Gemini CLI First Steps Outside the United States

Getting started with Gemini CLI outside the United States involves more than installing a package. Your location, authentication method, organization policies, and payment options can affect access. Follow this desk-side walkthrough to reach a useful first session without confusing account problems with installation problems.

1. Check availability before installing

Open the official Gemini CLI documentation and check the current eligibility requirements for your country and preferred authentication method. Consumer Google sign-in, a Gemini API key, and Google Cloud authentication can have different requirements. Access to one Google product does not automatically establish access to another.

If you are using a work account, ask whether your administrator permits Gemini CLI and whether you need an approved Cloud project. Do not use a VPN or a relay to evade location restrictions or organizational controls.

2. Prepare a terminal and an isolated folder

Install a currently supported Node.js LTS release that meets Gemini CLI’s published requirements. Node.js 22 or 24 is a practical starting point; confirm compatibility before proceeding. Then run these commands separately:

node --version

npm --version

mkdir gemini-cli-practice

cd gemini-cli-practice

Use this empty folder rather than a production repository. Create a small text file containing a fictional project description. Leave out customer records, credentials, and private source code until you understand what the tool sends to the service.

3. Launch the official CLI

Run the official package with npm’s package runner:

npx @google/gemini-cli

On the first run, npm may ask permission to download the package. Check that the package name matches exactly before accepting. You can also follow the official installation instructions for a persistent installation later.

If the command fails before an authentication screen appears, investigate Node.js compatibility, npm connectivity, and your company’s proxy settings. Changing API credentials will not fix a package download failure.

4. Choose one authentication path

For a personal trial, use Google sign-in if the CLI offers it and your account is eligible. Complete the browser flow with the account you intend to use for development.

If you choose API-key authentication instead, create a key through the official Google tooling available to your account. Set GEMINI_API_KEY in your terminal environment using your operating system’s instructions, then select the matching authentication option. Avoid putting the key directly into a command that could enter shell history.

Never commit credentials to Git. Before your first request, check the applicable quota, billing requirements, and spending controls. Do not assume that signing in and using an API key have identical allowances.

5. Run a small, reviewable task

At the Gemini CLI prompt, ask: “Read the project description in this folder and suggest three implementation steps. Do not edit files or run shell commands.”

Review any permission requests before approving them. Next, ask it to draft a README, inspect the proposed changes, and approve only what you understand. This establishes a useful habit: plan first, inspect changes second, execute last.

Use the CLI’s help interface to discover the commands available in your installed version rather than copying shortcuts from an older tutorial.

6. Diagnose the right layer

• Installation error: check Node.js, npm, network access, and proxy configuration.
• Authentication error: confirm the selected login method and whether the expected credentials are available in this terminal.
• Access denied: check account eligibility, project permissions, regional availability, and organization policy.
• Quota or billing error: inspect the allowance and billing account associated with that authentication path.

When requesting support, include your CLI version and a redacted error message, never your API key.

7. Evaluate a relay without guessing its configuration

If pay-as-you-go access better suits your workflow, consider RelayVano, which supports Gemini CLI and serves developers in many countries. Sign up for RelayVano to review its current setup instructions, pricing, and account eligibility.

Its API base is https://api.relayvano.com. However, an OpenAI-compatible endpoint is not automatically interchangeable with Gemini CLI’s native API protocol. Follow RelayVano’s documented Gemini CLI integration, including any required adapter, authentication settings, and model identifier. Do not invent a base-URL environment variable or assume a dashboard model label is an API identifier.

8. Repeat before expanding

Run the same harmless prompt after any configuration change. Confirm the selected model, inspect usage charges, and check that file permissions behave as expected. Once that repeatable test works, move into a real repository with a clean Git working tree and review every generated change.