The IRS says to allow 7 weeks to hear back about an ITIN application, and 9 to 11 weeks if you apply during tax season (15 January to 30 April) or from overseas (checked September 2026). If you live outside the US, the 9 to 11 week figure is the one to plan around, whatever month you apply (IRS: How to apply for an ITIN, updated 22 February 2026).
Those are the IRS’s timings for a complete application. Most long waits come from something else: a missing document, a mistake on Form W-7, or a missing tax return. When that happens the IRS writes to ask for more, and the clock effectively starts again.
This guide covers what the IRS timings mean, the delays you can avoid, and what to do if you’ve waited longer than the IRS says you should.
What Is an ITIN and Who Needs It?
An ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) is “a 9-digit number the IRS issues if you need a U.S. taxpayer identification number for federal tax purposes, but you aren’t eligible for a Social Security number” (IRS: ITIN). It identifies you as a person on federal tax paperwork. It doesn’t give you immigration status or permission to work in the US, and the IRS says it doesn’t “serve as identification outside the federal tax system.”
Form W-7 lists the reasons you can apply. The ones that most often apply to people living outside the US are:
- A nonresident alien filing a US federal tax return, for example a Form 1040-NR.
- A nonresident alien claiming a tax treaty benefit that needs a US tax number.
- A spouse or dependent of a US citizen or resident alien, or of a nonresident alien holding a US visa.
- A nonresident student, professor or researcher filing a US tax return.
Owning a US LLC isn’t, on its own, a reason on the form. You don’t need an ITIN to form an LLC or to get its EIN, and many foreign owners never need one. Our main guide, ITIN for foreigners: who needs one and how to apply, goes through who does and who doesn’t before you spend weeks on an application.
How Long Does It Take to Process an ITIN?
The IRS publishes one set of timings (checked September 2026):
| When and where you apply | Allow |
|---|---|
| From inside the US, 1 May to 14 January | 7 weeks |
| During tax season, 15 January to 30 April | 9 to 11 weeks |
| From overseas, any time of year | 9 to 11 weeks |
Source: IRS: How to apply for an ITIN. The Instructions for Form W-7 (Rev. December 2024) give the same 7 weeks, and 9 to 11 weeks “during peak processing periods.”
Three things to know about those numbers:
- They’re the time to hear back, not a guarantee of an ITIN. The IRS says to allow 7 weeks “for us to notify you about your ITIN application status.” The letter you get may assign a number (notice CP565), ask for more information (CP566) or reject the application (CP567).
- There’s no shorter “off-peak” figure. You’ll see 5 to 6 weeks quoted for May to December, including on an earlier version of this page. The IRS doesn’t publish that. Outside tax season, it says 7 weeks.
- The IRS doesn’t publish different timings for each way of applying. Posting to Austin, going through an acceptance agent, or visiting a Taxpayer Assistance Center all run on the same published estimate. An acceptance agent can help you avoid mistakes, but no agent can promise the IRS will be faster.
Your original documents come back separately. The IRS says it returns them to the mailing address on line 2 of your W-7 within 60 days.
Common Reasons for ITIN Processing Delays
The IRS lists the errors it sees most often in Publication 4857. Nearly all of them come down to the documents or the form itself. A missing tax return, covered below, is the other common cause.
1. Missing or Unacceptable Documents
The IRS needs documents that prove who you are and that you’re a foreign national. What causes problems:
- Expired documents. The W-7 instructions say documents must be “not expired at the time you submit your application.”
- Ordinary photocopies or notarised copies. The IRS accepts originals or certified copies from the agency that issued the document. For a passport, that means your passport office, not a notary, lawyer or bank.
- Too few documents. A passport is the only document that proves both identity and foreign status on its own. Without one, you need at least two documents from the IRS list.
- Details that don’t match. The name and date of birth on your W-7 should match your documents exactly.
The full list of 13 accepted documents is in the W-7 instructions and in our ITIN guide for foreigners.
2. Errors on Form W-7
From the IRS’s own list of common errors (Publication 4857):
- no signature, or someone other than a court-appointed guardian signing for an adult applicant without a Form 2848 power of attorney
- line 3, the foreign address, left blank when box b is ticked
- line 6a, country of citizenship, missing or abbreviated
- line 6d, date of entry into the US, left blank where it’s required
- the US citizen or resident’s name or tax number missing on a spouse or dependent application
The reason box you tick also has to match what you send: a tax return for box b, or evidence of an exception for box h, with the exception number written beside it.
