Insurance Brokerage: What Regulatory Obligations Since March 2025?

Summary: Since March 2025, new obligations have governed the insurance broker profession. This article details updates to the ORIAS register, requirements for ongoing training, increased compliance checks, and transparency towards clients. An essential read for professionals wishing to stay up to date and compliant.

Introduction: An Evolving Regulatory Context

The insurance brokerage sector is undergoing a profound transformation of its regulatory framework. In response to the authorities’ desire to strengthen policyholder protection and improve service quality, new measures have come into force as of March 2025. For brokers, understanding these changes is essential to ensure the sustainability of their business and the trust of their clients.

The ORIAS Register: Strengthened Requirements

The unique register of insurance, banking, and finance intermediaries (ORIAS) remains the mandatory gateway for legal practice. Since March 2025, registration conditions have been tightened, particularly regarding:

• Honorability verification: a more thorough check of criminal records and professional backgrounds is now required.
• Supporting documents: the list of documents to provide has been extended (certificates, diplomas, proof of ongoing training).
• Annual follow-up: brokers must update their ORIAS information every year, or face automatic removal.

Ongoing Training: Increased Obligation

The obligation for ongoing training, already in effect, has been strengthened. Brokers must now provide evidence of 25 hours of training per year (up from 15 hours previously), covering:

• Regulatory and legislative developments in the sector.
• Anti-money laundering and terrorist financing (AML-CFT).
• Ethics and client relations.
• Technological innovations and cybersecurity.

A training register must be available to the authorities, and any deficiency may result in sanctions up to suspension of activity.

Controls and Compliance: More Rigorous Audits

Supervisory authorities (notably the ACPR) are intensifying audits and inspections of brokerage firms. The main areas of verification are:

• Compliance of internal procedures: analysis of compliance mechanisms, complaints management, traceability of advice given.
• Contractual documentation: verification that documents provided to clients are up to date and complete.
• Data protection compliance: GDPR compliance is of increased importance, especially regarding sensitive data management.

Identified breaches may result in warnings, fines, or even bans from practicing.

Transparency Towards Clients: Clearer Communication

The new rules require brokers to provide clearer and more comprehensive information to clients. This includes:

• Presentation of status and guarantees: clients must know precisely the broker’s role, responsibilities, and insurance coverages taken out.
• Transparency on remuneration: the remuneration method (fees, commissions) must be explicit, as well as the applicable amount or range.
• Explanation of recommendations: each recommendation must be justified and documented, ensuring advice is in the client’s best interest.

This transparency aims to strengthen trust and prevent future disputes.

Preparation: Best Practices to Adopt

To effectively meet these new requirements, insurance brokers are encouraged to:

• Conduct an internal audit of their regulatory compliance.
• Update their procedures and client information materials.
• Organize their ongoing training plan for the coming year right away.
• Maintain active regulatory monitoring to anticipate any further changes.

Conclusion

The regulatory obligations applicable to insurance brokerage since March 2025 reflect the authorities’ intent to modernize the profession and offer better protection to clients. Although these measures may require some demanding adjustments, they also enhance the professionalism of the sector and help establish lasting trust with policyholders. For every broker, staying informed and compliant with these changes is now a major issue for competitiveness and credibility.