Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme

The Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme (FITS) commenced on 10 December 2018. The purpose of the scheme is to provide the public with visibility of the nature, level and extent of foreign influence on Australia's government and politics.

Obligations under the scheme

Individuals or entities are required to register certain activities (registrable activities) under the scheme if they are taken on behalf of a foreign principal.

View the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Public Register.

We have developed a range of guidance materials for potential registrants to help them understand their obligations under the scheme.

If you have registration obligations under the scheme, visit the registration portal to register.

Overview of the scheme

Broadly speaking, any person must register if they meet all of the following criteria:

• they undertake registrable activities or enter into a registrable arrangement
• the activity is, or will be undertaken in Australia on behalf of a foreign principal
• the activity is undertaken for the purpose of political or governmental influence
• no exemptions apply.

In some cases this may depend on whether the person has held a senior public position in Australia.

A foreign principal includes a:

• foreign government
• foreign political organisation
• foreign government related entity
• foreign government related individual.

Registrable activities include:

• parliamentary lobbying
• general political lobbying
• communications activities
• disbursement activity (payment of money or things of value).

There are also additional registration obligations for activities undertaken by former Cabinet ministers and recent designated position holders (e.g. former Commonwealth politicians, their staff and senior public servants).

If the Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department is satisfied that a person is a foreign government related entity or individual, the scheme also allows for the Secretary to issue a transparency notice – which makes this determination clear to the public.

The scheme also establishes criminal offences for:

• failing to comply with obligations under the scheme
• failing to register in circumstances where a person is required to do so
• providing false or misleading information and destroying records to avoid registration obligations.

For more detailed information about the scheme, please refer to the resources page.

Review of the scheme

On 27 June 2024, the Australian Government tabled its response to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security’s statutory review of the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act 2018 (FITS Act). The government response agrees in whole, in principle or in part to 12 of the Committee’s 14 recommendations and has committed to substantial reform of the FITS Act.

Read a copy of the Australian Government response to the Committee’s review