diff --git a/python/semantic_kernel/connectors/ai/google/google_ai/services/google_ai_chat_completion.py b/python/semantic_kernel/connectors/ai/google/google_ai/services/google_ai_chat_completion.py
index 04ac8ec9ef12..6271deec23d8 100644
--- a/python/semantic_kernel/connectors/ai/google/google_ai/services/google_ai_chat_completion.py
+++ b/python/semantic_kernel/connectors/ai/google/google_ai/services/google_ai_chat_completion.py
@@ -119,7 +119,9 @@ def __init__(
         if not client:
             if google_ai_settings.use_vertexai and not google_ai_settings.cloud_project_id:
                 raise ServiceInitializationError("Project ID must be provided when use_vertexai is True.")
-            if not google_ai_settings.api_key:
+            if google_ai_settings.use_vertexai and not google_ai_settings.cloud_region:
+                raise ServiceInitializationError("Region must be provided when use_vertexai is True.")
+            if not google_ai_settings.use_vertexai and not google_ai_settings.api_key:
                 raise ServiceInitializationError("The API key is required when use_vertexai is False.")
 
         super().__init__(
diff --git a/python/semantic_kernel/connectors/ai/google/google_ai/services/google_ai_text_completion.py b/python/semantic_kernel/connectors/ai/google/google_ai/services/google_ai_text_completion.py
index ed1858825a95..3a00faf2e20c 100644
--- a/python/semantic_kernel/connectors/ai/google/google_ai/services/google_ai_text_completion.py
+++ b/python/semantic_kernel/connectors/ai/google/google_ai/services/google_ai_text_completion.py
@@ -90,7 +90,9 @@ def __init__(
         if not client:
             if google_ai_settings.use_vertexai and not google_ai_settings.cloud_project_id:
                 raise ServiceInitializationError("Project ID must be provided when use_vertexai is True.")
-            if not google_ai_settings.api_key:
+            if google_ai_settings.use_vertexai and not google_ai_settings.cloud_region:
+                raise ServiceInitializationError("Region must be provided when use_vertexai is True.")
+            if not google_ai_settings.use_vertexai and not google_ai_settings.api_key:
                 raise ServiceInitializationError("The API key is required when use_vertexai is False.")
 
         super().__init__(
diff --git a/python/semantic_kernel/connectors/ai/google/google_ai/services/google_ai_text_embedding.py b/python/semantic_kernel/connectors/ai/google/google_ai/services/google_ai_text_embedding.py
index 12fc227ebd07..61cc04309590 100644
--- a/python/semantic_kernel/connectors/ai/google/google_ai/services/google_ai_text_embedding.py
+++ b/python/semantic_kernel/connectors/ai/google/google_ai/services/google_ai_text_embedding.py
@@ -81,7 +81,9 @@ def __init__(
         if not client:
             if google_ai_settings.use_vertexai and not google_ai_settings.cloud_project_id:
                 raise ServiceInitializationError("Project ID must be provided when use_vertexai is True.")
-            if not google_ai_settings.api_key:
+            if google_ai_settings.use_vertexai and not google_ai_settings.cloud_region:
+                raise ServiceInitializationError("Region must be provided when use_vertexai is True.")
+            if not google_ai_settings.use_vertexai and not google_ai_settings.api_key:
                 raise ServiceInitializationError("The API key is required when use_vertexai is False.")
 
