Brokers / Retail Intermediaries

A broker / retail intermediary is a regulated firm that engages in intermediation activities relating to certain financial products and/or provides advice in relation to those products and can be:

Industry Notices

From 1 January 2026, the Retail Intermediaries Authorisations Team will no longer accept Word based application forms for ‘A Form’ applicants.  From that date, the team will only accept online applications for ‘A Form’ applicants submitted via the Central Bank’s Portal.

This change forms part of our ongoing efforts to make the application process more efficient, user-friendly and consistent for all applicants.

If you are interested in applying for authorisation as a retail intermediary, please see the Application Process for Retail Intermediaries webpage, which provides detailed information on how to gain access to the Online Application Form on the Central Bank’s Portal.

To support firms with this transition and, in order to assist firms in completing the Online Application Form, the Retail Intermediaries Authorisations Team will hold its latest webinar in December, as per the notice below.    

The Retail Intermediaries Authorisations Team will be hosting a webinar on 10 December 2025 at 10.00am. The purpose of the webinar is to provide applicants with an overview of the new online application form, and to provide some helpful tips for gaining access, completing, and submitting an Online Application Form for Authorisation as a Retail Intermediary - A Form. We also want to flag some common issues that can delay the progress of an application.

 

Any applicant interested in attending the webinar should email their contact details to [email protected].

Handbook of Prudential Requirements for Investment Intermediaries

This Handbook is effective from 1 October 2014 and replaces the Handbook of Prudential Requirements for Authorised Advisors and Restricted Intermediaries introduced in July 2006.

Newsletter

The Brokers/Retail Intermediaries section of the Bank is now publishing a newsletter entitled Intermediary Times three times a year. It will contain news, useful information on regulatory issues, and highlight recently-published documents of interest. Read more about the Intermediary Times.

Report on the Retail Intermediary Sector in Ireland

The Report on the Retail Intermediary Sector in Ireland, published on 28 February 2013, is now available to view here: Report on Retail Intermediary Sector in Ireland - February 2013.

Retail Intermediary Roadshow

The Presentations from the Retail Intermediary Roadshows are available to view: Retail Intermediaries Roadshows.

Annual Online Return

Annual Online Return - To allow the Central Bank of Ireland to carry out its supervisory functions, all broker/intermediary firms are requested to submit an Annual Online Return. This section provides guidance for firms who are completing their return.

Useful Information

Authorisation - Under the provisions of the above legislation, firms are required to apply to the Central Bank of Ireland for authorisation or registration. It is an offence to engage in insurance/investment/mortgage intermediation without authorisation or registration. As well as completing an application form, applicants must complete an online Individual Questionnaire (IQ) to comply with Fitness and Probity requirements. Industry Funding Levy - All authorised firms must pay an annual industry levy to the Central Bank of Ireland.

Changes/amendments after Authorisation - Firms must inform the Central Bank of Ireland about any changes or amendments that may affect their authorisation e.g. change of address / trading name / Director or shareholding etc.

Reporting Requirements - In addition to completing an annual online return, please refer to the additional reporting requirements that your firm may be required to comply with.

Codes of Conduct and Regulatory Guidance - For further information on our Codes of Conduct and the regulatory requirements you are required to comply with.

Revocation - If you are considering cancelling your authorisation or registration, you will need to provide at least two months' notice to affected consumers to enable them to make alternative arrangements and to follow the voluntary revocation process.

Registers - If you wish to check if a firm is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Complaints against a financial services provider are handled by the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO) and not the Central Bank of Ireland.