403 PERMISSION_DENIED "Your project has been denied access" on generateContent — persists across two fresh projects, no billing

Gemini API
1

Hi,

I’m getting a persistent 403 PERMISSION_DENIED error on every generateContent call, with no ability to use the Gemini API at all.

Error:
{
“error”: {
“code”: 403,
“message”: “Your project has been denied access. Please contact support.”,
“status”: “PERMISSION_DENIED”
}
}

What I’ve tried:

  • Created an API key via Google AI Studio (aistudio.google.com/apikey), linked to an existing Google Cloud project (“StageLab”). Result: 403 on generateContent for every model I tried (gemini-2.5-flash, gemini-flash-latest).
  • Created a second API key in a brand-new Google Cloud project (via “Create API key in new project”), specifically to rule out a project-specific issue. Same 403 error, identical message.
  • The key itself authenticates correctly — the models list endpoint (GET /v1beta/models) works fine and returns the expected model list. The 403 only happens on generateContent.
  • No billing account attached in either project (free tier / AI Studio default).
  • This is a brand-new use case — no prior API usage, no policy violations that I’m aware of, no automated/bulk traffic.

Since the error follows my account across two separate projects and fresh keys, it looks like the restriction is tied to my Google account rather than a specific project.

Could someone from the team take a look and let me know what’s needed to restore access? Happy to provide the project number(s) or any other details in a DM if that’s easier than posting them here.

Thanks!

2

Hello @Mad241,

Please try the below steps:

  1. Check Model Availability & Rate Limits:

    • Ensure that the model you are requesting is available on your current plan. For example, not all models are available on the free tier. You can verify model availability, quotas, and limits on the AI Studio Rate Limit dashboard.

  2. Verify your Google Account:

  3. Upgrade to a Paid Tier:

    • If verifying your account does not restore access (or if using a model requiring a paid tier), you can unlock access by adding prepayment credits directly in Google AI Studio or attaching a Google Cloud Billing account in the Google Cloud Console.