Data residency

Data residency is a project configuration option that lets you choose the location of infrastructure OpenAI uses to provide services.

Eligible organizations can enable data residency when creating a project in the API Platform. Data residency endpoints are charged a 10% uplift for models released on or after March 5, 2026, that are eligible for data residency.

How does data residency work?

You can select an available region when creating a project.

• Storage: For supported endpoints, models, and snapshots, your Customer Content (as defined in your services agreement) is stored at rest in the selected region when the endpoint requires persistence, such as /v1/batches.
• Processing: If the region supports regional processing, inference for your Customer Content also runs in that region.
• System data: Data residency does not apply to system data, which may be stored and processed outside the selected region. This is account data, metadata, and usage data without Customer Content, collected to manage and operate the services. Examples include account information or profiles of end users who directly access the services, analytics, usage statistics, billing information, support requests, and structured output schema.

Sub-processors and regional request processing

OpenAI uses sub-processors to provide its services. For requests sent to us.api.openai.com, eu.api.openai.com, au.api.openai.com, in.api.openai.com, or jp.api.openai.com, OpenAI uses Cloudflare Regional Services so that TLS termination and HTTPS decryption occur within the selected processing region.

Limitations

Data residency does not apply to:

1. Any transmission or storage of Customer Content outside of the selected region caused by the location of an End User or Customer’s infrastructure when accessing the services.
2. Products, services, or content offered by parties other than OpenAI through the Services.
3. Any data other than Customer Content, such as system data.

If your selected Region does not support regional processing, as identified below, OpenAI may also process and temporarily store Customer Content outside of the Region to deliver the services.

How to use data residency

Data residency is configured per-project within your API Organization. As an organization owner:

1. Open the Projects page in the API Platform and select Create.
2. Enter a project name and, under Data and inference residency, select an available region.
3. Select Create, then create an API key for the new project.
4. Use that project’s API key with the regional domain prefix listed in the table below, such as eu.api.openai.com for Europe.

The project’s residency region can’t be changed after creation. To select a different region, create a new project.

Select a processing region per request

To enable per-request data residency for a new Global project, follow the creation steps above, leave Data and inference residency set to Global, and select Enable per-request data residency before selecting Create. The project remains Global.

Use an API key from that Global project with a regional domain prefix for each request that needs regional processing. The selected endpoint and model must support regional processing, as shown in the table below.

If your existing Global project already supports per-request data residency, you can continue using its API keys.

The following example reuses one client and an API key from a Global project for global, US, and EU requests:

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28from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI()

# No processing constraint.
response = client.responses.create(
    model="gpt-5.6-terra",
    input="Reply with OK.",
)
print(response.output_text)

# US processing and storage.
response = client.with_options(
    base_url="https://us.api.openai.com/v1",
).responses.create(
    model="gpt-5.6-terra",
    input="Reply with OK.",
)
print(response.output_text)

# EU processing and storage.
response = client.with_options(
    base_url="https://eu.api.openai.com/v1",
).responses.create(
    model="gpt-5.6-terra",
    input="Reply with OK.",
)
print(response.output_text)

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22require "openai"

client = OpenAI::Client.new

response = client.responses.create(
  model: "gpt-5.6-terra",
  input: "Reply with OK."
)
puts(response.output_text)

response = client.with_options(data_residency: :us).responses.create(
  model: "gpt-5.6-terra",
  input: "Reply with OK."
)
puts(response.output_text)

# EU processing requires a key from an EU-region project.
response = client.with_options(data_residency: :eu, api_key: ENV.fetch("OPENAI_EU_API_KEY"), organization: nil, project: nil).responses.create(
  model: "gpt-5.6-terra",
  input: "Reply with OK."
)
puts(response.output_text)

Which models and features are eligible for data residency?

The following models and API services are eligible for data residency today for the regions specified below.

Use Support by region to compare regional capabilities and expand the services available in each region. Use API Endpoint, tool and model support for complete model lists and a detailed service view. Support for regional storage does not imply support for regional processing.

In Australia, India, and Japan, gpt-6-luna supports regional processing. These regions support Standard pay-as-you-go only. Use a project in the selected region. The Responses and Chat Completions APIs support text and image inputs and text output. Hosted tools are unavailable for regional processing in these three regions.

Fast mode supports EU data residency for GPT-6.1 Sol, GPT-6.1 Terra, and GPT-6 Luna. Fast mode is not available with EU data residency for GPT-6 Astra or GPT-6 Sol. GPT-6.1 Sol, GPT-6.1 Terra, GPT-6 Sol, and GPT-6 Luna support EU data residency with Standard, Flex, and Batch processing. Ultrafast mode for GPT-6.1 Sol supports US and EU data residency and global processing. GPT-6 Astra Ultrafast supports US data residency and global processing only.

Endpoint limitations

/v1/decisions

The Decisions API is available in all supported API regions. Regional processing is supported in the United States and Europe (EEA + Switzerland). Availability in a region does not imply that inference is performed in that region.

• Extended prompt caching in regions that do not support Regional processing may require that OpenAI process and temporarily store Customer Content outside of the Region to deliver the services.

/v1/chat/completions

• Cannot set store=true in non-US regions.
• Extended prompt caching in regions that do not support Regional processing may require that OpenAI process and temporarily store Customer Content outside of the Region to deliver the services.

/v1/responses

• Extended prompt caching in regions that do not support Regional processing may require that OpenAI process and temporarily store Customer Content outside of the Region to deliver the services.

/v1/live/sessions

GPT-Live sessions are eligible for Zero Data Retention. With Zero Data Retention enabled, store is treated as false, even if a request sets it to true.

Session storage is disabled by default. For projects with session storage enabled, store: true retains the completed session recording for 30 days so that it can be downloaded or used to start a forked session. Stored sessions and their index expire after 30 days. Recording downloads and forking require a data policy that permits persistence and are not available with Zero Data Retention.

Setting store: false on a fork prevents storage of the new session; it does not delete the source recording or remove the authorization required to read it. The API does not provide a public stored-session deletion endpoint.

GPT-Live supports data residency in the United States and Europe. Delegated backend models and tools have their own data controls; check the applicable endpoint and feature entries on this page.

/v1/realtime

Tracing is not currently EU data residency compliant for /v1/realtime.