diff --git a/plugins/module_utils/network/ios/argspec/bgp_address_family/bgp_address_family.py b/plugins/module_utils/network/ios/argspec/bgp_address_family/bgp_address_family.py
index 0ccb3b0dd..c49d4f007 100644
--- a/plugins/module_utils/network/ios/argspec/bgp_address_family/bgp_address_family.py
+++ b/plugins/module_utils/network/ios/argspec/bgp_address_family/bgp_address_family.py
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ class Bgp_address_familyArgs(object):  # pylint: disable=R0903
                                     "type": "dict",
                                     "options": {
                                         "set": {"type": "bool"},
-                                        "number": {"type": "int"},
+                                        "number": {"type": "str"},
                                         "dual_as": {"type": "bool"},
                                         "no_prepend": {
                                             "type": "dict",
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@ class Bgp_address_familyArgs(object):  # pylint: disable=R0903
                                         "out": {"type": "bool"},
                                     },
                                 },
-                                "remote_as": {"type": "int"},
+                                "remote_as": {"type": "str"},
                                 "remove_private_as": {
                                     "type": "dict",
                                     "options": {
diff --git a/plugins/module_utils/network/ios/config/bgp_address_family/bgp_address_family.py b/plugins/module_utils/network/ios/config/bgp_address_family/bgp_address_family.py
index b4ee6e241..f464a5a9f 100644
--- a/plugins/module_utils/network/ios/config/bgp_address_family/bgp_address_family.py
+++ b/plugins/module_utils/network/ios/config/bgp_address_family/bgp_address_family.py
@@ -353,6 +353,12 @@ def _bgp_add_fam_list_to_dict(self, tmp_data):
                         # slow_peer to slow_peer_options
                         if neib.get("slow_peer"):  # only one slow_peer is allowed
                             neib["slow_peer_options"] = neib.pop("slow_peer")[0]
+                        # we can skip deprecating these by handling the int to str conversion here
+                        # int to float is not considered considering the size of as numbers
+                        if neib.get("remote_as"):
+                            neib["remote_as"] = str(neib.get("remote_as"))
+                        if neib.get("local_as") and neib.get("local_as", {}).get("number"):
+                            neib["local_as"]["number"] = str(neib["local_as"]["number"])
                         # make dict neighbors dict
                         tmp[neib[p_key[k]]] = neib
                     _af["neighbors"] = tmp
diff --git a/plugins/modules/ios_bgp_address_family.py b/plugins/modules/ios_bgp_address_family.py
index 9c1b49fcc..d0de4c70f 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/ios_bgp_address_family.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/ios_bgp_address_family.py
@@ -591,7 +591,7 @@
                     description:
                       - AS number used as local AS
                       - Please refer vendor documentation for valid values
-                    type: int
+                    type: str
                   dual_as:
                     description: Accept either real AS or local AS from the ebgp peer
                     type: bool
@@ -769,7 +769,7 @@
                 description:
                   - Specify a BGP neighbor
                   - AS of remote neighbor
-                type: int
+                type: str
               remove_private_as:
                 description: Remove private AS number from outbound updates
                 type: dict
diff --git a/tests/unit/modules/network/ios/test_ios_bgp_address_family.py b/tests/unit/modules/network/ios/test_ios_bgp_address_family.py
index ce88f0e72..259da5ece 100644
--- a/tests/unit/modules/network/ios/test_ios_bgp_address_family.py
+++ b/tests/unit/modules/network/ios/test_ios_bgp_address_family.py
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ def test_ios_bgp_address_family_merged(self):
                             neighbors=[
                                 dict(
                                     neighbor_address="198.51.100.1",
-                                    remote_as=65100,
+                                    remote_as="65.11",
                                     route_maps=[dict(name="test-route-out", out="true")],
                                     prefix_lists=[dict(name="AS65100-PREFIX-OUT", out="true")],
                                 ),
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ def test_ios_bgp_address_family_merged(self):
             "bgp aggregate-timer 20",
             "bgp dmzlink-bw",
             "bgp scan-time 10",
-            "neighbor 198.51.100.1 remote-as 65100",
+            "neighbor 198.51.100.1 remote-as 65.11",
             "neighbor 198.51.100.1 route-map test-route-out out",
             "network 192.0.1.1 route-map test_route",
             "default-metric 10",
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ def test_ios_bgp_address_family_merged_idempotent(self):
               network 198.51.110.10 mask 255.255.255.255 backdoor
               aggregate-address 192.0.2.1 255.255.255.255 as-confed-set
               neighbor 198.51.100.1 remote-as 10
-              neighbor 198.51.100.1 local-as 20
+              neighbor 198.51.100.1 local-as 10.64760
               neighbor 198.51.100.1 activate
               neighbor 198.51.100.1 next-hop-self all
               neighbor 198.51.100.1 aigp send cost-community 100 poi igp-cost transitive
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ def test_ios_bgp_address_family_merged_idempotent(self):
                                             },
                                         },
                                     },
-                                    "local_as": {"number": 20, "set": True},
+                                    "local_as": {"number": "10.64760", "set": True},
                                     "neighbor_address": "198.51.100.1",
                                     "nexthop_self": {"all": True},
                                     "prefix_lists": [{"name": "AS65100-PREFIX-OUT", "out": True}],
@@ -1163,8 +1163,8 @@ def test_ios_bgp_address_family_parsed(self):
                     ],
                     "neighbors": [
                         {
-                            "remote_as": 10,
-                            "local_as": {"set": True, "number": 20},
+                            "remote_as": "10",
+                            "local_as": {"set": True, "number": "20"},
                             "activate": True,
                             "neighbor_address": "198.51.100.1",
                             "nexthop_self": {"all": True},