How Long Does It Take to Get an EIN as a Non-Resident?

01 — The Real AnswerThe Two-Track Timeline: Why "4 Days" and "4–6 Weeks" Are Both Correct

There are two different things people mean when they ask "how long does it take to get an EIN" — and they're on completely different timelines.

The EIN itself — the 9-digit number — arrives via fax cover sheet in approximately 4 business days when you apply by fax and include a return fax number on Form SS-4. That number is usable immediately. You can open a bank account with it, register with Stripe, complete W-8BEN-E forms, and sign up for EFTPS before anything else arrives in the mail.

The CP 575 confirmation letter — the official IRS document that some banks and processors want to see — arrives by postal mail 4 to 6 weeks after the EIN is assigned. It's issued once, automatically, and cannot be reissued if lost.

02 — The RestrictionWhy Non-Residents Can't Use the IRS Online EIN Application

The IRS online EIN application at IRS.gov requires the Responsible Party to have a valid SSN or ITIN to complete the session. Non-residents forming a US LLC who have neither cannot use the online system — it rejects them before completion.

The two available methods for non-residents without an SSN or ITIN are fax and mail. Fax returns the EIN in approximately 4 business days. Mail takes 4 to 6 weeks for both the EIN and the CP 575 letter to arrive together.

If you already have an ITIN, online application becomes available and gives you the EIN immediately in the same session. But for most non-residents forming their first US LLC, fax is the path.

The path: download Form SS-4 from IRS.gov, complete it in full, write "Foreign" on Line 7b, include a return fax number, sign it, attach a copy of your state formation documents, and fax it to the IRS fax number listed in their current instructions. The IRS fax numbers for EIN applications are periodically updated — always confirm the current number directly on IRS.gov before submitting.

03 — Form SS-4The Three Fields That Decide Whether You Get an EIN in 4 Days or 6 Weeks

The IRS guidance says approximately 4 business days for fax applications. The thing that actually slows most applications down isn't IRS processing time — it's errors on the form that get the submission returned. Three fields cause the majority of returned applications.

Line 7a — Name of Responsible Party

Must be an individual person — a natural human being, not a company name. Entering a company name on Line 7a is one of the documented causes of SS-4 rejections. The IRS requires the Responsible Party to be an individual. If your LLC has multiple members, you choose one natural person. If you're the sole owner, that's you.

Line 7b — SSN, ITIN, or EIN of Responsible Party

For non-residents without any of these, write "Foreign." Not "N/A." Not blank. "Foreign." This is one of the most common causes of returned applications — and one of the cheapest to get right.

The Return Fax Number

The return fax number is the most consequential field on the form for non-residents — and the most often overlooked. If you leave it blank, the IRS has no way to send your EIN back by fax. Your application will still be processed. The EIN will still be assigned. But you won't receive it on a cover sheet in 4 business days — you'll receive it in the CP 575 letter, which arrives by postal mail 4 to 6 weeks later.

That's a 30+ day difference based on a single empty field.

Other Fields That Affect Clean Processing

The LLC name on Line 1 must exactly match the name on your state-approved Articles of Organization — character for character, including the entity designator (LLC, L.L.C., etc.). Any mismatch with your formation documents can trigger a review.

The form must be signed by the Responsible Party. Not typed, not stamped. A physical signature with a printed name, title (e.g. Managing Member), and date. Unsigned forms are rejected outright.

The form is available as a fillable PDF at IRS.gov. Type into it rather than handwriting — legibility directly affects whether the IRS can process it cleanly, and an illegible field can trigger a manual review delay.

04 — SubmissionFax vs Mail vs Phone: Which Channel Is Right for You

For non-residents with a US-formed LLC, the two correct methods are fax and mail. The IRS international phone line at +1 267-941-1099 is intended for companies formed outside the US, not for foreign-owned US entities.

Why the IRS International Phone Line Is Not for You

The phone number +1 267-941-1099 is designated for companies formed outside the United States — a UK Ltd, a German GmbH, a Singaporean Pte Ltd applying for a US EIN for a foreign entity. If you are a foreign national who formed a US LLC in Wyoming, Delaware, or New Mexico, your entity is a US-formed entity. That phone line is not the correct channel.

Using it anyway creates a specific risk: the EIN you receive through that channel may be linked to entity information indicating a foreign-formed company, which doesn't match your actual structure. This can create discrepancies that surface later when banks or the IRS run checks.

The Practical Recommendation

Fax is the right choice for almost every non-resident. The 4-business-day turnaround is the fastest legitimate route, the written submission reduces transcription errors, and you receive a fax cover sheet with the EIN — written documentation you can immediately forward to a bank or payment processor.

