How to Get an EIN Without an SSN (2026): A Non-Resident’s Guide

You can get an EIN without an SSN — a Social Security Number is not required to obtain a US federal tax ID. Every year thousands of non-resident founders form a US company and request an EIN (Employer Identification Number, the IRS’s nine-digit tax ID for businesses) without ever setting foot in the United States. The catch is that the fast online application is closed to applicants who lack an SSN or ITIN, so you have to know the manual path. This 2026 guide walks through exactly how it works — the line-by-line form entries, the three filing channels and their real turnaround times, and the mistakes that add weeks to your wait.

If you are still deciding on a structure first, our overview of the US LLC explains why most non-residents start there before applying for an EIN.

What an EIN Is — and Why You Need One

An EIN is to your business what an SSN is to a person: a permanent federal identification number. The IRS uses it to track your entity, and almost every other provider asks for it. You will need an EIN to:

• Open a US business bank account;
• Apply for Stripe, PayPal or other payment processors;
• Hire US contractors or employees;
• File required IRS returns such as Form 5472 for foreign-owned LLCs;
• Apply for business licences and wholesale accounts.

In short, your company is barely functional until it has one — which is why getting an EIN without an SSN is one of the first things foreign founders sort out after formation.

Why You Don’t Need an SSN to Get an EIN

The IRS issues EINs to “responsible parties” who may be individuals or entities, US or foreign. The online EIN assistant simply requires the responsible party to enter an SSN or ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) for instant verification — which is why it is restricted to people who have one. It is a limitation of the online tool, not of EIN eligibility itself. Foreign founders apply on paper instead, and the IRS has a dedicated process for exactly this situation.

The authority for this sits in the IRS’s own instructions. The Instructions for Form SS-4 direct you to “enter ‘foreign’ or N/A on line 7b if the responsible party doesn’t have and is ineligible to obtain an SSN or ITIN.” That single sentence is the whole basis of the non-resident route — there is no special programme to apply to and no waiver to request.

EIN vs ITIN vs SSN — Don’t Confuse Them

You do not need an ITIN or an SSN to be issued an EIN. People often apply for an ITIN unnecessarily — for most founders, the EIN alone is enough to operate. See the section on whether you also need an ITIN further down before you spend money on one.

How to Get an EIN Without an SSN: Step by Step

The whole process runs on a single form, Form SS-4, the Application for Employer Identification Number.

1. Form your US entity first. You generally need a registered company (an LLC or corporation) before the EIN makes sense. Keep your Articles of Organization handy.
2. Complete Form SS-4. Fill in the legal name, mailing address, entity type and reason for applying. A foreign address is completely fine.
3. Handle line 7b — the SSN/ITIN field. This is the line that trips people up. If the responsible party has no SSN or ITIN, write “Foreign” in box 7b. This is the IRS-approved entry for non-resident applicants.
4. Submit by phone, fax or mail. International applicants have all three channels available; each has a very different turnaround, covered below.
5. Receive your EIN. Phone can be same-call, fax is generally about four business days, and mail takes roughly four weeks.

Form SS-4 Line by Line for a Non-Resident

Most rejected and stalled applications come down to two or three boxes filled in the way a US resident would fill them. This is what each line means when you are applying from abroad for a foreign-owned LLC.

Print and sign the form rather than typing a signature into the PDF — a wet signature on a faxed form causes fewer questions.

The Three Filing Channels, and How Long Each Really Takes

The EIN is free through every channel, so the only thing you are choosing is speed and hassle. Details below are drawn from the current Instructions for Form SS-4 — always confirm on the IRS page before you send anything, because these details do change.

The phone channel is the one most guides get wrong. The IRS stopped issuing EINs by telephone to domestic applicants years ago, which is why you will read “you cannot get an EIN by phone” all over the internet. That is true for US residents and false for you: the international line still exists precisely because foreign applicants cannot use the online tool.

