Can a non-US resident get an EIN?

Yes. Living outside the US doesn't stop your US LLC from getting an EIN. Without an SSN or ITIN, though, you can't use the online tool, so you send Form SS-4 by fax or mail. You can also call the IRS international line at +1 267-941-1099, Monday to Friday, 6am to 11pm ET. The IRS offers that line when the entity has no legal residence, principal place of business, or principal office in the US or a US territory.

Can I apply for an EIN online if I do not have an SSN?

No. The IRS online tool needs both a US place of business and a responsible party with an SSN, ITIN, or EIN. Foreign founders without those apply by fax or mail using Form SS-4, or, as international applicants, by calling +1 267-941-1099, where the IRS says the representative assigns the EIN during the call. On line 7b of the form, enter "foreign" or N/A if the responsible party has no SSN or ITIN and isn't eligible for one. An entry is required, so don't leave it blank.

How long does it really take to get an EIN as a foreign founder?

The IRS publishes two numbers: an EIN comes back by fax generally within 4 business days, and by mail in about 4 weeks. International applicants have a third option the paper paths obscure, calling +1 267-941-1099, where the representative assigns the EIN during the call. Real waits do run longer than the published windows, particularly in filing season, and the IRS does not publish a separate timeline for international applicants. What it does attach to the fax window is a condition: the application has to be complete. Plan ahead if you need the EIN for a bank account or Stripe onboarding, and treat the published windows as the floor rather than the promise.

Can I use a virtual office address on Form SS-4?

Yes. Line 4a asks for a mailing address where the IRS can send your EIN confirmation. A virtual office with a real commercial US street address qualifies. The form allows a P.O. box on line 4a but not on line 5a, the street address line. A street address is still the safer choice for line 4a, because banks often won't accept a P.O. box. Make sure the address on Form SS-4 matches the address on your state LLC filing to prevent verification mismatches later.

Do I need a US phone number on Form SS-4?

The form doesn't ask for a US number specifically. It asks for the applicant's telephone and fax numbers next to the signature, not on a numbered line, and each field says to include the area code. If you have no US number, enter the number where you can actually be reached, with its country code. If you apply by fax, the fax number matters most: the IRS instructions say to provide it so the IRS can fax the EIN back to you.

What if my Form SS-4 was rejected? Can I resubmit immediately?

Yes, but diagnose the rejection first, starting with whatever letter or fax the IRS sends back. Common fixes are entering "foreign" or N/A on line 7b, correcting the entity name to match your state filing, or signing the form by hand. Do not submit a second Form SS-4 while waiting to hear back on the first, since duplicate submissions can generate duplicate EINs and require formal cleanup with the IRS.

EIN for Non-US Residents: How to Apply Without an SSN

Key takeaways

The IRS online tool needs both a US place of business and a responsible party with an SSN, ITIN, or EIN. Most foreign founders are locked out of it and file Form SS-4 by fax, by mail, or by phone.
The IRS publishes its own timelines: an EIN comes back by fax generally within 4 business days, and by mail in about 4 weeks. International applicants can also call +1 267-941-1099, where an IRS representative assigns the EIN during the call.
Line 7b can't be left blank. If the responsible party has no SSN or ITIN and isn't eligible for one, the IRS instructions say to enter "foreign" or N/A.

Before you start

Form the US LLC first. The IRS instructs you to form the entity with your state before you apply, and the consequence it states for applying in the other order is that your EIN application may be delayed.
Have a US street address ready for the SS-4 mailing address, since a PO Box is allowed on the mailing line but not on the physical street-address line.

Who this is for

Foreign founders forming a US LLC without an SSN or ITIN.
International operators expanding from a non-US entity into a US LLC.

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You formed your US LLC. You have the Articles of Organization. You sit down to open a Mercury account, and you get stopped at a wall many foreign founders hit. The application needs an EIN, but the IRS online tool rejects you because you do not have a Social Security Number.

Here is the part nobody tells you clearly. You can still get an EIN. The IRS has a paper path built specifically for applicants without an SSN. It just takes longer and has more rules than the online form. This guide walks through the exact steps, the realistic timeline, and the mistakes that cause the IRS to reject or ignore your application.

Still deciding where to form? Our free State Checker suggests a state in about a minute and compares all 50 side by side. The EIN process below is federal, so it works the same whichever state you choose.

