2026 Risk and compliance return
The Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) has issued Directive 11 which mandates specified accountable institutions to complete and submit a risk and compliance return (RCR) to the FIC, within set deadlines.
The window for submission of the 2026 RCR opens on Monday, 4 May 2026 and will close on different dates, Tuesday, 30 June 2026 and Friday, 31 July 2026, depending on the specified category of business.
The RCR questionnaire relates to specified accountable institutions’ understanding of the money laundering, terrorist and proliferation financing risks they face and the implementation of risk-based controls, in accordance with the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FIC Act). Failure to submit an RCR may lead to administrative action.
Directive 11 applies to all accountable institutions referred to in items 1, 2, 3, 9, 11 (excluding banks, mutual banks, and a co-operative bank that carries on the business of a credit provider),14, 20, 21, and 22 of Schedule 1 of the FIC Act. RCR submissions must cover three reporting periods i.e. 2023 to 2026 (see below).
Note: Accountable institutions are urged to download and study the sample composite and sector-specific questionnaires to gain an understanding of the information that needs to be gathered for each specified reporting year or period.
on submission of RCRs
Download sample
questionnaires
submission guide
Submission deadline:
30 June 2026 @ 17:00
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Trust and company service providers (Item 2)
Submission period: 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2026 -
Casinos (Item 9)
Submission period: 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2026 -
Credit providers (Item 11) – Excluding banks, mutual banks and co-operative banks
Submission period: 1 July 2023 to 31 March 2026 -
South African Post Bank (Item 14)
Submission period: 1 July 2023 to 31 March 2026 -
South African Mint Company (Item 21)
Submission period: 1 July 2023 to 31 March 2026 -
Crypto asset service providers (Item 22)
Submission period: 1 July 2023 to 31 March 2026
Submission deadline:
31 July 2026 @17:00
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Legal practitioners (Item 1)
Submission period: 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2026 -
Estate agents (Item 3)
Submission period: 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2026 -
Gambling institutions (Item 9) – Non-casino entities
Submission period: 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2026 -
High-value goods dealers (Item 20) – Including dealers in precious metals, precious stones, and Kruger rands
Submission period: 1 July 2023 to 31 March 2026
The purpose of the risk and compliance return
Directive 11 mandates designated accountable institutions to submit a self-assessment on anti-money laundering, combating of terrorist financing and combating of proliferation financing, referred to as the RCR.
The RCR questionnaire is aimed at gathering relevant information at an individual entity level from the specified accountable institutions. Using this information, the FIC can better understand, assess, mitigate and monitor the money laundering, terrorist and proliferation financing risks, at an individual accountable institution level.
The FIC uses a risk-rating tool to analyse the data from RCRs to identify higher risk accountable institutions as a basis for risk-based supervision consideration, and inclusion in the supervisory plan.
Submit your 2026 risk and
compliance return now
Note: Only registered accountable institutions with a FIC issued organisation identity number (Org ID) may submit an RCR. If you are not yet registered with the FIC, refer to the registration user guide.Â
A separate RCR must be submitted per accountable institution while each submission should reflect the accountable institution’s unique Org ID.
This requirement applies to institutions with branch networks, and entities that have offerings across the more than one FIC Act Schedule 1 item. Branches that are not registered with the FIC as accountable institutions, are not required to submit a separate RCRs.