commits itself to the FATF’s recommendations from the start. Click here for more information on the FATF and its recommendations.

1991 sees the publication of the first Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD). The directive is aimed at preventing criminals from using financial institutions to launder money; it also provides guidelines for transaction monitoring, for instance, and Know Your Customer checks.

In 1994 the obligation is introduced for Dutch banks and other financial institutions to report unusual transactions to the Office for the Disclosure of Unusual Transactions (Meldpunt Ongebruikelijke Transacties, MOT). The MOT then investigates these reports and may designate certain transactions suspicious. The MOT is a predecessor of FIU- the Netherlands.

In 1995 the Egmont Group is set up: a group for international cooperation between FIUs.

1999 sees the establishment of the Office for Police Support to the National Public Prosecutor in connection with the Unusual Transactions Disclosure Act (BLOM). This is one of the predecessors of FIU- the Netherlands.

The terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers in New York on 11 September 2001 were a turning point. Since 2001 the FATF has focused not only on money laundering but also on terrorist financing.

The terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 form a turning point. From 2001 the FATF no longer focuses only on money laundering, but also on the financing of terrorism.

From 2003, estate agents, tax advisers, lawyers, notaries, and accountants are under an obligation to report unusual transactions.

This third directive is the first to include terrorism financing.

In 2006, the MOT and BLOM (the Office for Police Support to the National Public Prosecutor on the MOT Act) merge. This marks the beginning of FIU-the Netherlands.

In 2008 the Dutch Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing (Prevention) Act (Wet ter voorkoming van witwassen en financieren van terrorisme, Wwft) comes into effect, replacing the Provision of Services (Identification) Act (Wet identificatie bij dienstverlening, Wid) and the Disclosure of Unusual Transactions (Financial Services) Act (Wet melding unusual transactions, Wet MOT). The Netherlands incorporates the European directives into the Wwft.

The BES islands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba) become special municipalities of the Netherlands. Service providers with offices on the islands, known as the Caribbean Netherlands, must report unusual transactions to FIU- the Netherlands. The legal framework is provided by the Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing (Prevention) Act BES (Wwft BES).

From 1 January 2013, FIU- the Netherlands is formally part of the legal entity ‘the State of the Netherlands’. In terms of management, FIU- the Netherlands is embedded within the Netherlands Police as an autonomous, independently operating entity. In terms of policy, it falls under the Ministry of Justice and Security.

Providers of exchange services between fiat currencies and virtual currencies are required to report unusual transactions, as are custodial wallet providers.

11 February 2021 sees the signing of the Fintell Alliance document, officially establishing public-private cooperation between FIU- the Netherlands and ABN AMRO, ING, Rabobank, Volksbank, and Knab.