Gemini API: “User location is not supported for the API use” — what it means and how to fix it

Short answer: this error is returned by Google itself when a request to the Gemini API comes from a place that isn’t on its list of regions. What gets checked is the address the request came from, not the key: a new key or a new project won’t help. For the error to go away, the request has to reach Google from an address other than yours. That’s exactly how it works with a RuAPI key: you change the key and the address in your code, and the Gemini models stay the same — no VPN needed.

What the error looks like

{
  "error": {
    "code": 400,
    "message": "User location is not supported for the API use.",
    "status": "FAILED_PRECONDITION"
  }
}

In the SDK it comes as an exception with code 400 and the same text: User location is not supported for the API use.

Why it happens

Google checks where the request came from. If the address belongs to a region that isn’t on the Available regions for Google AI Studio and Gemini API list, the request is rejected before it reaches the model.
The error also happens on servers in supported countries. This is reported on Google’s developer forum (example).
A VPN is an unreliable workaround. Google blocks many VPN addresses too, and keeping a server running a program that needs Gemini behind a VPN is inconvenient.

What you can do

Situation	What to do
The server is in a supported country, but the error still appears	Check where the server’s address is detected (`curl ipinfo.io`), change the cloud region or the internet egress
You yourself are in a region that isn’t on Google’s list	Connect Gemini via RuAPI — steps below
Your code is already written for google-genai	Don’t rewrite anything: the same RuAPI key works in Google’s format too; only `api_key` and `base_url` change

How to connect Gemini via RuAPI

Top up

Console → Wallet: USDT or USDC (TRC20 / BEP20 / Polygon; USDT also on TON), from 5 USDT. No USDT yet? Buy it with rubles via SBP (Faster Payments System). Cards from foreign banks (Visa / Mastercard) are accepted too.

Key

Console → API Keys → Create API key — you’ll get an sk-... string.

Update your code

Change the key and the address — the rest of the code stays as it was.

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-3.8-flash",
    contents="Hello!",
)
print(response.text)

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-3.8-flash",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}],
)
print(resp.choices[0].message.content)

curl "https://www.ruapi.ai/v1beta/models/gemini-3.8-flash:generateContent" \
  -H "x-goog-api-key: sk-your-RuAPI-key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ "contents": [{ "parts": [{ "text": "Hello!" }] }] }'

Which Gemini model to choose (Argon, Flash, Flash-Lite, Pro) is covered in the Gemini API guide.

FAQ

Will a new key or a new project in AI Studio help?

No. Google checks not the key but the address the request came from. From the same address, a new key will get the same error.

Is this the same error as “not available in your region” in AI Studio?

The cause is the same; only the place differs: in AI Studio it’s a message on the page, in the API it’s a 400 response. There’s a separate article about AI Studio: Google AI Studio: not available in your region.

Is this the original Gemini?

Yes. These are Google’s original models — gemini-4-argon, gemini-3.8-flash and others — with no substitution and no quality cuts.

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Gemini API: “User location is not supported for the API use” — what it means and how to fix it

What the error looks like

Why it happens

What you can do

How to connect Gemini via RuAPI

FAQ

Next steps

Gemini API without a VPN

RuAPI error codes