Australia — AUSTRAC licence.
AUSTRAC registration is mandatory for crypto and forex operators serving Australian customers — a Tier 1 jurisdiction with strong institutional recognition.
A considered route,
not a shortcut.
This jurisdiction rewards operators who treat the application as the start of a supervisory relationship.
When this is the right choice
When to consider an alternative
Permissions under
one Act.
Choosing the right tier and scope is the most consequential decision in the application.
Digital Currency Exchange (DCE) Registration
Mandatory AUSTRAC registration for all businesses exchanging fiat to digital currency or digital currency to digital currency for Australian clients. Requires an AML/CTF Programme, ongoing transaction reporting, and annual compliance reports.
Remittance Service Registration
Required for any business providing money transfer or remittance services in Australia. Covers fiat remittance, cross-border transfers, and crypto-based remittance services.
Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL)
The full prudential authorisation from ASIC for managed investment schemes, financial advisory, and regulated financial products. Separate from AUSTRAC registration and substantially more demanding — required for investment-grade crypto products.
Phases to licence grant.
AML/CTF programme build
Months 1—2AML/CTF Programme drafted to AUSTRAC standards including customer due diligence, transaction monitoring, reporting obligations, and AML risk assessment for the business model.
AUSTRAC enrolment
Month 2Online enrolment completed via AUSTRAC's Business Portal. Entity details, business description, and key personnel registered. Enrolment is separate from and precedes registration.
Registration application
Months 2—3Full DCE or remittance registration application submitted including AML/CTF Programme confirmation, UBO declarations, and fit-and-proper affirmations for principals.
AUSTRAC assessment and registration
Months 3—6AUSTRAC reviews application and registers the business. Ongoing obligations commence: annual compliance reports, threshold transaction reports, and suspicious matter reports.
Cost and regulatory
burden.
Year-one spend is dominated by substance — resident director, office, compliance officer, external audit — not the licence fee itself.
| Cost item | Amount |
|---|---|
| AUSTRAC registration fee | AUD 0 (no fee) |
| AML/CTF Programme build | AUD 15,000 — 40,000 |
| AML compliance officer (yr-1) | AUD 40,000 — 80,000 |
| Transaction monitoring software | AUD 10,000 — 30,000 / yr |
| Legal advisory | AUD 10,000 — 25,000 |
| Year-1 total | ~USD 50K — 120K |
AUSTRAC registration carries no fee, but building and maintaining a compliant AML/CTF programme drives real cost. Operators scaling to AFSL should budget separately — ASIC licensing is significantly more expensive and time-consuming.
What founders
ask before filing.
The questions we get on every diagnostic call. If yours isn't here, raise it in the consultation.
Tell us where
you want to
operate.
Forty-five minutes with a partner. Jurisdiction memo within seven days. No retainer required to start.
No retainer required.