OpenAI API: “unsupported_country_region_territory” (403) — what it means and how to fix it

Short answer: this error is returned by OpenAI itself when a request to the API comes from a place that isn’t on its list of countries. What gets checked is the address the request came from, not the key: a new key or a topped-up balance won’t help. For the error to go away, the request has to reach OpenAI 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 GPT models stay the same — no VPN needed.

What the error looks like

A response with code 403:

{
  "error": {
    "code": "unsupported_country_region_territory",
    "message": "Country, region, or territory not supported",
    "param": null,
    "type": "request_forbidden"
  }
}

In the Python SDK it comes as openai.PermissionDeniedError: Error code: 403 with the same body.

Why it happens

OpenAI checks where the request came from. If the address belongs to a country that isn’t on the Supported countries and territories page, the request is rejected before it reaches the model.
The error also happens on servers in supported countries. On OpenAI’s developer forum (example thread) it was reported from a cloud server in a supported country. In that discussion, OpenAI later fixed it on their side, and changing the cloud region helped one of the users.
A VPN is a risky workaround. On the same page, OpenAI warns that access from countries outside the list may lead to the account being blocked or suspended. The balance you deposited goes away along with the account.

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 OpenAI’s list	Connect GPT models via RuAPI — steps below
Your code is already written for the OpenAI SDK	Don’t rewrite anything: only `api_key` and `base_url` change

How to connect GPT 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 openai import OpenAI

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

resp = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="gpt-6-luna",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}],
)
print(resp.choices[0].message.content)

import OpenAI from "openai";

const client = new OpenAI({
  apiKey: "sk-your-RuAPI-key",
  baseURL: "https://www.ruapi.ai/v1",
});

const resp = await client.chat.completions.create({
  model: "gpt-6-luna",
  messages: [{ role: "user", content: "Hello!" }],
});
console.log(resp.choices[0].message.content);

curl https://www.ruapi.ai/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk-your-RuAPI-key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"model": "gpt-6-luna", "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]}'

You may not need to touch the code at all: many programs read the OPENAI_API_KEY and OPENAI_BASE_URL environment variables — just set them to your RuAPI key and https://www.ruapi.ai/v1. Which GPT models are available and how they differ is covered in the GPT API guide.

FAQ

Will a new key or topping up my OpenAI balance help?

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

ChatGPT works in the browser, but the API doesn't. Why?

These are different services with different checks, and a ChatGPT Plus subscription has nothing to do with the API: the API is paid for separately. More in OpenAI API key: where to get it and how to pay.

The error comes not from my code but from a program (Cursor, n8n, Cline…)

In the program’s settings, find the “OpenAI API key” and “Base URL” fields (sometimes “OpenAI-compatible”), and enter your RuAPI key and https://www.ruapi.ai/v1. Ready-made guides are in the Integrations section.

Are these the original OpenAI models?

Yes. These are the original models — gpt-6.1-sol, gpt-6-luna, gpt-5.4-mini and others — with no substitution and no quality cuts.

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OpenAI API: “unsupported_country_region_territory” (403) — what it means and how to fix it

What the error looks like

Why it happens

What you can do

How to connect GPT via RuAPI

FAQ

Next steps

OpenAI API key

RuAPI error codes