How to Move Microsoft 365 Tenant Data to Another Region
Question details
The organization needs to determine if they can relocate their existing Microsoft 365 tenant data to a different region or if they must create a new tenant and migrate manually.
- Product
- Microsoft 365
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Expanding operations into a new geographic region (such as moving from Australia to the EU/UK) and needing to align data residency with the new location.
- Observed behavior
- The user wants to establish the correct administrative procedure for securely transferring Exchange, SharePoint, and Teams data to a new datacenter region without data loss.
Before initiating a move, verify your organization's eligibility on the Microsoft 365 Multi-Geo availability page, as migration capability depends strictly on your tenant country code and the specific workloads you use.
Request a Data Residency Migration via Microsoft 365 Admin Center
Eligible commercial customers can directly request a tenant data move to a new datacenter region through the administrative dashboard, avoiding the need to create a completely new tenant.
Microsoft allows eligible tenants to shift their core customer data at rest to a new geo location. This backend process is handled by Microsoft, meaning users will not experience major service interruptions while the data is securely migrated.
Log in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center using an account with Global Administrator privileges.
In the left-hand navigation pane, click on 'Settings', then select 'Org settings', and switch to the 'Organization profile' tab.
Click on 'Data location' to view your current data residency details and available migration paths.
Select the data residency migration option, choose your target region (e.g., European Union), and save the request to initiate the process.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What workloads are included when I move my Microsoft 365 tenant data?
A standard tenant data move typically includes core customer data at rest for Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and Microsoft Teams. Availability can vary based on Microsoft's current rollout phases.
Do I need to create a new tenant if my organization is not eligible for a region move?
Yes. If your current tenant country code or subscription type does not qualify for Microsoft's backend data residency migration, you will need to establish a new Microsoft 365 tenant in your target region and perform a manual tenant-to-tenant migration.
Will my users experience downtime during the tenant data migration?
No, the migration process is handled in the background by Microsoft. Users can continue to access their Exchange emails, SharePoint sites, and Teams chats without significant interruption while the data is being relocated to the new datacenter.