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Why You Need an EIN

An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is a 9-digit tax ID the IRS assigns to your business. Think of it as the business equivalent of a Social Security Number. Banks ask for it to open business accounts. The IRS uses it for every tax filing. Stripe, PayPal, and most payment processors ask for it during onboarding. Without an EIN, your US company exists on paper but cannot open accounts or accept payments in its own name. Here's what you can do after you have one:

Open a US business bank account (Mercury, Relay, Bluevine, Chase, and all major banks)
Sign up for Stripe, PayPal, or Wise Business
File your annual Form 5472 together with a pro forma Form 1120 (a cover-sheet version of the corporate return) if you are a foreign-owned single-member LLC
Hire US contractors and issue Form 1099
Get approved on most SaaS billing, Amazon Seller, and merchant platforms

EIN is free

The IRS never charges for an EIN. Any website asking $200-500 to "get your EIN" is reselling a free government service. Formation companies may legitimately charge for handling the paperwork on your behalf, but the EIN itself costs zero dollars.

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Why the Online Application Rejects You

The IRS instructions set two conditions for the online EIN tool. The entity needs a legal residence, principal place of business, or principal office in the US or a US territory. The responsible party needs a valid taxpayer ID: an SSN, an EIN, or an ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number). If you are a non-US citizen who has never lived or worked in the US, you likely have none of those numbers. The online form has no path around this, so don't enter zeros or a made-up number to get past the screen. Use the fax, mail, or phone route below instead.

The block is not a bug. The online tool only works when the responsible party already has a US taxpayer ID. Foreign founders without one apply by fax or mail, and international applicants can also apply by phone.

The Four Paths to an EIN

Depending on where you live and what tax ID you hold, one of the following four paths applies to you. Pick the right one up front to avoid wasted weeks.

Your situation	Application method	IRS published timeline
Entity based in the US or a US territory, and a responsible party with an SSN, ITIN, or EIN	IRS online tool (irs.gov)	Instant, same session
International applicant, no US legal residence or place of business	Call the IRS EIN line: +1 267-941-1099 (Mon to Fri, 6am to 11pm ET)	The representative assigns the EIN during the call
Foreign founder who prefers a paper trail	Fax Form SS-4 to IRS	Generally within 4 business days
No fax access	Mail Form SS-4 to IRS	About 4 weeks

EIN application paths. Timelines are the ones the IRS publishes in the Instructions for Form SS-4 (retrieved November 2026).

Do not apply for an ITIN first

A common detour: applying for an ITIN so you can use the online EIN tool. The ITIN process itself takes 8 to 14 weeks and requires certified passport copies. Faxing Form SS-4 as a foreign founder is usually faster. Only pursue an ITIN if you need one for personal tax filings (Form 1040-NR).

Step by Step: Form SS-4 for Foreign Founders

Form SS-4 is a single page. Most of it is straightforward. The fields below are the ones where foreign founders most often make mistakes.

Line	Field	What to enter
1	Legal name of entity	Exact LLC name from your Articles of Organization
4a-b	Mailing address	An address where you can actually receive IRS mail, including the EIN confirmation (CP 575 letter). A foreign address is allowed if written out in full, and a P.O. box is allowed here but not on line 5a
7a	Responsible party name	Your legal name as it appears on your passport
7b	Responsible party SSN/ITIN/EIN	Enter "foreign" or N/A if you have no SSN or ITIN and aren't eligible for one. An entry is required.
8a	Is this application for an LLC?	Yes
8b	Number of LLC members	1 for single-member, actual count for multi-member
9a	Type of entity	Check the box that matches your tax election. For a default single-member LLC, check "Other" and write "Disregarded entity - foreign-owned"
10	Reason for applying	"Started new business" is standard
11	Date business started	The date your LLC was formed (same as on your Articles of Organization)

The Form SS-4 fields that matter most for foreign applicants.

Line 7b can't be left blank

The IRS instructions say an entry is required on line 7b. If the responsible party has no SSN or ITIN and isn't eligible to get one, enter "foreign" or N/A. Don't leave the line empty or fill it with a made-up number like 000-00-0000.

Sign the form on the bottom with your name and title (Member, Manager, or Owner depending on your LLC structure). The IRS prefers a handwritten signature: type the form, print it, sign by hand, then scan or fax. Typed-only signatures are sometimes rejected.

How to Submit: Fax vs Mail

The IRS keeps two paper channels open for foreign applicants, fax and mail, alongside the phone channel that international applicants can use. Fax is the faster of the two paper routes, but it requires access to an international fax number or an online fax service such as eFax, HelloFax, or MyFax. The IRS sorts these by where the entity is based, not by the founder's nationality. The numbers below are for an entity with no legal residence, principal place of business, or principal office or agency in the 50 states or DC:

Channel	Destination	Notes
Fax	+1 855-215-1627 (within US) or +1 304-707-9471 (outside US)	Include a return fax number. The IRS instructions say to provide one so the EIN can be faxed back. Without it, the IRS manual says the confirmation letter comes by mail in about two weeks, instead of a fax in about 4 business days.
Mail	Internal Revenue Service, Attn: EIN International Operation, Cincinnati, OH 45999	Use a trackable carrier (FedEx, DHL). The IRS tells applicants to allow about 4 weeks, and to start the form at least 4 to 5 weeks before the EIN is actually needed.

