An EIN — Employer Identification Number — is the number your US LLC or C-Corp needs before it can open a bank account, file taxes, or do almost anything else. If you're a US citizen or resident, you get one online in minutes. If you're not, the process is different, slower, and the single most common bottleneck we see in an otherwise fast US company formation.
The core fact most guides bury
You do not need a Social Security Number or an ITIN to get an EIN. Any non-US resident can obtain one with just a passport and the correct form — this applies to Wyoming, Delaware, New Mexico, or any other state's LLC or corporation. The confusion comes from the fact that the fast, online EIN application on the IRS website is restricted to applicants with an existing US taxpayer identification number — which locks non-residents out of the route most US-based guides assume you'll use.
The actual process for a foreign applicant
Form your US entity first
You need your state-approved Articles of Organization or Incorporation before applying — the EIN application requires your entity's legal name and formation date.
Complete IRS Form SS-4
The standard EIN application form. On line 7b — where a US applicant would enter their SSN — a foreign applicant with no US tax ID simply writes "Foreign." This is the correct, IRS-sanctioned way to complete the form, not a workaround.
Fax it to the IRS, or call their international line
Non-US applicants fax Form SS-4 to the IRS's international fax number, or call the IRS's dedicated international applicant line directly. Neither the mail-in route nor the standard online portal works for an applicant without a US tax ID.
Wait for processing
This is the step that catches people out. The fax/phone route for foreign applicants takes materially longer than the instant online EIN issuance available to US residents — build real time into your formation timeline rather than assuming it's a same-day step.
Why this step matters more than the state filing
The Wyoming or Delaware filing itself is often the fastest part of setting up a US entity — 5 to 10 business days standard processing, sometimes less. The EIN is what actually unlocks everything after: your business bank account application requires it, your IRS filings require it, and any US client asking for a W-9 will want it. Treat the EIN application as the real critical path of your formation timeline, not an afterthought you handle once the state paperwork clears.
What comes right after
Once your EIN is issued, you can open a US business bank account remotely through fintech providers built for exactly this — Mercury, Wise Business, Relay — which onboard foreign-owned LLCs with electronic identity verification instead of a branch visit. And if your LLC is a single-member entity owned by a non-US person, mark your calendar immediately: Form 5472, filed annually alongside a pro-forma Form 1120, is now a standing obligation — even at zero income — with a minimum $25,000 penalty for missing it.
For the complete US entity formation process end to end, see our US company registration guide.