migrate fortigate VM NGFW license to physical device

[Suriotai]

Hi everyone,
I’m currently running a FortiGate VM NGFW and considering a move to a physical FortiGate appliance for performance and reliability reasons. I’d like to know if there’s any supported method to migrate or transfer my existing VM license to a physical device.
From what I understand, Fortinet licenses are tied to the device type (VM vs. hardware), but I’m hoping someone here has experience with this kind of transition. Is there any workaround, trade-in program, or support path that allows reusing the VM license on a physical unit?
Any insights, official guidance, or personal experience would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[ede_pfau]

I'm sorry to say that a FGT-VM is not elegible in the Trade-Up program. You will have to choose your hardware 'from scratch'.

At least, chances are good that you can reuse the config after some slight modifications like changes in port names.

With Fortigates, it is crucial to right-size the hardware. As proxy services now are restricted to 4 GB RAM models, if that is important for you, you should look out to higher-ups models starting at 70F. All smaller models only feature 2 GB RAM which will run a modern FortiOS but with restricted features.

[Debbie_FTNT]

Hey Suriotai,

the VM licence itself is definitely not transferable, as ede_pfau already mentioned. You can reuse large parts of the configuration (with some modification for interface names), and licences like FortiToken (if you purchased before August 2025) can be transferred.

I would suggest you reach out to a Fortinet Partner or Sales representative to see what parts of your licences/configuration you can migrate, and what sort of offer they can make you.

Cheers,

Debbie

[Suriotai]

Thanks so much for the clear and helpful insights!
I had a feeling the VM license wouldn’t be transferable, but it’s good to have that confirmed. I’ll definitely look into the 70F and above models to make sure I don’t run into RAM-related limitations—proxy services are pretty important in my setup.
Also great to know that FortiToken licenses might be transferable if purchased before August 2025. I’ll check my purchase dates and reach out to Fortinet support or a partner to explore what can be reused and what offers might be available.
Appreciate the heads-up on config reuse too—I'll prep for interface name changes and any feature adjustments based on the hardware.
Thanks again for the guidance. This really helps me plan the transition more confidently!