Calling the IRS from Your Time Zone

The line runs 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern. That window is more generous than it looks from Asia, but it does cross midnight in most of the countries our clients call from. Approximate local equivalents during US daylight saving (roughly March to November — shift each by one hour in the US winter):

Have the completed SS-4 in front of you before you dial — the agent works through the form in order and will ask you to read the answers back. Expect to be asked to confirm your name as responsible party and to spell the entity name. Write down the EIN when the agent gives it to you, then ask how the confirmation letter will be sent.

How to Fax if You Have No Fax Machine

Almost nobody in Karachi, Lagos or Kathmandu owns a fax machine, and this is where founders stall for weeks. You do not need hardware — any of the online fax services will send a PDF to a US fax number for a small fee, usually a couple of dollars or a short free trial. Practical points:

• Send the signed SS-4 as a single clean PDF, portrait orientation, at a normal scan resolution;
• Include a brief cover page with the entity name and your fax number for the reply;
• Keep the transmission confirmation — it is your only evidence of the send date;
• If you want the EIN faxed back, your own receiving fax number must be on the form. A service that gives you an inbound number is worth the extra dollar, because a faxed reply arrives days before the posted letter;
• Do not send the same application twice. Duplicate submissions can produce two EINs for one entity, which is genuinely painful to unwind.

Documents and Details You’ll Need

• The exact legal name and address of your US company;
• The responsible party’s full legal name and foreign address;
• Your entity type (most non-residents check “LLC” and report the number of members);
• A reason for applying — usually “Started new business.”

You do not need a US address, US phone number, ITIN or SSN. If you do not have a US phone number, you can leave that field blank or use your international number.

Who Counts as the “Responsible Party”

The IRS wants a named human being who actually controls the entity — the person who can direct its funds and assets. For a single-member LLC that is you, the owner. For a multi-member LLC it is one of the members, typically whoever manages the company.

Two rules matter here. First, the responsible party cannot be a nominee. Using a formation agent, a friend with an SSN, or any stand-in as the responsible party in order to unlock the online application is not a shortcut — it puts false information on a federal form and creates an entity whose IRS record does not match its owner. It also tends to surface later, at exactly the wrong moment, when a bank compares your formation documents against the EIN letter. Second, the online tool limits applicants to one EIN per responsible party per day; that limit is irrelevant to you if you are filing on paper, but it explains a lot of confusing advice you will read elsewhere.

Using a Third-Party Designee

If you would rather not handle the IRS directly, you can authorise a third-party designee on Form SS-4 to receive the EIN on your behalf. Many formation services offer this. Remember two things: the EIN itself is always free from the IRS — you are paying only for the service — and the responsible party should still be you, the true owner, not the agent. A designee’s authority also ends once the EIN is issued; it is not an ongoing power of attorney.

What Arrives, and What to Do With It

The IRS confirmation is a letter called the CP 575. If you applied by fax you will normally receive a faxed cover sheet carrying the EIN first, with the CP 575 following by post. This letter is the document your bank, Stripe, Amazon and Payoneer will all eventually ask for.

Save it in three places the day it arrives — a cloud drive, your own device, and a copy with whoever handles your bookkeeping. The IRS does not re-issue the CP 575. If you lose it, the replacement is a different document called a 147C letter, which you request by calling the same international line and asking for EIN verification. A 147C is accepted everywhere the CP 575 is, so a lost letter is an inconvenience rather than a disaster — but it is another two to four weeks you will not want to spend.

If Nothing Arrives

Silence is the normal failure mode, not rejection. If you faxed and have heard nothing after roughly two weeks, or posted and heard nothing after six, call the international line, confirm whether the application was received, and ask whether an EIN was already assigned before you resend anything. Applications most often go quiet for mundane reasons: an unsigned form, an illegible fax, a missing line 7b entry, or an entity name that does not match state records.

Resist the urge to file a fresh SS-4 as a fix. If an EIN was already issued, a second application creates a duplicate record attached to the same company, and correcting that takes considerably longer than the wait you were trying to shorten.

