Starting with the July 14, 2026 Extended Security Update period for SQL Server 2016, migrating a workload to an Azure VM no longer provides free access to Extended Security Updates for SQL Server 2016. See the following documentation:
- Changes to SQL Server 2016 ESUs
Starting with SQL Server 2016 (13.x), migrating your workload to SQL Server on Azure VMs no longer provides free access to ESUs for SQL Server 2016 (13.x) instances.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/sql-server/end-of-support/sql-server-extended-security-updates?view=sql-server-ver17&tabs=sql-vm#changes-to-sql-server-2016-esus - Changes to SQL Server 2016 ESUs
Starting with SQL Server 2016 (13.x), ESUs are available through a paid subscription. Migrating to SQL Server on Azure VMs no longer provides free access to ESUs for SQL Server 2016 (13.x) instances.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/extended-security-updates-sql-vm
Retroactive billing for “missed months” of Extended Security Updates
Additionally, customers that enroll in Extended Security Updates after the end of support date for the product, they will be billed a one-time upfront charge for the months they missed after the end of support date, with billing coming in at the end of the month. For example, if a SQL Server 2016 customer enrolls in January 2027, they will receive a one-time back-bill for July, August, September, October, November, and December 2026 during their first month. See the following documentation:
- Back-billing for sign-ups after the end of support dates
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/faq/sql-server-extended-security-updates#back-billing-for-sign-ups-after-the-end-of-support-dates
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