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Guide: EIN from abroad
If your business is based outside the US, call the IRS at 267-941-1099 or fax Form SS-4; there is no fee either way. With an ITIN and a US place of business, the online tool works too.
Internal Revenue Service, read Oct 7, 2026. See source
| Method | Who can use it | How long | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online tool1 | US principal place of business and an SSN or ITIN | Issued immediately if approved | Free |
| Phone (international)3 | No legal residence, principal place of business or office in the US | Not stated by the source | Free; the number is not toll free |
| Fax (Form SS-4)2 | Anyone; 304-707-9471 from outside the US | About 4 business days, if you give a fax number | Free |
| Mail (Form SS-4)2 | Anyone; EIN International Operation, Cincinnati, OH 45999 | About 4 weeks | Free |
Read October 7, 2026, on irs.gov. The IRS warns that high inventory can delay fax and mail applications. Not stated means the IRS page did not give a time.
The SS-4 instructions say that if you have no legal residence, principal place of business or principal office in the US, you can call 267-941-1099 (not a toll-free number), 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern, Monday to Friday, to obtain an EIN. The caller must be authorized to receive the EIN and answer questions about Form SS-4, so fill in the form before you call3.
Someone else can call for you as a third-party designee if you complete and sign that section of the form; their authority ends when the EIN is assigned3.
An ITIN is a 9-digit number for people who need a US tax ID for a federal tax purpose, for example a nonresident alien filing a US federal tax return, and who cannot get an SSN4. You include the tax return in the ITIN application package; the IRS says to allow 7 weeks, or 9 to 11 weeks in tax season or when you apply from overseas4.
With an ITIN and a principal place of business in the US you can use the online EIN tool, which issues the number immediately if approved1. Without a US place of business, phone or fax is still the route1.
Step 1
The IRS asks you to register the LLC with the state before you apply.
Step 2
Name, address, entity type and the responsible party; N/A where the SSN would go if that applies to you.
Step 3
Phone Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern; fax any time.
Good for a free EIN listed with a $0 formation
Good for founders abroad who want the EIN handled with the formation
Also on Bizee's site
Also on ZenBusiness's site
The IRS lists LLCs among the entities that need an EIN to operate2. A foreign-owned single-member LLC also files Form 5472 each year5.
You never have to. The IRS warns about websites that charge for one1.
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