Can't Create B1s Virtual Machine while Azure for Student Subsctiption is Activated

Esing Z 40 Reputation points
2026-04-17T03:40:56.55+00:00

Hello, recently I applied for the Azure for Students, and I checked that the subsctiption is activated, and there is still quota for B1s VM. When I create VM, however, I cannot find the B1s series anywhere, and it says NotAvailableForSubscription. My classmate however can create it.

Azure Virtual Machines
Azure Virtual Machines

An Azure service that is used to provision Windows and Linux virtual machines.

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Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2026-04-17T03:48:12.76+00:00

Hello Esing

Thank you for reaching out.

From your description, the error “NotAvailableForSubscription” indicates that the requested VM size (B-series) is currently not available for your subscription. This is typically due to subscription-level or capacity-related restrictions, rather than a configuration issue.

For Azure for Students subscriptions, certain VM SKUs or VM families may have limited availability. As a result, some VM sizes may be restricted even if quota appears to be available.

To further validate, you can check the SKU availability and any associated restrictions using the Azure CLI:

az vm list-skus \
 --resource-type virtualMachines \
 --all \
 --query "[?name=='Standard_B1s'].{
     Name: name,
     Locations: locations,
     Restrictions: restrictions
 }" \
 --output json

In the output, if you see ReasonCode: "NotAvailableForSubscription" then you won't be able to create VM in region

User's image

In the output, if you see "ReasonCode": "NotAvailableForSubscription", it confirms that the VM size is restricted for your subscription.

As a workaround, you may try deploying the B-series VM in a different region where the SKU might be available.

Additionally, please note that the original B-series (Bv1) VM family is considered a previous-generation offering with limited capacity. Due to this, availability may be restricted across certain subscriptions and regions.

As an alternative, you may consider using newer VM sizes such as Bsv2, Dsv5, or Esv5, depending on your workload requirements.

Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/sizes/previous-gen-sizes-list?

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/sizes/general-purpose/bsv2-series?tabs=sizebasic

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/troubleshooting/error-sku-not-available?tabs=azure-cli

Azure subscription and service limits, quotas, and constraints

Hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any queries in comments

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  1. AI answer

    2026-04-17T03:41:12.29+00:00

    The B1s VM size being NotAvailableForSubscription while using an Azure for Students subscription is typically due to SKU availability or subscription restrictions, even if quota is still available.

    Key points and actions:

    1. SKU not available in the selected region
      Even when quota exists, a specific VM size might not be offered for a given subscription in a particular region. In that case, the portal/ARM returns NotAvailableForSubscription and the size won’t appear in the list.
      Use a different region where B‑series is available, or select another size that is available in the current region. Azure documents that when a VM size is not available in a region or for a subscription, the solution is to:
      • Choose a region where the desired VM size is available, or
      • Select a different VM size that is available in the desired region.
    2. Check availability by region
      Azure VM sizes are not uniformly available in all regions. Use the “Products available by region” page to confirm that B‑series (specifically B1s) is available in the region being used. If it is not, switch to a region where it is listed as available.
    3. Free/education subscription limitations
      Azure for Students is a sponsored (non‑paid) offer. Some capacity‑related features (like Capacity Reservations and certain reservation products) are explicitly unavailable to sponsored accounts. While the documentation in context calls this out for Capacity Reservations, the same underlying capacity and SKU policies can result in some VM sizes not being offered to specific subscription types in specific regions, even if a classmate with a different subscription or region can deploy them.
    4. Use the Free services page to stay within free limits
      When deploying under a free/credit‑based offer, use the Free services page in the Azure portal to create VMs. This ensures that free‑tier‑eligible sizes and configurations are selected where available. If B1s does not appear there for the chosen region, it indicates it is not available for that subscription/region combination.
    5. If the size is still missing across regions
      If B1s cannot be selected in any region even though the subscription is active and has quota, this indicates a backend restriction on that subscription. In that case, open a free billing/support request from the Azure portal so support can check subscription flags and regional capacity for that SKU and, if possible, correct the restriction.

    Summary of practical steps:

    • Try creating the VM in another region known to support B‑series.
    • If still unavailable, choose another free‑eligible size from the Free services page.
    • If neither works, contact Azure support (billing/support request) to review subscription‑specific restrictions.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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