Google announced a no-cost multicloud data-transfer service for EU and U.K. customers on September 10, 2025, two days before the EU Data Act began applying. That offer is separate from the Google Cloud Exit Program, which is for customers moving all Google Cloud workloads and data elsewhere and then ending their Google Cloud agreement. The EU law does not make all cloud egress charges illegal immediately: providers may still charge switching and egress costs during a transition period that ends January 12, 2027.
What Google announced—and what the Data Act requires
Google Cloud described Data Transfer Essentials as a no-cost solution for transfers between Google Cloud and other cloud service providers. The announcement was for EU and U.K. customers. It was made on September 10, 2025; the European Union Data Act began applying on September 12, 2025.
The announcement’s timing connects the offer to the Data Act, but the two should not be confused. Google’s service is a company offering; the Act sets switching obligations for providers of data-processing services, including cloud and edge services. The European Commission says providers must make switching clearer and easier, with requirements involving contract transparency, open interfaces, machine-readable exports, and removing obstacles to switching. See the Commission’s Data Act explainer.
When do EU cloud switching and egress charges end?
Not on the Act’s September 12, 2025 application date. The Commission describes a three-year transition during which providers may charge costs incurred for switching and data egress. From January 12, 2027, providers must no longer impose switching charges, including egress charges.
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This is an EU-wide legal timetable, not a claim that Google’s announcement itself changed every provider’s pricing. Nor does it mean a migration will be free of every cost: the rule concerns switching charges imposed by providers, while customers may still face other expenses associated with moving or operating services.
Data Transfer Essentials versus Google Cloud’s exit program
Google also documents a separate transfer program for customers leaving Google Cloud. Its Data Portability and Switching Procedures describe an exit transfer for customers migrating all Google Cloud workloads and data to another provider or an on-premises data center, then terminating their Google Cloud agreement.
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| Question | Data Transfer Essentials | Google Cloud exit transfer program |
|---|---|---|
| What is it for? | No-cost transfers between Google Cloud and other cloud providers, as described in Google’s September 10, 2025 announcement. | Moving all Google Cloud workloads and data to another provider or an on-premises data center, followed by termination of the Google Cloud agreement. |
| Who is it for? | Google announced it for EU and U.K. customers; the announcement does not establish the full eligibility rules. | Customers following Google’s published exit procedures. Google separately links EEA customers to its EU Data Act terms. |
| Must the customer terminate Google Cloud? | The announcement describes transfers between providers, not a requirement to terminate the Google Cloud agreement. | Yes. The documented program is tied to transferring all workloads and data and then terminating the agreement. |
| What steps are stated? | The announcement does not establish a full workflow or technical scope. | Submit an Exit Notice before contract termination, migrate within the defined Initiation Period, and submit a Completion Notice. |
These are not interchangeable offers. A customer shifting selected data between clouds should not assume the exit program applies; a customer planning a full departure should review the exit procedure rather than infer its steps from the Data Transfer Essentials announcement.
What customers should check before switching
- Define the move. Decide whether this is a transfer between providers or a complete Google Cloud exit that includes terminating the agreement.
- Confirm eligible services and data. Google’s current portability page lists products across areas such as compute, storage, databases, networking, analytics, and containers. Check the live list and technical procedures rather than assuming every product or dataset is covered. The page says it does not apply to Google Workspace.
- Read the contractual steps and timing. For a Google Cloud exit, follow the published notice, Initiation Period, and completion requirements before terminating the agreement.
- Plan for technical and operational work. The Data Act’s switching obligations do not make migration automatic. Export limits, residency considerations, interoperability, and the work of setting up services at the destination can affect a move.
- Check the applicable terms and geography. Google announced Data Transfer Essentials for EU and U.K. customers; its exit documentation separately points EEA customers to EU Data Act terms. Do not assume those geographic descriptions or terms are identical.
What the announcement does not establish
Google’s announcement gives the service’s broad purpose and no-cost positioning, but does not establish its complete technical scope, eligibility conditions, or transfer workflow. Customers should consult Google’s current service documentation for those details. The published exit procedure is more specific, but applies to a different situation: a full move away from Google Cloud followed by agreement termination.
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