> ## 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.

# How to get the Gemini API in Russia: no VPN, no foreign card

> Google AI Studio and the Gemini API are not available in Russia. How to use Gemini through RuAPI in three steps: sign up, top up with USDT / USDC or a Visa / Mastercard card, create a key — and call Gemini from Russia without a VPN.

**Short answer:** Google does not offer the Gemini API or Google AI Studio in Russia — if you open AI Studio from there, you are told it is not available in your region. The simplest working option is to call Gemini models through the RuAPI gateway: sign up, top up your balance (USDT / USDC or Visa / Mastercard), create a key and set the base URL in your code to `https://www.ruapi.ai/v1`. No VPN or foreign card required.

## Why direct access doesn't work from Russia

Google publishes a list of the countries and territories where the Gemini API and Google AI Studio are available. **Russia is not on that list.** Users in regions that are not listed see the message *"Google AI Studio is not available in your region"* when they open AI Studio.

<Note>
  Source: the [Available regions](https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/available-regions) page on Google AI for Developers (last updated 28 April 2026, checked by us on 11 October 2026). The list may change — check that page for the current status.
</Note>

## Your options

| Option | Works from Russia? | Main obstacle |
| - | - | - |
| Google AI Studio / Gemini API directly | No | Google's regional restriction |
| Google Cloud (Vertex AI) | Difficult | Requires a Google Cloud account and a working payment method; setup is geared towards companies |
| VPN + foreign account | Not recommended | Unstable connection; may violate Google's terms of use, with a risk of account suspension |
| An API gateway (e.g. RuAPI) | Yes | — reachable from Russia directly, pay with crypto or an international card, one key for every model |

## Connecting through RuAPI in 3 steps

<Steps>
  <Step title="Sign up">
    Go to [www.ruapi.ai](https://www.ruapi.ai) and sign up with your email — or sign in with one click via Google or Yandex.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Top up your balance">
    In **Wallet**, top up with **USDT / USDC** (TRC20 / BEP20 / Polygon) or a **Visa / Mastercard** card; the minimum is \$5. Your first top-up balance is spent at a discounted rate, so it goes about 8% further. No USDT yet? Here's [how to buy USDT with rubles](/en/buy-usdt).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create an API key">
    In the Console, open **API Keys** and click **Create API key**, then copy the key (it starts with `sk-...`).
  </Step>
</Steps>

Connection settings:

* **base URL:** `https://www.ruapi.ai/v1` (OpenAI-compatible format)
* **model:** e.g. `gemini-3.8-flash`
* **API key:** the key from step 3

## Example request

You don't need a separate Google library — any OpenAI SDK will do:

<CodeGroup>
  ```python Python (OpenAI SDK) theme={null}
  from openai import OpenAI

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

  response = client.chat.completions.create(
      model="gemini-3.8-flash",
      messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hi! Tell me briefly about yourself."}],
  )
  print(response.choices[0].message.content)
  ```

  ```bash curl theme={null}
  curl https://www.ruapi.ai/v1/chat/completions \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer sk-YOUR_KEY" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d '{
      "model": "gemini-3.8-flash",
      "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hi! Tell me briefly about yourself."}]
    }'
  ```
</CodeGroup>

### Already using the Google GenAI SDK?

The same key also works with Google's native format — just change the address. Set the SDK's base URL **without** `/v1beta` (the SDK adds it):

<CodeGroup>
  ```python Python (google-genai) theme={null}
  from google import genai

  client = genai.Client(
      api_key="sk-YOUR_KEY",
      http_options={"base_url": "https://www.ruapi.ai"},
  )

  response = client.models.generate_content(
      model="gemini-3.8-flash",
      contents="Hi! Tell me briefly about yourself.",
  )
  print(response.text)
  ```

  ```bash curl theme={null}
  curl "https://www.ruapi.ai/v1beta/models/gemini-3.8-flash:generateContent" \
    -H "x-goog-api-key: sk-YOUR_KEY" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d '{ "contents": [{ "parts": [{ "text": "Hi! Tell me briefly about yourself." }] }] }'
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Which Gemini model to choose

| Model | When to use it |
| - | - |
| **Flash** (e.g. `gemini-3.8-flash`) | The all-rounder: chatbots, assistants, everyday workloads |
| **Flash-Lite** (e.g. `gemini-3.5-flash-lite`) | High volume, classification, tagging — faster and cheaper |
| **Pro** (e.g. `gemini-2.5-pro`) | Complex code, reasoning, analysing large documents |

Image generation (`gemini-2.5-flash-image` and others) is covered in the [image generation](/en/image-generation) guide. For the full lineup, see the [Gemini API](/en/gemini-api) overview. Exact current model names and prices are on the [Pricing](https://www.ruapi.ai/pricing) page.

## Payment and billing

* Pay as you go, no subscription. Unused balance [never expires](/en/legal/refund).
* One key gives you every model: Gemini, Claude, GPT, DeepSeek and more.
* How each request is priced: [Pricing and balance usage](/en/pricing).

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Do I need a VPN?">
    No. The RuAPI website and API are reachable from Russia directly.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is this Google's official API?">
    No. RuAPI is an independent API gateway, not an official Google partner or reseller. Through the gateway you reach the same Gemini models via an OpenAI-compatible or the native protocol.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I pay with a Russian bank card?">
    We currently accept international Visa / Mastercard cards, as well as USDT and USDC. If you don't have a suitable card, you can buy USDT with rubles — here's a [step-by-step guide](/en/buy-usdt).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do you store the content of my requests?">
    No. We do not store, log or analyse your prompts or the models' responses — see our [Privacy Policy](/en/legal/privacy).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I use Gemini in Cursor, Cline or n8n?">
    Yes — in any tool that supports an OpenAI-compatible API: set the base URL to `https://www.ruapi.ai/v1`, add your key and the model name. Step-by-step guides: [Cline](/en/integrations/cline), [Cursor](/en/integrations/cursor), [n8n](/en/integrations/n8n), [Open WebUI](/en/integrations/open-webui).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="AI Studio says &#x22;Google AI Studio is not available in your region&#x22;. What now?">
    That's Google's regional restriction. You don't need AI Studio to use RuAPI: get a key in the RuAPI console and call Gemini as shown above.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quickstart" icon="bolt" href="/en/quickstart">
    Sign up, get a key and send your first request in 5 minutes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Gemini models overview" icon="sparkles" href="/en/gemini-api">
    The lineup, long context, multimodality.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Image generation" icon="image" href="/en/image-generation">
    Gemini Image and GPT Image — code examples.
  </Card>

  <Card title="How to buy USDT with rubles" icon="ruble-sign" href="/en/buy-usdt">
    SBP, Sberbank, T-Bank — three ways.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>


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