The FATF’s October 2025 plenary has concluded. Four countries have now exited the FATF Grey List:
Burkina Faso
Mozambique
Nigeria
South Africa
No new jurisdictions were added.
These changes reflect strengthened AML/CFT controls, better enforcement, and progress against FATF action plans — particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. The move is expected to help restore international confidence and smooth some of the correspondent-banking friction faced by firms operating in or dealing with those markets.
But delisting does not equal “low risk.”
Even once a jurisdiction exits increased monitoring, residual exposure remains, and the FATF explicitly requires firms to continue applying a risk-based approach. Organisations that immediately downgrade risk without documented justification risk regulatory criticism — or worse, blind-spots.
Your risk process must reflect all current FATF and EU listings where applicable. Past listing history also matters. Regulators look for evidence of informed risk awareness, not just a snapshot in time.
New: Updated VinciWorks high risk jurisdictions guide
To support compliance teams through these changes, VinciWorks has released an updated edition of our High-Risk Jurisdictions Guide, including:
✔ Every current FATF Grey List and Call for Action jurisdiction
✔ Every jurisdiction on the EU High-Risk Third Countries list
✔ Full historical listing data — who has been listed, when, and why
✔ Risk rating implications for onboarding, CDD and EDD
✔ How to evidence updates in your risk-based approach
This resource gives MLROs, sanctions teams and onboarding units a single source of truth when adjusting controls — without relying on scattered announcements or out-of-date spreadsheets.
Want help updating your policies, onboarding workflows or training content to reflect these changes?
We’re already working with leading firms to implement compliant, risk-based updates, and we can support you too.
Download the updated guide
Get the newly refreshed High-Risk Jurisdictions Guide (October 2025 Edition) today.
