Do You Need an ITIN to Get an EIN? The Non-Resident Answer
Nearly every founder outside the US who tries the IRS online EIN tool gets bounced at the same field: it demands a Social Security Number they do not have. The next assumption is almost always wrong. Most non-residents conclude they must first get an ITIN, wait months, and only then apply for the EIN. You do not. You can get an EIN without an ITIN, an SSN, or any US personal tax number. Here is the honest answer, plus the mistakes that turn a clean application into a months-long detour.
Do you need an ITIN to get an EIN as a non-resident?
No. You do not need an ITIN to get an EIN. The two numbers are unrelated, and the IRS issues EINs to foreign owners of US entities who hold no SSN and no ITIN every day. People think otherwise because the fastest path, the IRS online EIN assistant, requires a valid SSN or ITIN before it will issue anything. Non-residents skip that tool entirely and apply on paper using Form SS-4 instead.
An ITIN is an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, a personal tax ID for people who must file a US return but cannot get an SSN. An EIN is an Employer Identification Number for the business itself. One identifies you; the other identifies the company. You can get the business number without ever holding the personal one, which is exactly where most non-resident founders sit. The ITIN is not a prerequisite anywhere in the EIN process.
Why do so many founders think an ITIN comes first?
Founders think an ITIN comes first because the easiest-to-find EIN route, the online application, hard-blocks anyone without an SSN or ITIN, so the obvious workaround looks like "go get an ITIN." It is a reasonable guess that happens to be backwards, and a costly one: applying for an ITIN is itself a slow, document-heavy process that usually requires a US tax filing reason.
Consider a founder in Valencia, Spain. He had read that an EIN needs a tax ID, assumed that meant an ITIN, and spent two weeks gathering certified passport copies for an ITIN application he did not need. Once he saw that Form SS-4 lets you write "Foreign" in the tax ID field, he dropped the ITIN plan and got his EIN process moving the same week.
What goes in the tax ID field if you have no SSN or ITIN?
If you have no SSN or ITIN, you write the single word "Foreign" in the responsible party tax identification field on Form SS-4. That word tells the IRS you are an international applicant with no US personal tax number, and it is the standard, accepted entry for non-resident founders. Do not leave the field blank, and never invent or borrow a number.
This one detail is where most applications quietly fail. Founders either leave the line empty, which gets the form treated as incomplete, or assume they must therefore obtain an ITIN. "Foreign" is the entry the IRS expects from owners outside the United States.
What is Form SS-4 and how does it replace the online tool?
Form SS-4, "Application for Employer Identification Number," is the official IRS form for requesting an EIN, and non-residents use it because, unlike the online tool, the paper form accepts "Foreign" in place of an SSN or ITIN. The IRS keeps this paper-and-fax channel open specifically for international applicants, so it is the intended path, not a loophole. The form asks for a short set of details:
- Your exact legal business name, matching your formation documents character for character, and the entity type.
- The responsible party's full legal name and their tax ID, or "Foreign" if they have none. This is the human who controls the entity, almost always you for a single-member LLC, named with the spelling on your passport.
- A US business mailing address, plus a short description of the principal activity.
What are the most common mistakes when getting an EIN without an ITIN?
The most common mistakes when getting an EIN without an ITIN are leaving the tax ID field blank instead of writing "Foreign," applying before the entity legally exists, forgetting to sign the form, and chasing an ITIN you do not need. Here is the checklist of what to avoid:
- Do not leave the responsible party tax ID line blank. Write "Foreign," because a blank line reads as an incomplete application.
- Do not apply before your company is formed. The EIN attaches to a legal entity, so the Wyoming LLC must exist, with filed Articles of Organization, before you submit Form SS-4.
- Do not submit an unsigned SS-4. An unsigned form is rejected, and the restart can add weeks.
- Do not get an ITIN "just in case." It is a separate, slow process you usually do not need for the EIN.
- Do not mismatch the business name. The name on the SS-4 must match your formation filing exactly, down to punctuation.
- Do not build hard deadlines around the EIN's arrival, since the IRS controls timing. Leave slack.
- Do not use an outdated SS-4. Old copies circulate online; download the current form from the IRS.
The recurring theme is precision, not paperwork volume. The application is short and fails on small errors, and the ITIN myth is the most expensive of them because it sends you down a separate track.
How do you apply for an EIN without an ITIN, step by step?
To apply for an EIN without an ITIN, you form the Wyoming LLC first and get the filed confirmation from the Wyoming Secretary of State, then complete the current Form SS-4 with your legal name, entity type, responsible party, reason for applying, and US business mailing address. You write "Foreign" in the tax ID field, sign and date the form, then fax it to the IRS international fax number, mail it, or call the IRS international EIN line and read the form to the agent. The IRS returns your EIN on the CP 575 confirmation.
The Valencia founder followed this order once he stopped chasing an ITIN, and the only "trick" was that one word.
How long does getting an EIN without an ITIN take?
By fax, getting an EIN without an ITIN typically takes a few weeks, and by mail it takes longer. The IRS international phone line can sometimes issue the number during the call. The exact timing is set entirely by the IRS and shifts with their workload, so treat any third-party promise of a specific date with suspicion. No service can speed up the IRS or guarantee a delivery day.
The practical takeaway: start the EIN application the moment your entity is formed, and do not schedule a bank appointment or processor signup around the number arriving on a fixed day.
Getting your EIN without an SSN or ITIN, the simplest path
If you would rather not manage IRS fax numbers, SS-4 fields, and the "Foreign" detail yourself, the formation and the EIN application can be handled together. CORPBOLT is a U.S. business formation service for non-resident founders that sets up a US (Wyoming) LLC entirely remotely, with no SSN required. Plans start from $349/year, with the EIN included from $599. (corpbolt.com)
One point worth stating plainly: the EIN itself is free from the IRS. You never pay the IRS for the number. What you pay for is the work of preparing and filing the application correctly, so the form does not bounce and you are not re-faxing an unsigned SS-4 weeks later. CORPBOLT bundles the Wyoming LLC, the EIN application without an SSN, a registered agent, and a US business address into one setup for founders who never visit the United States. For this, you do not need an ITIN at all.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an ITIN before I apply for an EIN?
No. You do not need an ITIN before applying for an EIN. On Form SS-4 you write "Foreign" in the responsible party tax ID field instead of an ITIN or SSN. The two numbers are separate, and the EIN does not depend on the ITIN existing.
What is the difference between an ITIN and an EIN?
An ITIN is a personal US tax ID for individuals who cannot get an SSN, while an EIN is a tax ID for a business entity. One identifies a person, the other identifies a company. For forming and registering a US LLC, you need the EIN, not the ITIN.
Does having no ITIN stop me opening a US bank account?
No. Banks and payment processors verify the business through the EIN, not a personal ITIN, so the missing ITIN is rarely the issue. The EIN alone does not open anything, though; each bank decides whether to accept a non-resident-owned LLC, and having your EIN and documents ready is preparation, not a guaranteed account.
Is the EIN really free from the IRS?
Yes. The IRS does not charge for issuing an EIN. If a service charges you, you are paying for preparing and filing the application correctly, not for the number itself, which the IRS always provides at no cost.
Can I do all of this without an ITIN and without visiting the US?
Yes. You can form the Wyoming LLC, apply for the EIN with "Foreign" on Form SS-4, appoint a registered agent, and set up a US business address entirely remotely, with no ITIN and no trip to the United States. None of these steps requires a US personal tax number.
