Can foreign governments access beneficial ownership information?

Foreign governments cannot directly access the beneficial ownership IT system—the secure system that FinCEN uses to receive and store BOI—but will be able to request beneficial ownership information through intermediary Federal agencies. Foreign governments may request beneficial ownership information for a law enforcement investigation or prosecution, or for a national security or intelligence activity, that is authorized under the laws of the foreign country. There are two different request channels available to foreign governments: requests made under an international treaty, agreement, or convention; or requests made, when no such treaty, agreement, or convention is available, by a law enforcement, judicial, or prosecutorial authority of a foreign country determined by FinCEN, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State and in consultation with the Attorney General or other agencies as necessary and appropriate, to be a trusted foreign country. Foreign requests for beneficial ownership information are not yet being processed.