Error: Business account is restricted from messaging users in this country

You may encounter the following WhatsApp error when attempting to send messages:

“Business account is restricted from messaging users in this country.”

This restriction is related to recent changes in WhatsApp’s cross-country messaging policies and is not caused by an issue with your account setup or platform configuration.

Screenshot

Why This Error Occurs

Effective September 15, WhatsApp implemented a temporary restriction on cross-country messaging involving Brazil (BR) and Indonesia (ID).

Due to this policy update:

• Businesses located outside Brazil or Indonesia

  • Cannot send WhatsApp messages to users located in Brazil or Indonesia.

• Businesses located within Brazil or Indonesia

  • Can only message users within the same country.

  • Cannot send messages to users in other regions.

This restriction applies to all WhatsApp Business accounts and is enforced directly by WhatsApp (Meta).

What Is Not Affected

• Messaging within the same country (Brazil → Brazil, Indonesia → Indonesia) continues to work as expected.

• Receiving messages from users is not impacted by this restriction.

• Your WhatsApp account status, templates, quality rating, and balance remain unchanged.

Can This Restriction Be Removed?

At this time, this is a WhatsApp-imposed limitation, and there is no workaround or override available from our side. We recommend monitoring official WhatsApp (Meta) announcements for any updates or changes to this policy.

What You Can Do Next

• Ensure your messaging use cases align with the country-based restrictions.

• If your business operates globally, consider:

  • Using separate WhatsApp Business accounts per region, where applicable.

  • Leveraging alternative communication channels for cross-country outreach.