Free AML and KYC Certificates: Which Ones Are Genuinely Free
There are genuinely free AML and compliance certifications worth holding — accredited, assessed, and verifiable by an employer. This page lists the ones available right now, what each covers, how the assessment works, and exactly what you get at no cost.
What makes these worth your time
- Real assessments. Every certification here has a stated question count, time limit and pass mark — so the certificate reflects what you know, not what you clicked through.
- ONRIGA-accredited. Independently reviewed against published benchmarks for content quality and role utility.
- Verifiable credential IDs. Each one issues an ID an employer can check online, which is what turns a certificate into evidence.
- Study material you keep. Downloadable guides that stay useful long after the exam.
2) Certifications that are free end to end
3) Free to study, sit, and preview your certificate
4) How to check a free certificate is worth your time
5) What a free certificate does for hiring
6) What to do after the free one
7) FAQ
1) Every free option compared
Three programmes in the AML, financial crime, and governance space are free to start. Only two are free all the way to a certificate. The column that matters is the last one.
| Certification | Domain | Study time | Assessment | Free to study & sit | Certificate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIHT | Financial crime / AML awareness | ~45–60 min | 20 questions, 20 min, 75% pass | Yes | Free |
| AGZIT-TF | Counter-terrorist financing | ~8 hours | 30 questions, 30 min, 70% pass | Yes | Free |
| AGZIT-AIG | AI governance | ~12 hours | 50 questions, 57 min, 70% pass | Yes | $79 verifiable credential |
2) Certifications that are free end to end
No card, no fee at any stage, certificate included.
FIHT — Financial Intelligence Against Human Trafficking
Issued by AC3O · Global Association of Certified Crypto Compliance Officers
An awareness certification covering how trafficking proceeds move through financial systems and how to spot them. Four modules: trafficking typologies and FATF/UNODC frameworks; red-flag behaviour in banking, fintech and remittance systems; how traffickers use exchanges, wallets, mixers and privacy coins, plus Travel Rule and VASP obligations; and STR/SAR filing with inter-agency coordination.
It's the shortest route to a free credential that teaches something transferable. The crypto module in particular covers ground most entry-level AML training skips entirely.
- Best for: anyone starting in AML or KYC who wants a real credential this week
- Exam: 20 multiple-choice questions, 20 minutes, 75% to pass, 2 attempts included
- Certificate: instant download, auto-generated credential ID
- Rated: 4.7 from 384 reviews
AGZIT-TF — Certified Counter-Terrorist Financing Analyst
Issued by AGZIT · Foundation level
Substantially deeper than an awareness course, and still free to certificate. Five modules cover why CFT controls built for money laundering miss terrorist financing; UNSCR 1267 and 1373 and their two different designation logics; freezing obligations and what "without delay" means in practice; how funds move through hawala, cash couriers, trade and virtual assets; and detection where behaviour matters more than thresholds.
Module 4 is unusually honest about what indicators cannot do — false positives and discrimination risk — which is a discussion most CFT training avoids. There's also a practice assessment under the same clock before the real one.
- Best for: AML analysts who want depth rather than a quick badge
- Exam: 30 questions, 30 minutes, 70% to pass, 2 attempts, plus a full practice sitting
- Certificate: valid 2 years, verifiable credential ID
- Rated: 4.6 from 51 reviews
3) Free to study, free to sit, pay only for the verifiable credential
A third option opens everything up front — the full study material, the practice assessment, the final assessment, and a sample certificate — and charges only if you want the verifiable credential employers can check. You see exactly what you're getting before any payment.
AGZIT-AIG — Certified AI Governance Analyst
Issued by AGZIT · Intermediate level
Six modules on inventorying the AI systems an organisation actually runs, classifying each against the obligations that apply, and producing the evidence a supervisor or auditor asks for — EU AI Act risk tiers and the post-Digital-Omnibus timeline, ISO/IEC 42001, NIST AI RMF, vendor and shadow AI, lifecycle controls, and the assurance evidence pack.
