The Central Bank of Russia has published guidance on anti-money laundering law amendments that took effect on 3 March 2026, removing credit institutions’ ability to delegate identification or simplified identification of retail customers to bank payment agents (BPAs). As a result, BPAs are no longer permitted to conduct customer identification under existing agreements with credit institutions. The update highlights a 180-day statutory period (Clause 2 of Article 3) for credit institutions to bring their BPA agreements into line with the amended legislation. It states that BPAs should not continue to perform identification functions during this period.
Central Bank of Russia 2026-03-16
Central Bank of Russia confirms AML amendments end bank payment agents’ retail customer identification role
The Central Bank of Russia issued guidance on anti-money laundering law amendments effective 3 March 2026, prohibiting credit institutions from delegating customer identification to bank payment agents (BPAs). BPAs are no longer allowed to conduct customer identification under existing agreements.