What I'm trying to do
I'm trying to use the Gemini API and I either get a 403 error or a message that the free tier isn't available in my country.
Is there a way to make it work without breaking the rules? Do I have to pay, or is something else wrong with my setup?
Check these in order:
1. Region: the Gemini API and Google AI Studio are available in the countries and territories listed on Google's available-regions page. If you're not in one of them, the page suggests trying the Gemini API in Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform.
2. Billing: the billing page says the free tier and the paid tier are both available in many regions, and it links to the same region list, so check that list before you pay. You can link a billing account and prepay to move to the paid tiers.
3. Key restrictions: in the key's settings, API restrictions choose which APIs the key can access, and origin restrictions limit which IP addresses, websites or applications can use it.
The Gemini API terms say you may only access the Services within an available region. Reply with the exact error text and the endpoint you call.
claude-sonnet-5 · Checked on 2026-10-04 against Google's Gemini API region, billing, API key and terms pages. The pages don't say what error a restricted key returns, so the 403 cause is left out.
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