         super().__init__(
diff --git a/python/tests/unit/connectors/ai/google/google_ai/services/test_google_ai_chat_completion.py b/python/tests/unit/connectors/ai/google/google_ai/services/test_google_ai_chat_completion.py
index bc3071396029..b583149d71dc 100644
--- a/python/tests/unit/connectors/ai/google/google_ai/services/test_google_ai_chat_completion.py
+++ b/python/tests/unit/connectors/ai/google/google_ai/services/test_google_ai_chat_completion.py
@@ -75,6 +75,20 @@ def test_google_ai_chat_completion_init_with_use_vertexai_missing_project_id(goo
         GoogleAIChatCompletion(use_vertexai=True, env_file_path="fake_env_file_path.env")
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("exclude_list", [["GOOGLE_AI_CLOUD_REGION"]], indirect=True)
+def test_google_ai_chat_completion_init_with_use_vertexai_missing_region(google_ai_unit_test_env) -> None:
+    """Test initialization of GoogleAIChatCompletion with use_vertexai true but missing region"""
+    with pytest.raises(ServiceInitializationError, match="Region must be provided when use_vertexai is True."):
+        GoogleAIChatCompletion(use_vertexai=True, env_file_path="fake_env_file_path.env")
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("exclude_list", [["GOOGLE_AI_API_KEY"]], indirect=True)
+def test_google_ai_chat_completion_init_with_use_vertexai_no_api_key(google_ai_unit_test_env) -> None:
+    """Test initialization of GoogleAIChatCompletion succeeds with use_vertexai=True and no api_key"""
+    chat_completion = GoogleAIChatCompletion(use_vertexai=True)
+    assert chat_completion.service_settings.use_vertexai is True
+
+
 def test_prompt_execution_settings_class(google_ai_unit_test_env) -> None:
     google_ai_chat_completion = GoogleAIChatCompletion()
     assert google_ai_chat_completion.get_prompt_execution_settings_class() == GoogleAIChatPromptExecutionSettings
diff --git a/python/tests/unit/connectors/ai/google/google_ai/services/test_google_ai_text_completion.py b/python/tests/unit/connectors/ai/google/google_ai/services/test_google_ai_text_completion.py
index 00209613bec7..3186b8634ad2 100644
--- a/python/tests/unit/connectors/ai/google/google_ai/services/test_google_ai_text_completion.py
+++ b/python/tests/unit/connectors/ai/google/google_ai/services/test_google_ai_text_completion.py
@@ -67,6 +67,20 @@ def test_google_ai_text_completion_init_with_use_vertexai_missing_project_id(goo
         GoogleAITextCompletion(use_vertexai=True, env_file_path="fake_env_file_path.env")
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("exclude_list", [["GOOGLE_AI_CLOUD_REGION"]], indirect=True)
+def test_google_ai_text_completion_init_with_use_vertexai_missing_region(google_ai_unit_test_env) -> None:
+    """Test initialization of GoogleAITextCompletion with use_vertexai true but missing region"""
+    with pytest.raises(ServiceInitializationError, match="Region must be provided when use_vertexai is True."):
+        GoogleAITextCompletion(use_vertexai=True, env_file_path="fake_env_file_path.env")
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("exclude_list", [["GOOGLE_AI_API_KEY"]], indirect=True)
+def test_google_ai_text_completion_init_with_use_vertexai_no_api_key(google_ai_unit_test_env) -> None:
+    """Test initialization of GoogleAITextCompletion succeeds with use_vertexai=True and no api_key"""
+    text_completion = GoogleAITextCompletion(use_vertexai=True)
+    assert text_completion.service_settings.use_vertexai is True
+
+
 def test_prompt_execution_settings_class(google_ai_unit_test_env) -> None:
     google_ai_text_completion = GoogleAITextCompletion()
     assert google_ai_text_completion.get_prompt_execution_settings_class() == GoogleAITextPromptExecutionSettings
diff --git a/python/tests/unit/connectors/ai/google/google_ai/services/test_google_ai_text_embedding.py b/python/tests/unit/connectors/ai/google/google_ai/services/test_google_ai_text_embedding.py
index 485b2f884c57..9b734d145f4a 100644
--- a/python/tests/unit/connectors/ai/google/google_ai/services/test_google_ai_text_embedding.py
+++ b/python/tests/unit/connectors/ai/google/google_ai/services/test_google_ai_text_embedding.py
@@ -57,7 +57,14 @@ def test_google_ai_text_embedding_init_with_empty_model_id(google_ai_unit_test_e
 def test_google_ai_text_embedding_init_with_empty_api_key(google_ai_unit_test_env) -> None:
     """Test initialization of GoogleAITextEmbedding with an empty api_key"""
     with pytest.raises(ServiceInitializationError, match="The API key is required when use_vertexai is False."):
-        GoogleAITextEmbedding(use_vertexai=True, env_file_path="fake_env_file_path.env")
+        GoogleAITextEmbedding(env_file_path="fake_env_file_path.env")
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("exclude_list", [["GOOGLE_AI_API_KEY"]], indirect=True)
+def test_google_ai_text_embedding_init_with_use_vertexai_no_api_key(google_ai_unit_test_env) -> None:
+    """Test initialization of GoogleAITextEmbedding succeeds with use_vertexai=True and no api_key"""
+    embedding = GoogleAITextEmbedding(use_vertexai=True)
+    assert embedding.service_settings.use_vertexai is True
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("exclude_list", [["GOOGLE_AI_CLOUD_PROJECT_ID"]], indirect=True)
@@ -67,6 +74,13 @@ def test_google_ai_text_embedding_init_with_use_vertexai_missing_project_id(goog
         GoogleAITextEmbedding(use_vertexai=True, env_file_path="fake_env_file_path.env")
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("exclude_list", [["GOOGLE_AI_CLOUD_REGION"]], indirect=True)
+def test_google_ai_text_embedding_init_with_use_vertexai_missing_region(google_ai_unit_test_env) -> None:
+    """Test initialization of GoogleAITextEmbedding with use_vertexai true but missing region"""
+    with pytest.raises(ServiceInitializationError, match="Region must be provided when use_vertexai is True."):
+        GoogleAITextEmbedding(use_vertexai=True, env_file_path="fake_env_file_path.env")
+
+
 def test_prompt_execution_settings_class(google_ai_unit_test_env) -> None:
     google_ai_text_embedding = GoogleAITextEmbedding()
     assert google_ai_text_embedding.get_prompt_execution_settings_class() == GoogleAIEmbeddingPromptExecutionSettings