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

Short answer: if your US LLC is run from outside the US, you get its EIN by sending Form SS-4 to the IRS by phone, fax or mail, and it's free. You don't need an SSN or an ITIN; you write "foreign" on the relevant line. According to the IRS, a fax application generally gets the EIN faxed back within 4 business days, and mail takes about 4 weeks.

The EIN (Employer Identification Number) is the federal tax ID the IRS assigns to business entities. Once your LLC is formed in its state, you need this number for banking, payment providers and annual federal filings.

What the EIN is for

• Opening a US business account: Mercury asks for the IRS EIN letter (CP 575 or 147C) or an SS-4 returned with IRS approval. See our Mercury guide.
• Giving US platforms your company's tax details
• Filing the annual Form 5472 and pro forma 1120 as a foreign-owned single-member LLC; see our Form 5472 guide

In short: your LLC exists on paper, but without an EIN it can't move forward on banking or tax.

Which route is open to you?

The IRS online EIN application is only open if the principal place of business is in the US and the responsible party has an SSN or ITIN. A company whose principal place of business is abroad can't use it. Per the IRS instructions for Form SS-4, your options are:

The IRS notes that fax numbers may change without notice, so check the current SS-4 instructions before sending.

Step by step

1. Form the company first; the name and address on the SS-4 should match the formation document exactly.
2. Complete Form SS-4. If the responsible party has no SSN or ITIN and isn't eligible for one, the instructions say to enter "foreign" or "N/A" on line 7b; the line can't be left blank.
3. If the LLC is single-member and wholly foreign-owned, the instructions say to check "Other" on line 9a and write "Foreign-owned U.S. disregarded entity-Form 5472", and on line 10 check "Other" and write "Foreign-owned U.S. disregarded entity filing Form 5472".
4. If a service provider is applying for you, complete the Third Party Designee section. The designee's authority ends once the EIN is assigned and released to them; the EIN notice itself is mailed to the company.
5. Call, or send the form by fax or mail. The IRS issues only one EIN per responsible party per day.
6. Keep the IRS notice when the EIN arrives; banks ask for it.

When applying by phone, the caller must be authorized to receive the EIN and answer questions about the SS-4.

EIN and ITIN are not the same

The most common confusion: the EIN identifies a business; the ITIN identifies a person. Per the IRS, an ITIN is issued for federal tax purposes only, to people who need a US taxpayer number but aren't eligible for an SSN. You don't need one to get an EIN: the SS-4 instructions tell you to enter "foreign" for a responsible party who has no SSN or ITIN and can't get one. If you already have an ITIN, you enter it. When you actually need an ITIN, and how to get one, is covered in our ITIN guide.

Common mistakes

• Thinking you need an ITIN first and waiting on the wrong application
• Trying the online application when the principal place of business is abroad
• Leaving line 7b blank
• Leaving out the Form 5472 notation on lines 9a and 10 for a foreign-owned LLC
• Writing the company name or address inconsistently with the formation document, bank and Amazon details
• Paying for the EIN itself: the IRS states it never charges a fee for an EIN; what a service provider charges is their own fee, not an IRS one

FAQ

Can I get an EIN without an SSN? Yes. Apply with Form SS-4 by phone, fax or mail, and write "foreign" in the responsible party's number field.

Do I need an ITIN to get an EIN? No. The ITIN is a personal tax number; the SS-4 instructions say to enter "foreign" or "N/A" if the responsible party has no ITIN and isn't eligible for one.

How long does it take to get an EIN? Per the IRS, generally within 4 business days by fax and about 4 weeks by mail. International applicants can also apply by phone.

Does an EIN cost anything? No. The IRS doesn't charge for an EIN.

Which fax number do I use from outside the US? The SS-4 instructions list 304-707-9471 for applicants with no US presence faxing from abroad. Numbers can change, so check the instructions before sending.

The takeaway

The EIN turns your LLC from paper into operations, and you can get it free, without an SSN or ITIN and without visiting the US, by sending Form SS-4 by phone, fax or mail. Your bank account depends on it, so apply as soon as the company is formed.

See the full process in our US LLC guide, compare states in Delaware vs Wyoming, and for the tax form US platforms ask for, see the W-8BEN guide. To have us run it, there's US company formation consulting.

Sources and scope

• IRS, Instructions for Form SS-4: phone, fax and mail routes, numbers and address, timing, "foreign" or "N/A" on line 7b, Form 5472 notation on lines 9a and 10, Third Party Designee, responsible party definition
• IRS, About Form SS-4: current form and instructions
• IRS, Get an employer identification number: online eligibility, no fee, one EIN per day
• IRS, Individual taxpayer identification number and Taxpayer identification numbers: ITIN vs EIN
• IRS, Instructions for Form 5472: annual filing for foreign-owned LLCs
• Mercury, Gathering your documents: EIN document required at application

Information checked on 14 October 2026. This is general information, not legal or tax advice. IRS phone and fax numbers, timing and form lines can change; check the current SS-4 instructions before applying.