Where to send Form SS-4 as a foreign founder.

Fax from an online service works

You do not need a physical fax machine. Services such as eFax, HelloFax, and FaxZero all send documents to US numbers from anywhere in the world for $1-20. Save your fax confirmation sheet; if the IRS claims to have no record of your filing, this is your proof of submission.

Realistic Timeline From Submission to Usable EIN

1Day 0: You fax Form SS-4 to the IRS EIN International Operation, with a return fax number written on the form.
2Within 4 business days: the window the IRS publishes for a faxed EIN. The IRS manual attaches one condition to it, that the application is complete. An incomplete form is what turns days into weeks.
3The CP 575 confirmation notice follows separately by mail. Founders do report waits longer than the published window, and the IRS does not publish a separate timeline for international applicants.
4Once the EIN is issued you can open US bank accounts, register for Stripe, and file pending forms. A brand-new EIN may not appear in every third-party verification database on day one.

EIN in hand does not mean fully active

Some banks and payment processors run real-time IRS database checks. A newly issued EIN may not yet appear in every verification system. If a bank rejects your application saying "EIN not found," wait a couple of weeks and try again. Do not file Form SS-4 a second time; that creates duplicate EINs and compliance headaches.

Common Rejection and Delay Traps

1Line 7b left blank or filled with zeros. The IRS instructions say an entry is required. If you have no SSN or ITIN and aren't eligible for one, that entry is "foreign" or N/A.
2Wrong fax number. An entity with no legal residence, principal place of business, or principal office or agency in the 50 states or DC uses the IRS EIN International Operation fax line, not the domestic one. Its numbers are +1 855-215-1627 (within US) or +1 304-707-9471 (outside US). The IRS does not publish what happens to a misrouted fax, which is precisely the problem: you get no bounce, no notice, and no way to tell waiting from lost.
3An overseas mailing address written in shorthand. A foreign address is allowed on line 4a, but the IRS instructions say to write out the city, province or state, postal code, and the full country name. If you'd rather receive IRS mail in the US, a business address with mail scanning is the other route.
4Mismatched entity name. The name on Form SS-4 must exactly match your state filing. "Acme Ventures LLC" and "Acme Ventures, L.L.C." can be treated as different entities.
5Missing signature. The IRS instructions list who must sign the application, so check that the right person has signed before you fax or mail it.
6Applying twice. If your first application seems stuck, resist the urge to re-file. An assigned EIN is permanent, so a second filing adds a number rather than replacing one. Call the IRS EIN line at +1 267-941-1099 (Monday to Friday, 6am to 11pm Eastern) instead. If the IRS tells you it has no record of your fax, work through what to do when the IRS has no record of your SS-4 before you send anything again.

What Comes After the EIN

Once your EIN is issued, several doors open at once. In the order most foreign founders tackle them:

1US business bank account. Mercury and Relay are the most common choices for non-residents. Both will ask for the EIN confirmation letter (CP 575), your formation documents, and a valid passport. Expect verification to take 2 to 7 business days.
2Payment processing. Stripe, PayPal, and Wise Business all require the EIN on their onboarding form. Stripe Atlas is the exception for its own companies: its docs say you can activate US card payments on Stripe and, if eligible, apply for a Stripe Treasury business account before the EIN is issued. Other payment methods wait until the EIN is available.
3Annual IRS filings. Mark your calendar for Form 5472 + pro forma 1120, due every April 15, even with zero revenue. Missing this filing triggers a $25,000 penalty per form.
4State filings. Your state may require a separate annual report or franchise tax filing. Delaware, California, and New York are the most common states with mandatory annual filings.

Keep the EIN letter safe

The IRS is explicit that the CP 575 cannot be duplicated or recreated. What you can get instead is a Letter 147C, the EIN verification letter, and banks and processors generally accept it as equivalent proof. Scan the CP 575 the day it arrives and store it with your formation documents, because the replacement path runs through the IRS and takes time you may not have. See how to replace a lost CP 575 with a 147C.

Where a US Address Fits Into All of This

Form SS-4 needs a mailing address where you can actually receive IRS mail. Your state filing asks for a business address. Your bank will compare the address you give it with your state filing. If you are applying from outside the US, each of these fields is a potential stopping point.

A virtual office address can cover all three. It gives you a real commercial US street address that can serve as your SS-4 mailing address, your state-filed business address, and your bank application address, all matching each other. Mail and IRS correspondence arrives there and gets scanned to you digitally.

save office provides commercial US street addresses in major cities, mail scanning, and the documentation you need for LLC formation, EIN applications, and bank onboarding. Your SS-4, your state filing, and your bank application can all carry the same address from the first day.