3. Postal and Delivery Problems
If you apply by post, your application goes to the IRS ITIN Operation in Austin, Texas. The IRS gives two addresses: P.O. Box 149342, Austin, TX 78714-9342 for postal mail, and a street address (3651 S. Interregional Highway 35, Austin, TX 78741) for private couriers such as DHL, FedEx or UPS (IRS). A courier package sent to the P.O. box, or an application sent to the address in your tax return’s own instructions, can go astray.
Posting isn’t the only route. You can also apply through an IRS-authorised acceptance agent, including agents outside the US, or in person at a Taxpayer Assistance Center or a VITA site that offers ITIN services in the US.
4. Federal Tax Return Not Attached
Unless an exception applies, the IRS expects your W-7 to arrive attached to a US federal tax return. The W-7 goes on the front, and the return is processed as part of the application. Leaving the return out, without evidence of an exception, is a common reason an application is sent back.
The exceptions cover specific situations, such as a treaty claim on certain income, a partner in a partnership, or a bank account that earns reportable interest. Each needs its own evidence, listed in the W-7 instructions. Owning an LLC isn’t one of them.
5. An Expired ITIN
An ITIN isn’t permanent. “If your ITIN wasn’t included on at least one U.S. federal tax return for the last 3 consecutive tax years, it expires on December 31 of the third consecutive tax year” (W-7 instructions). The IRS says to renew if your ITIN has expired and you need to file a US tax return. A renewal uses the same Form W-7 and, according to the W-7 instructions, is submitted with your US federal tax return, so plan the renewal around the return rather than leaving it until after. Filing a return with an expired ITIN can delay the return.
How to Reduce the Processing Time for an ITIN
You can’t make the IRS faster. You can avoid being sent to the back of the queue.
Check whether you need an ITIN at all. The fastest application is the one you don’t make. Read who doesn’t need an ITIN first.
Consider a Certifying Acceptance Agent. A Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA) can check your passport, certify a copy and hand the original back, so it isn’t in the post for weeks. The IRS says acceptance agents charge fees that “may vary.” A CAA can reduce errors; it doesn’t change the IRS’s published timings.
Make everything match. The same spelling of your name, the same date of birth and the same address across the W-7, your passport and the tax return.
Avoid tax season if you have a choice. From inside the US, applying outside 15 January to 30 April means the 7-week estimate rather than 9 to 11. From overseas the IRS gives 9 to 11 weeks year-round, so timing matters less, but your return may have its own deadline.
Use a tracked service to the right address. Keep the tracking number and a full copy of everything you sent.
Reply to IRS letters quickly. A CP566 notice gives you 45 days from the date of the notice to send what’s missing. If you don’t reply, the IRS rejects the application and you have to start again (IRS: CP566, updated 11 August 2026).
What to Do If Your ITIN Application Is Delayed
Wait until the IRS’s time has passed. The W-7 instructions say that if you haven’t received your ITIN or any letter after 7 weeks (or 9 to 11 weeks if that applies to you), you can call the IRS.
Call the right number. From outside the US: 267-941-1000 (not toll-free). From inside the US: 800-829-1040 (W-7 instructions). Have a copy of your W-7, the date you sent it and your tracking details to hand.
Chase missing documents separately. If your original documents haven’t come back within 60 days of applying, the IRS says to call.
Answer any notice in full. If you get a CP566, send exactly what it asks for within 45 days. A CP567 means the application was rejected; read the reason before you apply again, or you’ll repeat the same wait.
How Bizstartz Can Help
Our ITIN application service helps founders outside the US prepare Form W-7, choose how to supply certified documents so they can keep their passport, file with the IRS and track the application until it’s decided. The IRS decides whether to issue an ITIN and how long that takes, so no one can promise approval or a shorter wait. If you’re not sure you need an ITIN, a free consultation is a good place to check first.
Updated with the help of AI tools and checked against the IRS pages linked above on 17 September 2026. IRS processing times change, so check the IRS page before you plan around them.
Related Guides
- ITIN for Foreigners: Who Needs One, Who Doesn’t, and How to Apply
- How to Get an EIN Without an SSN (2026): A Non-Resident’s Guide
- Form 5472 for Foreign-Owned US LLCs: Who Files, When & Penalties
- US Tax Filing Deadline 2026
- US Tax Filing Requirements for International Founders
Need the EIN itself sorted? Our EIN application service files it for you, including the non-resident paper route.
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