> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ruapi.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Gemini API key in Russia: where to get one and how

> Where to get a Gemini API key from Russia: why Google AI Studio doesn't issue keys in Russia, what's risky about the workarounds, and how to get a RuAPI key for Gemini 4 Argon, Gemini 3.1 Pro and Nano Banana Pro in 5 minutes — for the OpenAI SDK and the Google GenAI SDK, paid in USDT.

**Short answer:** a Gemini API key is normally created in Google AI Studio, but Russia is not on the list of countries where the Gemini API and AI Studio are available — from Russia it shows "not available in your region". Workarounds through a VPN, someone else's account or a bought key are unreliable. The working option is a RuAPI key: it works with Gemini models in both the regular OpenAI SDK and the Google GenAI SDK, you top up in USDT from 5 USDT, and no VPN is needed.

## Where people get a Gemini key and what works from Russia

| Option | Works from Russia? | What gets in the way |
| - | - | - |
| A key in Google AI Studio | No | Russia is not on the list of countries where the Gemini API and AI Studio are available |
| Google Cloud (Vertex AI) | Difficult | Requires a Google Cloud account and a working payment method; setup is geared towards companies |
| VPN and a foreign account | Not recommended | Unstable connection; using the service from an unsupported country may violate Google's terms, with a risk of the account being blocked |
| A "ready-made key" from a marketplace or Telegram | Until it gets disabled | The key is tied to someone else's account: it can be disabled at any moment, along with the balance you paid for |
| **RuAPI key** | **Yes, without a VPN** | No Google Cloud account needed; the balance is yours and visible in the Console |

> [!NOTE]
>
> The country list is on the [Available regions](https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/available-regions) page on ai.google.dev (updated 28 April 2026, checked 22 October 2026). The list may change.

## How to get a key for Gemini in 5 minutes

**1. Sign up**

Sign up at [www.ruapi.ai](https://www.ruapi.ai/?lng=en\&utm_source=docs\&utm_campaign=en-gemini-api-key-russia) — with email, Google or Yandex.

**2. Top up**

Console → **Wallet**: USDT or USDC (TRC20 / BEP20 / Polygon), from 5 USDT. No USDT yet? [Buy it with rubles via SBP (Faster Payments System)](/en/buy-usdt.md). Cards from foreign banks (Visa / Mastercard) are accepted too; cards from Russian banks, including Mir, are not.

**3. Key**

Console → **API Keys** → **Create API key** — you'll get an `sk-...` string.

**4. Connect**

The key works in the OpenAI-compatible format and in Google's native format — pick the one your code is written for.

```python OpenAI SDK theme={null}
from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    api_key="sk-your-RuAPI-key",
    base_url="https://www.ruapi.ai/v1",
)

resp = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="gemini-4-argon",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}],
)
print(resp.choices[0].message.content)
```

```python Google GenAI SDK theme={null}
from google import genai

client = genai.Client(
    api_key="sk-your-RuAPI-key",
    http_options={"base_url": "https://www.ruapi.ai"},  # no /v1beta
)

response = client.models.generate_content(
    model="gemini-4-argon",
    contents="Hello!",
)
print(response.text)
```

```bash curl (Google format) theme={null}
curl "https://www.ruapi.ai/v1beta/models/gemini-4-argon:generateContent" \
  -H "x-goog-api-key: sk-your-RuAPI-key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ "contents": [{ "parts": [{ "text": "Hello!" }] }] }'
```

If your code is already written for the Google GenAI SDK, only the key and the address change. The same key works in apps with an OpenAI-compatible API — [Cherry Studio](/en/integrations/cherry-studio.md), [Cline](/en/integrations/cline.md), [n8n](/en/integrations/n8n.md): set the address to `https://www.ruapi.ai/v1`.

## Which Gemini models are available and what they cost

| Model | Input | Output | What it's for |
| - | - | - | - |
| `gemini-4-argon` | \$2.40 | \$12 | Google's flagship for reasoning: complex code, analysis, long documents |
| `gemini-3.1-pro-preview`, prompt up to 200,000 tokens | \$2.40 | \$14.40 | Complex tasks and long context |
| `gemini-3.1-pro-preview`, prompt over 200,000 tokens | \$4.80 | \$21.60 | |
| `gemini-3.5-flash-lite` | \$0.36 | \$3 | High volume, classification — fast and cheap |

Prices per 1M tokens on the pricing page as of 23 October 2026; the price in your account may be lower.

* **Gemini 4 Argon:** Google's limited-time price is in effect until 30 November 2026. From 1 December 2026 the price doubles: \$4.80 for input and \$24 for output ([model updates](/en/changelog.md)).
* **Gemini 3.1 Pro:** two tiers, just like at Google: if the prompt is longer than 200,000 tokens, the whole request is billed at the higher tier.
* **Images:** Nano Banana Pro (`gemini-3-pro-image-preview`) is billed per call — \$0.24 each; Nano Banana 2 (`gemini-3.1-flash-image`) is billed by tokens. Examples are in the [image generation guide](/en/image-generation.md).

There's no subscription: you pay only for the tokens you use. All Gemini models and prices are on the [Gemini API in Russia](https://www.ruapi.ai/gemini-api?lng=en\&utm_source=docs\&utm_campaign=en-gemini-api-key-russia) page.

## FAQ

> **Can I get a Gemini API key for free?**
>
> In supported countries, AI Studio has free limits, but it isn't available from Russia. Through RuAPI, Gemini requests are paid — pay as you go, no subscription, top-ups from 5 USDT. We usually give new users \$0.05 right away to try deepseek-flash; Gemini models unlock after your first top-up.

> **Can a RuAPI key replace a key from AI Studio?**
>
> Yes. In the Google GenAI SDK, set your RuAPI key and the address `https://www.ruapi.ai` — without `/v1beta`, the SDK adds it itself. In curl requests, the key goes in the `x-goog-api-key` header. A key from AI Studio doesn't work with the RuAPI address — you need a RuAPI key.

> **Do I need a VPN?**
>
> No. The RuAPI website and API are reachable from Russia directly.

> **Can I pay with a Russian card?**
>
> Cards from Russian banks, including Mir, are not accepted. USDT and USDC work — you can buy them with rubles via SBP — as does a Visa / Mastercard card from a foreign bank.

> **Is this Google's official API?**
>
> No. RuAPI is an independent API gateway, not an official Google partner. Through the gateway, you reach the same Gemini models from Google — with no model substitution and no quality cuts.

## Next steps

> **[Gemini API in Russia: prices](https://www.ruapi.ai/gemini-api?lng=en\&utm_source=docs\&utm_campaign=en-gemini-api-key-russia)**
>
> Models, prices, comparison with direct access.

> **[Google AI Studio in Russia](/en/google-ai-studio-russia.md)**
>
> Why it doesn't open and how to chat with Gemini instead.

> **[Gemini model overview](/en/gemini-api.md)**
>
> The lineup, long context, multimodality.

> **[How to buy USDT with rubles](/en/buy-usdt.md)**
>
> Crypto Bot, Bybit P2P or an exchanger — three ways.


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.