Each month, regulatory change continues to accelerate across payments, AML and consumer protection frameworks, placing growing pressure on compliance, legal and risk teams.
According to Vixio, using insights from its Horizon Scanning Regulatory Deadlines Calendar, this update highlights the most important response deadlines and legislation effective dates taking place in February 2026, helping financial institutions and FinTech firms prioritise action where it matters most.
February is a particularly busy month from a regulatory perspective. There are 45 regulatory milestones on the horizon, including 26 consultation periods drawing to a close and 15 enforceable deadlines coming into effect. Together, these developments signal a tightening of expectations around customer protection, AML controls, sanctions screening and digital trust infrastructure across multiple jurisdictions.
One of the most immediate changes arrives in Poland. In November 2025, the Act on the Handling of Complaints on Financial Market Entities by the Financial Ombudsman and the Financial Education Fund was published in the country’s Journal of Laws. From February 12, 2026, the new framework formally enters into force. Complaints submitted but not assessed before this date will continue to be handled under the previous legal regime, creating a clear cut-off that firms operating in Poland must be prepared to manage operationally.
China is also introducing significant new AML obligations in mid-February. The Chinese government has issued special preventative measures aimed at stopping financial services activity linked to high-risk entities associated with terrorism, sanctions breaches or major money laundering threats. These measures require financial institutions to continuously monitor sanctions lists published by national authorities, the UN Security Council and the People’s Bank of China.
Firms must verify customers and trading partners against these lists as part of customer due diligence and apply enhanced AML measures, including freezing assets or restricting transfers, where matches are identified. Non-compliance carries penalties, including legal responsibility for relevant employees. These requirements take effect on February 16, 2026.
In the United States, New York State is expanding its consumer protection framework through the FAIR Act. Signed into law in December 2025, the legislation materially broadens the scope of General Business Law Section 349. From February 17, 2026, the law explicitly prohibits unfair, deceptive or abusive acts or practices across all business activity conducted in New York, not just consumer-facing interactions. This expansion has wide-ranging implications for payments providers, platforms and service firms operating in the state.
Across the European Union, regulatory focus is turning to digital trust services. On February 3, 2026, the European Commission published Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/248, setting out detailed technical rules under the eIDAS framework. The regulation defines recognised formats and validation methods for advanced electronic signatures and seals used by public sector bodies, while repealing earlier implementing decisions. Although most provisions apply immediately, specific member state requirements will not take effect until February 23, 2027, giving firms time to align systems and processes.
Finally, Norway is strengthening its AML regime by implementing updated EU delegated regulations on high-risk third countries. Published at the end of January 2026, the amended regulations bring Norway into line with evolving EU standards by updating the list of jurisdictions with strategic AML deficiencies. These changes enter into force on February 6, 2026, reinforcing the need for robust risk assessments and enhanced due diligence measures for cross-border activity.
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