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ARTICLE · 14 APRIL 2026

New FFSP AFSL Exemptions Take Effect On 9 April 2027

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP
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Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP

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The laws introducing the new Australian financial services licence (AFSL) exemptions for foreign financial service providers (FFSPs) have received Royal Assent and will commence on 9 April 2027.

AustraliaFinance and Banking
Fiona Smedley
Fiona Smedley
Yorick Ng
Yorick Ng
Adam Hickey
Adam Hickey
Jack Zhou
Jack Zhou
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The laws introducing the new Australian financial services licence (AFSL) exemptions for foreign financial service providers (FFSPs) have received Royal Assent and will commence on 9 April 2027.

Update 

  • Following our update last week the Treasury Laws Amendment (Genetic Testing Protections in Life Insurance and Other Measures) Act 2026 (Act) has received Royal Assent on 8 April 2026.
  • Under the Act, the FFSP exemptions will commence the day after the end of the period of 12 months beginning on the day the Act received Royal Assent. 
  • This means that the FFSP exemptions take effect on and from 9 April 2027.
  • Schedule 2 of the Act sets out the FFSP AFSL exemptions, which include the “comparable regulator exemption” and the “professional investor exemption” (see our earlier article of 2 April 2026). 

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