A former Australian intelligence official is on bail after being arrested and charged with breaching national secrecy rules.

Roger Uren, who was an assistant director at the intelligence analysis agency, Office of National Assessments (ONA), is facing 30 charges of unauthorised dealing with records.

He appeared briefly in the ACT Magistrates Court yesterday, to answer the charges which police said arose out of a raid on his Canberra home in 2015 when classified documents were uncovered.

Police said the charges came under the Intelligence Services Act and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act.

In a statement, police alleged there was an unauthorised removal and retention of classified intelligence information from Mr Uren's place of employment.

Mr Uren resigned from his position at ONA in 2001, and was once touted as a potential Australian Ambassador to China.

He is married to Chinese-Australian lobbyist Sheri Yan, who was jailed in the United States for bribing then president of the United Nations General Assembly John Ashe.

Sheri Yan leaving federal court in New York. ( AP: Craig Ruttle )

Despite the raid happening four years ago, Mr Uren's prosecution was not approved until it came to Attorney-General Christian Porter's desk mid-this year.

"My consent was required as the charges relate to alleged offences under section 40J of the Intelligence Services Act 2001 and section 18A of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979," Mr Porter said in a statement.

"Each of these offences have specifically required the Attorney's consent for a prosecution to proceed since they were introduced in 2014."

Mr Porter said as the matter was now before the courts, it would not be appropriate to comment further.

Mr Uren will be back in court in February next year.