The IRS online EIN Assistant is the fastest route, because it issues your EIN on the spot. But you can only use it if the responsible party already has a U.S. Social Security number or ITIN. Most non-resident owners have neither, so the online form is closed to them. You apply on paper Form SS-4 by fax or mail instead, and you do not need an SSN or ITIN to do it.
You can use the online EIN Assistant only if the responsible party has an SSN or ITIN and the principal place of business is in the U.S. or a U.S. territory. Both must be true.
The online form has no field for a foreign person with no U.S. tax ID. On paper Form SS-4 you write Foreign on the responsible party line, which the online tool never lets you do.
Non-residents file Form SS-4 by fax, generally about 4 business days, or by mail, about 4 weeks. If your business is outside the U.S., you can also call the IRS international line.
Can you apply for an EIN online?
Yes, the IRS runs an online EIN application called the EIN Assistant, and it is the fastest way to get an EIN. An EIN is the IRS's nine-digit federal tax ID for a business, the number your LLC uses to open a bank account and file returns. The IRS says that if your application is approved, it issues your EIN immediately, right there on the screen. No fax, no post, no waiting. The catch is who is allowed to use it, and that is where most non-resident founders hit a wall. This guide assumes you have decided your LLC needs an EIN and simply want the fastest route. If you are still weighing that, check whether your LLC needs an EIN first.
Applying is always free, so ignore any site that asks you to pay for the number itself. It also helps to know the tool is not available around the clock and cannot be saved and resumed, so you finish the whole application in one sitting.
Who is allowed to use the online EIN application?
The IRS sets three conditions, and all three must be true before the online tool will issue you a number.
A U.S. based business. Your principal place of business has to be in the United States or a U.S. territory.
You are the responsible party. You are the person who controls the entity, or someone that person authorizes to act for it.
A U.S. taxpayer ID for that person. You must have the responsible party's Social Security number or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN).
Only government entities are allowed to apply online using an EIN as the responsible party's identifying number. For everyone else, that identifier has to be an SSN or ITIN. There is no other accepted option in the online form. If you can honestly tick all three boxes, you can begin at the IRS EIN Assistant, which issues the number on the spot and never charges a fee. If you cannot, and most non-resident owners cannot clear the third box, the paper route below is the one built for you.
Why most non-residents can't apply for an EIN online
The block is that third condition. As the foreign owner and responsible party of your Wyoming LLC, you usually have neither an SSN nor an ITIN, because you have never needed a U.S. tax ID as an individual. The online form gives you nowhere to record that. It expects a Social Security number or ITIN, and it cannot accept a foreign person who has no U.S. tax number at all.
This is the real difference between the online tool and the paper application. On paper Form SS-4 you can write the word Foreign on the responsible party's tax ID line, and the IRS accepts it. The online Assistant has no equivalent field, so an applicant who would sail through on paper simply cannot finish online. The good news is that you can still get an EIN without an SSN or ITIN, just not through this particular door.
What non-residents do instead: Form SS-4 by fax or mail
Being locked out of the online tool does not mean you are locked out of an EIN. You apply the way every non-resident does, on the paper form, and the outcome is the same nine digit EIN. The route just takes a little longer.
You complete Form SS-4 and send it to the IRS by fax, which the agency says generally takes about 4 business days, or by mail, which takes roughly 4 weeks. On the responsible party's tax ID line you write Foreign, the entry that stands in for the SSN or ITIN you do not have. Because your business has no U.S. state address, you use the IRS international channels rather than the domestic ones. As of July 2026 the IRS lists the international EIN fax as 855-215-1627 from inside the U.S. or 304-707-9471 from outside it. The international mailing address is Internal Revenue Service, Attn: EIN International Operation, Cincinnati, OH 45999. The IRS reassigns these from time to time, so confirm the current fax number and address on irs.gov before you send anything. Our line by line guide to Form SS-4 shows exactly what goes on each line. The full non-resident EIN walkthrough takes you through the whole paper process, so this page can stay focused on the online question.
What information do you need to apply?
First, make sure the LLC itself exists. You generally form the company before you request its EIN, so the number attaches to an entity that is already on file. If your Wyoming LLC is not set up yet, our guide to starting a Wyoming LLC covers that first step. Once the company is formed, the IRS asks for the same core details whichever EIN route you use, so gather them before you start:
The LLC's exact legal name as registered, plus any trade name or DBA it uses.
A mailing address, and a separate physical business address if you have one.
The entity type and the reason you are applying, such as starting a new business.
The responsible party's full name, and for the online tool their SSN or ITIN; on paper Form SS-4 this line takes the word Foreign instead.
The date the business started and its principal activity, plus the highest number of employees you expect in the first year, or none if you will not hire.
Non-residents enter these same answers on Form SS-4, so having them ready makes either route faster.
Can international applicants get an EIN by phone?
If your business is based outside the United States, you have one option domestic applicants do not: the IRS international EIN phone line. You call, answer the same questions the SS-4 asks, and an assistor can issue the EIN over the phone. The person calling has to be authorized to receive the number and answer for the business.
