Spain's government has approved a draft bill creating ANIFI, a new authority set to unify AML/CFT supervision, sanctioning and financial intelligence powers currently split between SEPBLAC and other bodies. It won't be operational yet, and current procedures and channels remain in force during the transition. ANIFI will also become Spain's sole contact point for the EU's new AMLA authority. No firm start date is set, though Spain must transpose the related EU directive (AMLR) by mid-2027. Compliance teams are advised to start preparing now.
ANIFI: what Spain's new anti-money laundering authority means
Summary
29/07/2026
On 28 July 2026, the Spanish Council of Ministers took a significant step in reforming the country's anti-money laundering framework. It approved a draft bill establishing the Autoridad Nacional de Integridad Financiera (ANIFI), the national financial integrity authority. What starts out as an institutional reshuffle has direct practical implications for how financial institutions, crypto-asset service providers, gambling operators and many other obligated entities in Spain will need to meet their AML/CFT obligations.
In this article, we set out what ANIFI is, why Spain is taking this step, what changes compared with the current situation, and perhaps most importantly: what organisations can already do now to prepare.
What is ANIFI?
ANIFI will be a new, independent administrative authority bringing together functions that are currently split between two bodies: SEPBLAC (the current Financial Intelligence Unit and supervisor) and the Secretariat of the Commission for the Prevention of Money Laundering and Monetary Offences, which is responsible for regulatory development, sanctioning procedures and international financial sanctions.
If the draft bill becomes law, ANIFI would become Spain's central authority for:
- financial intelligence
- AML/CFT supervision and inspection;
- sanctioning powers;
- international financial sanctions;
- countering the financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, a competence that, until now, has not been assigned to any Spanish authority;
- coordination with the new European Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA), for which ANIFI would become Spain's sole point of contact.
It's worth stressing: ANIFI does not yet exist as an operational authority. The draft bill still has to go through public consultation, further legislative scrutiny, publication and a transitional period before the authority actually becomes operational. Until then, the current authorities, obligations and procedures remain fully in effect.
Why is Spain pursuing this consolidation?
The underlying rationale is that a fragmented system, in which intelligence, supervision, inspection and sanctioning are spread across multiple bodies, hampers the effectiveness of AML/CFT efforts. By bringing these functions together under one institution, the Spanish government hopes to:
- create a clearer and more independent institutional centre;
- align the Spanish framework with the EU's 2024 anti-money laundering package;
- move closer to the standards set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the intergovernmental body responsible for global AML/CFT standards.
This is not simply a matter of renaming an agency. A single authority combining intelligence, oversight, inspections, enforcement and financial sanctions could, in theory, act more quickly and reduce fragmentation. Whether that materialises in practice will depend on the final text, governance safeguards, resourcing, data access and the transitional provisions.
Will SEPBLAC disappear?
A common, and reasonable question, since some coverage of this topic has been a little too quick to draw conclusions. SEPBLAC is not disappearing overnight. It will continue to carry out its current functions until the law and its accompanying transitional provisions actually come into force. The proposal is to integrate SEPBLAC's functions (financial intelligence, supervision and inspection) into ANIFI, but exactly how that legal and operational transition will work, still needs to be set out in the final legislation.
In practical terms, this means organisations should keep using SEPBLAC's existing reporting channels until an official transition is published. There is, as yet, no reason to change formal communication channels.
Will ANIFI replace the Bank of Spain or the CNMV?
No. ANIFI would not replace the Bank of Spain or the CNMV as sectoral financial supervisors. There is a related, but separate, reform under way: the FROB's (the fund for orderly bank restructuring, on whose existing structure ANIFI will be built) executive resolution powers would be transferred to the Bank of Spain (for credit institutions) and the CNMV (for investment firms). These are two related but distinct institutional changes affecting different functions.
How would ANIFI be funded?
The government is proposing an independent funding model, not reliant on the general state budget. ANIFI would be financed through:
- a levy on obligated entities subject to administrative licensing, mainly financial institutions and gambling operators;
- a limited percentage of the financial penalties it imposes, allocated to prevention, enforcement and international cooperation.
Importantly for regulated entities: there is no payment obligation to plan for yet. That will only arise once the final law and its implementing regulations establish it.
Regulatory timeline
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| 28 July 2026 | The Council of Ministers approves the draft bill at first reading |
| 2026–2027 | Public consultation and further legislative process; the content may still change |
| 10 July 2027 | Deadline for transposing most of Directive (EU) 2024/1640 |
| During 2027 | AMLA plans to select up to 40 high-risk cross-border financial entities or groups |
| 2028 | AMLA plans to begin direct supervision of the selected entities |
There is, as yet, no confirmed date for ANIFI itself to become operational. What is clear is that Spain must transpose most of the EU directive into national law by 10 July 2027 at the latest.
What should compliance teams do now?
Even though ANIFI is not yet operational, there is plenty organisations can already do to prepare:
- Track the legislative process. Keep a record of which stage a development is at: government approval, parliamentary scrutiny, publication and entry into force are all distinct milestones.
- Keep using current channels. Continue following SEPBLAC's existing procedures until an official transition is published.
- Assign responsibilities. Identify which teams handle due diligence, beneficial ownership, reporting, sanctions and proliferation financing.
- Ensure data traceability. Make sure the origin of identity, ownership, control and transaction data is demonstrable.
- Review the scope of controls. Not just at onboarding, but also when relevant changes occur during the client relationship.
- Strengthen case documentation. Maintain an auditable record of alerts, analysis, decisions and actions.
- Prepare for the transition. Draw up an inventory of policies, forms, portals and contractual documents that may need updating once the law takes effect.
- Monitor the fee model. Financial institutions and licensed gambling operators should keep an eye on how the future ANIFI levy is defined.
ANIFI is not yet a reality, but the direction of travel is clear: Spain wants less fragmentation and greater effectiveness in tackling money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing, in line with the broader European shift towards a harmonised supervisory system under AMLA. For organisations within the scope of this regulation, there is no reason for alarm, but every reason to monitor developments closely and start future-proofing their compliance infrastructure now.
This article is based on reporting by Expansión (28 July 2026) on the Spanish Council of Ministers' approval of the draft bill, and on a more detailed analysis of the proposal's status and implications, published on 29 July 2026.