A former Australian intelligence official has been charged with breaching national secrecy rules.

Roger Uren, a former assistant director at the intelligence analysis agency, Office of National Assessments (ONA), faces 30 charges of unauthorised dealing with records.

Police say his charges arose out of a raid on his Canberra home in 2015 when classified documents were uncovered.

The charges come under the Intelligence Services Act and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act.

Police allege there was an unauthorised removal and retention of classified intelligence information from Mr Uren's place of employment.

Mr Uren resigned from ONA in 2001, and was considered by former prime minister Kevin Rudd as a potential Australian Ambassador to China in 2011.

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.

The raid happened four years ago, but Mr Uren’s prosecution was not approved until 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,” Attorney-General Christian 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 Uren appear in court in February next year.