Additional Microsoft Entra services and features related to identity, access, and network security
The error interaction_required: AADSTS5000225: This tenant has been blocked due to inactivity means the Microsoft Entra (Azure AD) tenant is in an inactive, blocked state and sign-ins are no longer allowed.
Key points and actions:
- Reason for the error
- The tenant has been marked inactive and blocked due to lack of usage and/or billing inactivity.
- When a tenant is blocked for inactivity, all sign-ins to that tenant fail with AADSTS5000225.
- Time limit before permanent deletion
- After the tenant is blocked for inactivity, there is a 20‑day window during which it can still be reactivated.
- If the tenant remains inactive for more than 20 days after being blocked, it is permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.
- If the tenant has been blocked for less than 20 days (reactivation path)
- A tenant administrator must contact Microsoft support to request reactivation:
- Use the global support phone numbers listed in the documentation.
- Do not open multiple support cases for the same issue; wait for the decision on the existing case.
- A tenant administrator must contact Microsoft support to request reactivation:
- If the tenant has been blocked for more than 20 days
- The tenant is deleted and cannot be restored.
- In this case, a new tenant must be created if continued use of Azure/Microsoft Entra is required.
- Additional behaviors seen in Q&A scenarios
- Some users with recently created free accounts have seen this error and were able to:
- Sign in via
https://signup.azure.comand complete/upgrade their subscription to a pay‑as‑you‑go account, which restored access. - Or sign in directly to the tenant using a URL that includes the tenant ID or tenant name, for example
https://portal.azure.com/<TenantId>orhttps://portal.azure.com/<yourTenantName>.onmicrosoft.com, then open a support ticket if they have a paid support-eligible subscription.
- Sign in via
- If the original tenant truly is beyond the 20‑day window and deleted, creating a new tenant and working from there is the remaining option.
- Some users with recently created free accounts have seen this error and were able to:
In summary, this error indicates a blocked, inactive tenant. If within 20 days of being blocked, a tenant admin must contact Microsoft to request reactivation; after 20 days, the tenant is permanently deleted and a new tenant is required.
References:
- Tenant inaccessible due to inactivity
- Error message: interaction_required: AADSTS5000225: This tenant has been blocked due to inactivity - Microsoft Q&A
- 7 Day Old Azure Account: AADSTS5000225: This tenant has been blocked due to inactivity. - Microsoft Q&A
- Error message: AADSTS5000225: This tenant has been blocked due to inactivity. - Microsoft Q&A