Mail is the backup if fax is genuinely not available. It works correctly; it just takes 4 to 6 weeks for everything. The phone line is not an option for US-formed entities.

05 — Address StrategyThe CP 575 Goes to Whatever Address You Put on Form SS-4 — Choose Carefully

Getting your CP 575 sent to an international address is one of the most reliable ways to add weeks — or months — to your timeline.

The CP 575 goes to the address on Lines 4a–4b of your Form SS-4. If that's a residential address in Egypt, Vietnam, or Brazil, you're dependent on USPS international delivery plus your local postal system. Letters from the IRS don't come with tracking. They sometimes take six weeks. They sometimes don't arrive at all.

The Alternative: Your Registered Agent's US Address

The simpler path is to use your registered agent's US address on Lines 4a–4b. Your registered agent already has a physical US address and — if you're using a good commercial service — will forward documents digitally as soon as they arrive. The CP 575 goes to a US address, gets delivered, gets scanned, and arrives in your email within the same day it's received.

One Caveat About Registered Agents

Confirm that the registered agent service you're using actually forwards IRS correspondence. Not all of them do. The ones that don't create exactly the problem the registered-agent approach is supposed to solve. Check this before you list their address on Form SS-4.

If your registered agent doesn't forward IRS mail, the practical options are: a US business address you control (a coworking space with a street address, for example), a virtual mailbox service that handles IRS correspondence (some do, some don't — confirm before relying on it), or — as a last resort — your actual home country address with the understanding that the CP 575 may take longer or may not arrive.

06 — DocumentationCP 575 vs 147C: What You Get and What to Do If You Lose It

After your EIN is issued, the IRS sends an official confirmation document. There are two types, and understanding the difference matters when opening bank accounts or registering with payment processors.

CP 575 — The Original (Issued Once)

The CP 575 is issued automatically once, when your EIN is first assigned. Sent by postal mail to the address on your SS-4, typically within 4–6 weeks. It cannot be reissued under any circumstances — it is generated once by an automated IRS system. It contains your EIN, legal business name, mailing address, and expected tax filings.

If sent by fax first, the EIN fax cover sheet arrives in ~4 business days; the CP 575 by mail follows on its own schedule. The number on the fax cover sheet is your real EIN — the CP 575 is documentation of that same number, not a separate prerequisite.

147C — The Replacement (Available on Request)

The 147C EIN Verification Letter contains the same information as the CP 575 and is equally accepted by banks, Stripe, PayPal, Amazon, and state agencies. It's issued only when you request it — typically after losing or never receiving the CP 575.

Why the CP 575 Sometimes Never Arrives

The most common scenario where the 147C becomes necessary: founders apply for their EIN using their home address, the CP 575 never arrives, and they only discover the problem when trying to open a bank account two or three months later. The 147C solves it — but it's easier to set up a US address on the SS-4 in the first place.

07 — Next StepsWhat to Do Once the EIN Arrives

After your EIN arrives — whether via fax cover sheet or in the CP 575 letter — the sequence of what to do next has an order that matters.

The Realistic End-to-End Timeline

From "Articles of Organization accepted" to "first Stripe payment received": approximately two weeks for a Wyoming LLC with expedited EIN and a fintech bank application. That's the optimistic path. It requires everything going right at each step, with no compliance review requests or document gaps.

If the EIN takes 4 business days, the bank takes 5–7 business days, and Stripe activates within 1–2 business days after the bank, the math works. Add a single delay — a returned SS-4, a compliance review at the bank, a missing document at Stripe — and you're at three to four weeks.

08 — CostHow Much Does Getting an EIN Actually Cost?

The IRS charges absolutely nothing to assign an EIN. The Form SS-4 application — whether submitted online, by fax, by mail, or by phone — is free. No fee. No government charge.

What you pay, if you use a service, is for the preparation of the form, the submission handling, IRS follow-up, and document delivery. That cost goes to the service provider, not to the IRS. An expedited service that guarantees 3-business-day turnaround charges for the preparation and management work, not for access to a government process.

The EIN is one of the few genuinely free parts of US LLC formation. State filing fees, registered agent services, and ongoing compliance all cost money. The tax ID from the federal government: free.

When Paying for a Service Makes Sense

Three situations where paying for an EIN service is reasonable: when you've never filled out a US tax form and the risk of a returned SS-4 (resetting your timeline by weeks) outweighs the service fee; when you don't have a working fax number and don't want to set one up; or when you're already using a formation service for the LLC and bundling the EIN into the package is incrementally cheap.

Outside those situations, the SS-4 is a one-page form. Get the three critical fields right — Line 7a (individual, not a company), Line 7b ("Foreign"), and the return fax number — and the IRS's end of this process is reliable.

09 — FAQFrequently Asked Questions