How to Get an EIN Without an SSN (as a Non-Resident)

The EIN (Employer Identification Number) is your US company's tax ID with the IRS. It's the number you need to open a bank account, connect an Amazon account and access payment rails (Stripe, Mercury). The good news: you can get one without an SSN.

What the EIN is for

• Opening a US bank account (Mercury etc.)
• Connecting an Amazon seller account to the LLC
• Opening Stripe/payment-processor accounts
• Filing annual federal returns (Form 5472/1120)

In short: your LLC exists on paper, but without an EIN it can't actually operate.

Applying without an SSN

If you're not a US citizen/resident and have no SSN, the instant online application isn't open to you. You apply by completing Form SS-4 and sending it to the IRS by fax or mail:

1. Complete SS-4 with your company details; in the "responsible party" field, write "Foreign" instead of an SSN. 2. Fax it to the IRS number designated for foreign applications (mail works too but is far slower). 3. The IRS processes and notifies you. By fax this typically takes a few weeks, longer in peak periods.

Formation firms usually speed this up as part of a package — you can do it yourself, but the agent manages the fax/timing.

EIN and ITIN are not the same

The most common confusion: the EIN is the company's tax number; the ITIN is the person's. You do not need an ITIN to get an EIN. An ITIN only comes up when you personally must file a US tax return. "I need an ITIN first" is wrong and stalls the process by months.

Common mistakes

• Mistaking the ITIN for the EIN and waiting on the wrong path
• Filling the SS-4 "responsible party" field incorrectly (use "Foreign" for foreign owners)
• Writing the company name/address inconsistently with bank and Amazon details

The takeaway

The EIN is the key that turns your LLC from paper into operations, and it's obtained without an SSN, without visiting the US, via SS-4/fax. Plan for the timing: because banking and Amazon depend on it, the EIN usually sits on the critical path of setup.

See the full process in our US LLC guide; to have us run it, there's US company formation consulting.