---
slug: "azure-load-balancer-inbound-nat-pools-retirement"
title: "Azure Load Balancer: Inbound NAT pools retirement"
summary: "Retirement date for Inbound NAT pools in Azure Load Balancer (port forwarding to Virtual Machine Scale Set instances): 30 Sep 2027. New Inbound NAT pools cannot be created from November 15, 2026. Single-VM Inbound NAT rules version 1 are not affected."
cloud: "azure"
service: "Azure Load Balancer"
service_slug: "load-balancer"
category: "feature"
type: "retirement"
announced_date: "2026-06-11"
effective_date: "2027-09-30"
effective_precision: "day"
replacement: "Inbound NAT rules version 2"
affected_versions: []
source_url: "https://azure.microsoft.com/updates?id=565482"
extra_source_urls: ["https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/load-balancer/load-balancer-nat-pool-migration"]
vendor_ref: "565482"
last_checked_at: "2026-11-12T09:55:19.345Z"
created_at: "2026-11-13T13:36:44.208Z"
updated_at: "2026-11-13T13:36:44.208Z"
url: "https://eolwatch.dev/items/azure-load-balancer-inbound-nat-pools-retirement"
short_url: "https://eolwatch.dev/i/7v"
markdown_url: "https://eolwatch.dev/items/azure-load-balancer-inbound-nat-pools-retirement.md"
json_url: "https://eolwatch.dev/items/azure-load-balancer-inbound-nat-pools-retirement.json"
---

# Azure Load Balancer: Inbound NAT pools retirement

Retirement date for Inbound NAT pools in Azure Load Balancer (port forwarding to Virtual Machine Scale Set instances): 30 Sep 2027. New Inbound NAT pools cannot be created from November 15, 2026. Single-VM Inbound NAT rules version 1 are not affected.

- Effective date: 30 Sep 2027
- Cloud: [Azure](https://eolwatch.dev/cloud/azure.md)
- Service: [Azure Load Balancer](https://eolwatch.dev/services/azure/load-balancer.md)
- Type: Retirement
- Category: [Feature](https://eolwatch.dev/categories/features.md)
- Replacement: Inbound NAT rules version 2
- Announced: 11 Jun 2026
- Official source: [azure.microsoft.com](https://azure.microsoft.com/updates?id=565482)
- Last checked: 12 Nov 2026

## What breaks

Inbound NAT pools in Azure Load Balancer, which forward ports to Virtual Machine Scale Set instances, are retired on 30 Sep 2027. Existing configuration continues to function until that date. Starting November 15, 2026, new Inbound NAT pools cannot be created. Inbound NAT rules version 1 that forward ports to a single virtual machine are not affected.

## What to do

Microsoft recommends that you [migrate to Inbound NAT rules version 2](https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/load-balancer/load-balancer-nat-pool-migration) in Azure Load Balancer by the retirement date.

## Replacement

Inbound NAT rules version 2

## Sources

- [Official source](https://azure.microsoft.com/updates?id=565482) (azure.microsoft.com, Official)
- [Additional source](https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/load-balancer/load-balancer-nat-pool-migration) (learn.microsoft.com, Official)

Last checked against the first source in this list on 12 Nov 2026.

Page: https://eolwatch.dev/items/azure-load-balancer-inbound-nat-pools-retirement | JSON: https://eolwatch.dev/items/azure-load-balancer-inbound-nat-pools-retirement.json

The text on this page is drafted with AI assistance from the vendor's text, checked against the official source and approved by a person before it is published.