Circulars Summary
Total Published: 41 circulars, announcements, and press releases
Date Range: August 2022 — March 2026
Categories: Circulars, Announcements, Press Releases, Market Notices
2026 Circulars
| Date | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 4, 2026 | Implementation of UAE AML/CFT/CPF Requirements for VASPs | Circular |
| Feb 24, 2026 | Implementation of UAE Virtual Assets Travel Rule | Circular |
| Jan 22, 2026 | Enhanced Measures for High-Risk Jurisdictions — Updated FATF Lists | Circular |
| Jan 8, 2026 | Onboarding and Classification of Qualified Investors | Circular |
2025 Circulars (Selected)
| Date | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 24, 2025 | Publication of UAE Federal Decree-Law on AML/CFT/CPF — Mandatory GAP Assessment | Circular |
| Nov 21, 2025 | EOCN Updated Guidance on Targeted Financial Sanctions | Circular |
| Nov 7, 2025 | Guidance on Rule III D Risk Assessments | Circular |
| Oct 10, 2025 | Public Consultation on Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) | Circular |
| Jul 31, 2025 | Reminder on Licence Code for VA Proprietary Trading | Circular |
| Jul 24, 2025 | Compliance with CBUAE PTSR — NoC Registration Requirement | Circular |
| Jul 8, 2025 | Decision of National AML/CFT Committee No. (6) of 2025 | Circular |
| Jun 11, 2025 | UAE National Risk Assessment (NRA) | Circular |
| May 20, 2025 | UAEFIU IEMS Requirements for VASPs | Circular |
| May 19, 2025 | VARA Issues Updated Activity Rulebooks v2.0 | Announcement |
| Feb 25, 2025 | Reminder on UAE National AML/CFT Obligations | Circular |
2024 Circulars
| Date | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 11, 2024 | Update FATF High-Risk Jurisdictions Lists | Circular |
| Sep 18, 2024 | Mandatory EOCN System Registration for Sanction Alerts | Circular |
2023 Circulars & Announcements (Selected)
| Date | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 17, 2023 | Market Notice: Enforcement Intensification | Market Notice |
| Nov 16, 2023 | Matthew White Appointed CEO | Announcement |
| Nov 14, 2023 | Creation of VA Issuance Licence Code | Circular |
| Nov 7, 2023 | Final Deadline Extension for VASP Registration | Announcement |
| Oct 12, 2023 | Issuance Rules for Asset Reference Tokens | Announcement |
| Aug 24, 2023 | Staking from Custody Services | Announcement |
| Aug 10, 2023 | VARA-DET Consumer Protection MOU | Announcement |
| Jul 18, 2023 | SCA-VARA Unified VA Sector Register | Announcement |
| Jun 22, 2023 | Fee Schedule Clarification | Announcement |
| Jun 15, 2023 | OKX Middle East MVP Preparatory Licence | Press Release |
| May 29, 2023 | Regulated VA Activities at DET Branches | Announcement |
| May 23, 2023 | Creation of VA Proprietary Trading Licence Code | Circular |
| May 1, 2023 | BitOasis MVP Operational Licence | Press Release |
| Apr 14, 2023 | DET/Free Zone Council Legacy Operator Applications | Announcement |
| Mar 20, 2023 | Crypto.com MVP Preparatory License | Press Release |
| Mar 13, 2023 | AAN for VASPs — Deadline March 31 | Circular |
| Feb 17, 2023 | GCEX MVP Preparatory Licence | Press Release |
| Feb 10, 2023 | VA Licensing Activities Issuance | Circular |
| Feb 7, 2023 | VA Regulations 2023 Issued | Announcement |
2022 Circulars
| Date | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 24, 2022 | Hex Trust MVP Licence | Press Release |
| Nov 21, 2022 | Komainu MVP Licence | Press Release |
| Sep 19, 2022 | Binance MVP Licence | Press Release |
| Aug 25, 2022 | Marketing Regulations Issued | Announcement |
Thematic Analysis
AML/CFT Focus
The largest cluster of circulars addresses AML/CFT/CPF compliance, reflecting both VARA’s supervisory priorities and the UAE’s commitment to FATF standard implementation. Key themes include sanctions screening (EOCN), Travel Rule implementation, NRA integration, and federal law alignment.
Licensing Evolution
Circulars track the progressive expansion of VARA’s licensing framework, from the foundational February 2023 regulations through new licence codes for issuance and proprietary trading, to deadline management for legacy operator transition.
Enforcement Signaling
Market notices and deadline announcements served as enforcement precursors, with VARA’s November 2023 warning directly preceding the escalation of enforcement actions in 2024 and 2025.
Source: VARA News & Announcements
For detailed analysis of specific regulatory themes, see our VARA Framework section. For enforcement outcomes, see our enforcement dashboard.
For federal regulatory circular tracking, visit UAE Tokenization Regulations.
Complete Circulars Timeline
VARA has issued 41 circulars and announcements from August 2022 through early March 2026. The following timeline captures the complete record of VARA’s regulatory communications, each adding to the compliance framework that licensed VASPs must navigate.
2026 Circulars (January-March)
| Date | Subject |
|---|---|
| 4 Mar 2026 | Implementation of UAE AML/CFT/CPF Requirements |
| 24 Feb 2026 | Virtual Assets Travel Rule Implementation |
| 22 Jan 2026 | Enhanced Measures for FATF High-Risk Jurisdictions |
| 8 Jan 2026 | Qualified Investor Classification |
2025 Circulars (Selected Highlights)
| Date | Subject |
|---|---|
| 24 Nov 2025 | UAE Federal AML Decree-Law Gap Assessment |
| 21 Nov 2025 | EOCN Sanctions Screening Guidance |
| 7 Nov 2025 | Risk Assessment Guidance (Rule III D) |
| 10 Oct 2025 | CARF Public Consultation |
| 31 Jul 2025 | Proprietary Trading Licence Code Reminder |
| 24 Jul 2025 | CBUAE PTSR Non-Objection Registration |
| 8 Jul 2025 | AML/CFT Committee Decision No. 6 of 2025 |
| 11 Jun 2025 | UAE National Risk Assessment |
| 20 May 2025 | UAEFIU IEMS Requirements |
| 19 May 2025 | Rulebook v2.0 Publication |
Pace of Issuance
The circular issuance rate has accelerated significantly:
- 2022: 2 circulars (Marketing Regulations, initial framework)
- 2023: 15 circulars (major framework establishment year)
- 2024: 5 circulars
- 2025: 15+ circulars (regulatory intensification)
- 2026 (through March): 4 circulars already
This acceleration reflects VARA’s maturation from framework establishment to active regulatory supervision. For licensed entities, each circular potentially creates new compliance obligations requiring policy updates, system changes, and staff training.