Increasingly relevant to compliance professionals, because AI governance is landing inside second-line functions rather than IT — and the people already running model risk and control testing are the ones being handed it.
- Free to study: download the full AGZIT-AIG study guide and keep it
- Free to practise: full practice assessment under the same clock as the real one
- Free to sit: 50 questions, 57 minutes, 70% to pass, 2 attempts
- Sample certificate: see exactly what you'll receive before you decide
- Pay only for the verifiable credential: $79 for the ONRIGA-accredited certificate with a credential ID employers can check, valid 2 years
- Rated: 4.7 from 88 reviews
4) How to check a free certificate is worth your time
Free certifications vary enormously in what they actually give you. Four checks tell you where one sits, and each takes about thirty seconds on the course page.
| Check | What to look for | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Is there an assessment? | A stated question count, time limit, pass mark and attempt allowance | An exam means the certificate reflects what you know, not what you clicked through |
| Who accredits it? | A named accrediting body, not just the phrase "globally recognised" | A named body can be checked; an unattributed claim can't |
| Can it be verified? | A credential ID and a public verification page on the issuer's site | This is what lets a recruiter confirm your credential in seconds |
| What do you keep? | A downloadable study guide, and a stated validity period | Material you keep stays useful long after the exam |
5) What a free certificate does for hiring
Be realistic about this, because the honest answer is more useful than the encouraging one.
A free certificate will not get you hired into a KYC or AML role on its own. What it does do is three narrower things, and they're worth having: it gives a career-changer something concrete on the CV before any paid commitment; it demonstrates initiative to a recruiter screening a stack of identical applications; and — if you pick one with a real assessment — it teaches you vocabulary you'll need in the interview. Being able to talk about layering, structuring, or the Travel Rule without hesitating is worth more than the PDF itself.
What it won't do is substitute for a role-aligned certification when you're competing against candidates who hold one. Free certificates open the conversation; role-aligned certifications close it.
6) What to do after the free one
Once you've got a free credential done, the next decision is which track to certify in properly — and that depends on the job you want, not on which certification is most advertised.
Start free, then build real capability
Take FIHT or AGZIT-TF this week at no cost. When you're ready to certify for a role, eStraLux teaches KYC the way it happens inside real companies — hands-on tool access and assigned corporate cases, not slides.
7) FAQ
Is there a genuinely free AML certificate with no hidden cost?
Yes. FIHT and AGZIT-TF are free at every stage — no card at signup, no fee for the assessment, no charge for the certificate. Both are ONRIGA-accredited and issue a verifiable credential ID. FIHT takes about an hour; AGZIT-TF is roughly eight hours of study and goes considerably deeper.
Can I put a free certificate on my LinkedIn and CV?
Yes, and you should — provided it has a credential ID. List it under licences and certifications with the issuing body and the ID, not as a headline qualification. What makes it credible is that a recruiter can verify it in seconds; what makes it look weak is listing five of them with no verification detail.
How long does a free AML certification take?
It varies more than most people expect. FIHT is 45 to 60 minutes of study and a 20-minute exam. AGZIT-TF is around eight hours of reading and a 30-minute exam with a practice sitting first. Anything advertised as a "5-minute certificate" is issuing paper, not assessing anything.
Do free certificates expire?
Some do. AGZIT-TF is valid for two years, in line with how most professional credentials handle currency in a field where regulation changes. Check the validity period before you rely on it in an application — an expired credential on a CV reads worse than no credential.
Can I try the assessment before deciding on a certificate?
Yes. AGZIT-AIG opens the full study guide, a practice assessment under the same clock, and the final assessment at no cost, and shows you a sample certificate so you know exactly what you'll receive. You decide on the verifiable credential only after you've done the work and seen the result.
Do I need a webcam or proctoring software?
No. These assessments are sat online with no webcam, microphone or proctoring required. You need a stable connection and a laptop or desktop, which the timed navigation is built for. There's no deadline either — sit it whenever you're ready.
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