APRA's accelerated transition to APRA Connect. What the Opt-Out really means and why moving fast is the right call

22 May 2026.

APRA held an industry webinar on Thursday 21 May, updating regulated entities on the accelerated transition from D2A to APRA Connect. This article explains what is happening, what the opt-out process actually means in practice, and why entities should be moving to APRA Connect as quickly as they can.

What is changing and when

APRA has moved faster than many in industry anticipated. ADI Daily Liquidity (ARF 210.5) reporting begins in APRA Connect for the 31 May 2026 reference period. EFS and most other ADI returns follow for 30 June 2026.

General Insurance, PHI and most Superannuation collections transition through August and September 2026, with a small number of forms confirmed to December 2026.

What is the opt-out - and what does it actually mean?

APRA has confirmed that entities can opt out of lodging returns through APRA Connect if they are unable to meet the accelerated timelines. The critical point: opting out does not remove your reporting obligation. If you opt out, you are still required to lodge your return - but via the Alternate Submission Process (ASP) rather than APRA Connect.

What adds to the confusion is that the ASP does not bypass APRA Connect entirely. Entities still log into APRA Connect and submit their file - Excel, XML or XBRL - via an ad hoc file upload form. Think of it as a secure dropbox: once the file lands, APRA staff manually load and process the data on their end. That manual step is what makes ASP slower, less transparent, and more prone to back-and-forth than submitting directly through APRA Connect.

Visual overview of the difference between the Alternate Submission Process (ASP) and the "regular" APRA Connect process:

Under APRA Connect, the entity controls the entire process. Validation is done by the entity before submission. Errors are surfaced immediately. Once the entity is satisfied, it submits - and a receipt is generated in real time. There is no queue, no manual APRA involvement, and no back-and-forth.

The opt-out to ASP is available and APRA has made it accessible for good reason - some entities genuinely need more time to configure their systems and validate their data. But it should be treated as a bridge, not a destination. The ASP experience is materially inferior, and every period spent on it is a period not spent building the capability that will be required regardless.

How RegCentric can help

We offer two solutions depending on where your organisation is in this transition.

RegConnect is built for entities that need to validate and submit with confidence. It provides pre-validation against APRA's rules before your data reaches APRA Connect, reducing the risk of errors and failed submissions. It is a focused, fast-to-implement option for entities that primarily need to get their APRA Connect submission process right. Details at regconnect.com.au.

Reg360 is our last-mile and end-to-end reporting solution for entities that want to build a proper governance framework around their APRA reporting. Reg360 provides analytics and variance analysis so submitters understand what they are signing off, an automated controls and exceptions framework, and configurable approval workflows with digital sign-off and full audit trail. For entities looking for full end-to-end automation, Reg360 covers the complete reporting lifecycle from data ingestion through to lodgement. Details at reg-360.com.

Both Reg360 and RegConnect are already fully compatible with APRA Connect XML requirements. If you are working through your APRA Connect transition and want to understand which solution fits your needs, contact us at info@regcentric.com.