NAV 2009 to Dynamics 365 Business Central License Upgrade

BhavnaBeedasee

Good Day everybody,

I am actually using NAV 2009 R2 version at my company and I am planning to move to the latest version of Dynamics 365 Business Central.

I would therefore like to understand how Microsoft converts my existing NAV 2009 BRL License when I upgrade same to Dynamics 365 Business Central.

I currently have the following license model:

410 Additional BRL Business Essentials Users
410 Additional BRL Business Essentials Users - Limited Upgrade

If anybody has done same in the past, please share your experience.

Thanks and Regards

Bhavna

Jaska

I think you first need to check with your partner on record if the NAV 2009 license is under active AEP(Annual Enhancement Plan).

If it is, you will be entitled to a Business Central license for free. But, you will get the BC v14 likely first since you will be upgrading from NAV 2009. BC v14 is the transitional platform from NAV to BC that can't be avoided for upgrades. After that, you could move on to higher versions.

If not, you will need to pay up all the over due AEP payments + 16% penalty to get the license back on track. From there, you could get a free Business Central license I think.

That was what I remembered years ago and things might have changed.

Kowa

Basic information can be found here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/get-started/license-transition. Your partner can also download a partner-confidential PDF here: https://mbs2.microsoft.com/fileexchange/?fileID=5c55b58d-86cc-4811-96dc-4439f80915b7 . The transition period is 180 days by default, but you can extend that to 3 years when the new license is configured.

Andrewalwin69

When moving from NAV 2009 R2 to Dynamics 365 Business Central, the license doesn’t convert 1:1. Microsoft typically transitions customers to the new subscription-based model, so your existing BRL license is mapped based on functionality, not exact user counts.

A few key points:

• Old concurrent users → named users (Essentials / Premium)
• “Additional users” don’t directly carry over. They are re-evaluated under BC licensing
• The Limited Upgrade usually gives some transition benefits, but not full equivalence
• Final mapping depends on your enhancement plan status and Microsoft/partner agreement

In real projects, most companies:

• Reassess actual user needs (often reduce unused licenses)
• Move to a mix of full users + team member licenses
• Treat it as a license optimization step, not just migration

Best approach is to involve your Microsoft partner early. They can run a proper licensing assessment and avoid overpaying during the move.

In short, expect a restructuring of licenses, not a direct conversion.