The IRS lists the international line as 267-941-1099, which is not a toll-free number, so expect international call charges. It is published as open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday. Both the number and the hours change from time to time, so confirm the current details on irs.gov before you call. This route is only for applicants whose business, office, or agency sits outside the U.S.
How long does each EIN method take?
Speed is the main reason the online tool is popular, and it is also the main thing non-residents give up by going on paper. Here is how the four methods compare, using the IRS's own estimates.
Online: immediate, the EIN appears as soon as the application is approved, but only if you clear the SSN or ITIN gate.
Phone: during the call itself, for applicants whose business is outside the U.S.
Fax: generally about 4 business days when you include a return fax number.
Mail: approximately 4 weeks.
Treat each of these as an IRS estimate rather than a promise, and confirm the current figures on irs.gov, since the agency revises them without much notice. For the full timing picture across every method, see how long it takes to get an EIN.
However your EIN arrives, save the confirmation the moment you receive it. Online applicants can download the CP 575 notice immediately, and fax, mail, and phone applicants get it by post. That letter is your proof of the number when you open accounts or file returns, and if it is ever lost the IRS can issue an official replacement. See our CP 575 confirmation letter guide for how to store it and replace a missing one.
Workarounds that get EIN applications rejected
When founders find the online tool is closed to them, a few tempting shortcuts come up in forums. Each one causes more trouble than it saves, and two of them can invalidate the EIN you get.
Two more ideas fail for simpler reasons. You cannot reuse another company's EIN in place of a personal tax ID, because only government entities may apply online with an EIN. And reloading the page to try again will not help, since the tool is closed to your situation no matter how many attempts you make. The paper form is not a workaround, it is the correct route for a non-resident.
One point for later: if the responsible party or the business address changes after the EIN is issued, you do not reapply. You report the change to the IRS on Form 8822-B instead.
How CORPBOLT handles the EIN for non-resident founders
If the paper route feels like a detour, that is exactly the part a formation service takes off your plate. CORPBOLT prepares and files your Form SS-4 as the third party designee, enters Foreign on the responsible party line, and follows up with the IRS, while you stay the responsible party on the form. You never touch the online tool, because it was not the right channel for a non-resident in the first place. The EIN itself is always free from the IRS, so any fee covers the filing work, not the number.
Frequently asked questions
Can a non-resident apply for an EIN online?
Generally no. The IRS online EIN Assistant requires the responsible party to have a U.S. Social Security number or ITIN, and it has no field for a foreign person with no U.S. tax ID. A non-resident owner without an SSN or ITIN can't complete it, and instead applies on Form SS-4 by fax or mail, or by phone if the business is outside the U.S.
Do I need an SSN or ITIN to get an EIN?
No. You need one only to use the online tool. You can get an EIN without an SSN or ITIN by filing Form SS-4 by fax or mail and writing Foreign on line 7b, the responsible party's tax ID line. International applicants can also call the IRS at 267-941-1099.
What are the online EIN application hours?
The EIN Assistant isn't open 24/7. It runs on a schedule, roughly early morning to just after midnight Eastern on weekdays, with shorter weekend windows, and each application must be finished in one session, expiring after 15 minutes of inactivity. Confirm the current hours on irs.gov before you start.
How do international applicants get an EIN?
By fax or mail on Form SS-4, or by phone at 267-941-1099, which is not toll-free, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday. The phone option is only for applicants whose principal business, office, or agency is outside the United States. Confirm the current number and hours on irs.gov.
How many EINs can I get in one day?
One. The IRS limits EIN issuance to one per responsible party per day, and that limit applies no matter which method you use, online, fax, mail, or phone.
How fast is each EIN method?
Online is immediate, but non-residents usually can't use it. By fax the IRS says generally about 4 business days. By mail, about 4 weeks. Treat these as IRS estimates, not guarantees, and confirm the current timing on irs.gov.
How this article was prepared
The rules and figures here are drawn from the IRS. The specific pages are the IRS guide to applying for an EIN online, the Instructions for Form SS-4, the responsible parties and nominees page, and the Get an Employer Identification Number page. Last reviewed July 2026. This is general information and not legal or tax advice, and CORPBOLT is a formation service, not a law or accounting firm. The online hours, phone and fax numbers, and processing times are the IRS's current figures, so verify them on the live IRS pages before you rely on them.
A quick note on CORPBOLT: CORPBOLT forms and maintains Wyoming LLCs for non-residents from $349/year (Foundation). The EIN is included from $599/year (Launch) or as a $199 add-on, prepared and filed for you as the third party designee while you stay the responsible party. Because the EIN is free from the IRS, that fee pays for the filing work rather than the number itself. Start your US LLC.
Official references
IRS: Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) online (eligibility, hours, one-session rule)
IRS: Instructions for Form SS-4 (line 7b Foreign, international phone, fax and mail)
Approval note: Eligibility and approval decisions are made by each bank, fintech, and payment processor. Requirements can vary by provider, country, business model, and account history.