Common Mistakes That Cause Delays

• Leaving box 7b blank. The IRS may reject or stall the application — write “Foreign.”
• Paying a “fee” to the IRS. The EIN is free. You only pay if you hire a third party to file for you.
• Using a US-resident fax/mail address. Non-residents must use the international filing destination in the instructions.
• Applying before the company exists. Form your LLC or corporation first.
• Name mismatches. The name on Form SS-4 must match your formation documents exactly.
• Forgetting to sign. An unsigned SS-4 is not processed, and you will not be told why.
• Overstating employees on line 13. Entering a number when you have no US staff invites employment-tax notices you then have to answer.
• Filing twice out of impatience. Duplicate EINs for one entity are far harder to fix than a slow first application.

Do You Also Need an ITIN?

Usually not, and this is where founders waste the most money. An ITIN is a personal tax number for an individual who has a US filing obligation of their own. It is not a prerequisite for an EIN, a bank account, or a payment processor.

You generally look at an ITIN only when you personally have to file a US return — for example if you have income effectively connected to a US trade or business, or you need to claim a treaty benefit. Getting the EIN first and revisiting the ITIN question at tax time, with an accountant who knows your country’s treaty position, is the cheaper order of operations for most people.

What You Can Do Once You Have an EIN

An EIN unlocks the rest of your US business setup: opening a US business bank account, applying for Stripe or PayPal, hiring contractors, and meeting IRS filing duties. Store the IRS confirmation letter somewhere safe — banks and processors frequently ask to see it, and the IRS does not casually re-issue it.

It also starts your compliance calendar. A foreign-owned single-member LLC generally has to file Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 each year, and that filing is impossible without an EIN — which is the real reason to apply early rather than waiting until a bank asks. Your state has its own annual obligations on top: in Wyoming that is an annual report with a $60 minimum fee.

How Long It Takes and What It Costs

The EIN is free, so the only variable is speed. The method you choose decides how long you wait:

Plan your timeline backwards from when you need a bank account or Stripe. If you are on a deadline, fax — and apply as soon as your formation documents are issued, because there is nothing else to wait for. Note that the turnaround clock starts when the IRS opens your application, not when you send it, and that processing slows noticeably around the April filing season.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get an EIN without an ITIN too? Yes. Neither an SSN nor an ITIN is required. Write “Foreign” on line 7b.

Is the EIN really free? Yes — the IRS never charges for an EIN. Third-party filing services charge for convenience only.

How long is an EIN valid? Indefinitely. It is tied to your entity for life and is not re-issued each year.

Can I open Stripe with just an EIN? Generally yes — an EIN plus your formation documents and a US business bank account is the standard stack for non-resident founders.

Can I really get an EIN by phone as a foreigner? Yes. The international line on +1 267-941-1099 exists for applicants without an SSN or ITIN, even though the IRS no longer issues EINs by phone to US residents.

Do I need a US address or US phone number? No. A foreign address and foreign phone number are both acceptable on Form SS-4.

Can my formation agent be the responsible party? No. The responsible party must be a person who genuinely controls the entity. An agent can be listed as third-party designee instead.

I lost my CP 575 — what now? Call the international line and request a 147C letter. It serves the same purpose and is accepted by banks and processors.

Do I need an EIN before opening a bank account? Yes, in practice. Every US bank and fintech that serves non-resident LLCs asks for the EIN and the IRS letter as part of onboarding.

Does having an EIN mean I owe US tax? No. An EIN is an identifier, not a tax liability. Whether you owe US tax depends on where your income is effectively connected and on any treaty between your country and the US.

Bottom line: you can absolutely get an EIN without an SSN — file Form SS-4 with “Foreign” in box 7b, call the international line or fax it, and you will have your federal tax ID in days rather than months. Start with the right structure using our US LLC guide, or let us handle the EIN application for you as part of formation.

This guide is general information about IRS procedure, not tax or legal advice. Form numbers, filing destinations and processing times change — verify the current details on IRS.gov or speak to a cross-border tax professional about your own situation.

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