The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) is set to launch a new online platform on May 5, allowing financial services providers to manage their Australian financial services (AFS) licences.
The update is part of the regulator’s broader shift toward digitised and streamlined regulatory systems.
The new AFS Licensing Portal will support a range of licence-related functions, including new applications, variations, and cancellations.
ASIC has positioned the system as a way to enhance administrative efficiency by using automation to pre-populate known data and guide users through tailored forms based on their specific licensing requirements.
ASIC confirmed that the eligibility criteria and information requirements for obtaining an AFS licence will not change. The current system will remain active until the new portal officially goes live.
Regulatory materials, including ASIC’s Guides 1 to 3 – often referred to as the AFS Licensing Kit – will be revised in May to reflect how the portal functions, although the content relating to licensing policies will stay the same.
To support the transition, the commission will publish resources on its website to help licensees and applicants adapt to the new system. These will include step-by-step guides and explanatory documents to clarify procedural updates.
The portal is being rolled out under ASIC’s RegistryConnect program, a broader initiative to enhance the regulator’s digital infrastructure and improve engagement with stakeholders.
The agency has stated that its long-term objective is to provide a centralised digital access point for regulated entities and consumers interacting with ASIC systems.
In a related development, ASIC has also issued a warning regarding fraudulent websites posing as official ASIC platforms.
The regulator has identified several fake domains that resemble its genuine online services, including asicconnect.asic.gov.au and connectonline.asic.gov.au.
These websites reportedly attempt to collect confidential user information by imitating the appearance and functionality of ASIC’s legitimate portals. Some even incorporate real ASIC content or mimic its branding to appear credible.
ASIC urged users to verify web addresses before engaging with any online service claiming to be part of its system. Suspicious activity can be reported through the official ASIC inquiry form available on its website.
