Last updated: 27 September 2026
Microsoft runs two UK cloud regions: UK South, based in and around London, and UK West, based in Cardiff. Together they host Azure services and store Microsoft 365 customer data for UK organisations.
Is my Microsoft 365 data stored in the UK?
For organisations that set up Microsoft 365 with a UK billing address, Microsoft stores core customer data at rest in its UK datacentres. This covers Exchange Online mailboxes, SharePoint Online and OneDrive files, and Microsoft Teams chats. You can check where your data is held in the Microsoft 365 admin centre under Settings > Org settings > Organization profile > Data location.
Why does UK data residency matter?
- Compliance: keeping personal data in the UK simplifies UK GDPR obligations and answers a common question from clients, insurers and procurement teams.
- Resilience: two UK regions allow data to be replicated between London and Cardiff for business continuity.
- Performance: services hosted in the UK usually respond faster for UK users.
What about Azure?
When you create Azure resources, such as virtual machines, backups or databases, you choose the region. Selecting UK South or UK West keeps those resources in the UK. Some global services may process data elsewhere, so check Microsoft’s documentation for each service.
ABCOM can confirm where your data is held and set up Microsoft 365 and Azure to meet your compliance needs. See our managed IT services or contact our team.
Need to prove to a client or insurer where your data is stored, or move to UK data residency? We can check your Microsoft 365 data location and set up the right compliance settings.
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