Title Unable to activate Azure for Students benefits due to China billing region, cannot switch account

Question

I tried to activate my Azure benefits using a Microsoft account whose billing region is set to China. During activation I received a message that this benefit is not available for accounts with a China billing region.

The problem now is that I don’t see any way to change the billing region for this account, nor a way to “go back” and associate the benefit with a different Azure/Microsoft account that is eligible (for example, with a U.S. billing region).

Could you please advise:

• Is there any way to change the billing region on my existing account so that I can use the benefit?
• If not, how can I release/reset this benefit so I can activate it with another eligible Azure account instead?
• If this cannot be done by users, which support channel should I contact to resolve this?

Thank you for your help.

Answer 1

Changing the billing region for an existing Azure account is not supported. However, you can create a new account in a different country or region and then contact Azure support to transfer your subscription to the new account. This would allow you to activate your Azure for Students benefits with an account that has a billing region eligible for those benefits.

To release or reset the benefit so you can activate it with another eligible Azure account, you would need to contact Microsoft support directly, as this process cannot be done by users themselves. You can reach out to Azure support through the Azure portal or other support channels provided by Microsoft.

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References:

• Troubleshoot issues when you sign up for a new account in the Azure portal
• Change your Azure subscription to a different offer