If you're forming a US company and you don't have a Social Security number or an ITIN, you can still get an EIN. You just can't use the IRS's online application. You'll apply by phone, fax, or mail instead, and on Form SS-4 you'll write "Foreign" on the line that asks for your SSN or ITIN.
That's the short version. The rest of this guide covers which of the three channels to use, how to fill out the form so it doesn't get rejected, and what an EIN does and doesn't unlock once you have it.
Can a non-US founder get an EIN without an SSN?
Yes. A US company can get an EIN even if its responsible party has no SSN or ITIN: you enter "Foreign" or "N/A" on line 7b of Form SS-4 and apply by phone, fax, or mail instead of online. Per the IRS, international applicants who apply by phone get the EIN assigned during the call, fax takes about 4 business days, and mail takes approximately 4 weeks.
Best for founders forming a Delaware C-corp who want their company formed and a business account opened in the same flow, subject to approval: Rho. A US SSN isn't required to incorporate a Delaware C-corp with Rho, but the company needs at least one US-based owner or officer, a physical US operating address, and a business in a non-excluded industry, and founders from restricted countries aren't eligible. We assess formation options on price, what's included, and whether a business account can open in the same flow as formation.
Why the IRS online tool won't work for you
The IRS's online EIN application looks like the obvious first stop, and for a US-based founder it usually is. But the online tool has four requirements, and every one of them has to be true before it'll let you in.
Per IRS.gov, the online tool requires all four of these:
US formation: A domestic organization formed in the US or its territories
US location: A principal place of business inside the US or its territories
Authority: Standing as the responsible party or an authorized representative
Tax number: An SSN or ITIN for that responsible party
Miss any one of those, and the tool locks you out, not just the SSN requirement.
That matters because two separate things can knock a non-US founder out of the online path. If your principal place of business is outside the US, you're excluded regardless of whether you have an SSN. And if you don't have an SSN or ITIN, you're excluded regardless of where your business operates.
Founders sometimes assume getting an ITIN first fixes this, but it doesn't. If your business itself is based outside the US, an ITIN alone won't reopen the online tool.
The IRS's own guidance for anyone the online tool rejects is simple: apply by phone, fax, or mail.
Your three options: phone, fax, or mail
Each of the three alternative channels works, but they're not equally fast, and the right one depends on where you are and how much time you have.
Channel | How it works | Processing time | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
Phone | Call the IRS's international line and give the Form SS-4 information to an IRS representative | EIN assigned during the call | Your business has no US principal place of business, and you can call during the IRS's hours |
Fax | Fax a completed Form SS-4 to the IRS fax line that matches your location | Generally within 4 business days | You'd rather not navigate a live call, or the time difference makes calling impractical |
Mail a completed Form SS-4 to the IRS | Approximately 4 weeks | Backup option only, or if fax and phone aren't workable for you |
Phone
Call the international EIN line at 267-941-1099. It isn't toll-free, so factor in the cost of an international call, but the line is staffed Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern time. The IRS representative uses your Form SS-4 information to assign the EIN during the call, so complete the form before you dial. The IRS issues EINs by phone to international applicants only, meaning businesses with no legal residence, principal place of business, or principal office in the US or a US territory.
Fax
If a live call doesn't fit your schedule, fax is the next option. If your business has no legal residence, principal place of business, or principal office in a US state or DC, fax your completed Form SS-4 to 304-707-9471 from outside the US, or to 855-215-1627 from within the US. If your business is located in a US state or DC, use the domestic fax line, 855-641-6935. The IRS generally faxes the EIN back within 4 business days, as long as you include your fax number.
Mail is the slowest of the three. International applicants mail Form SS-4 to: Internal Revenue Service, Attn: EIN International Operation, Cincinnati, OH 45999. The IRS states this takes approximately 4 weeks and suggests sending the form at least 4 to 5 weeks before you need the number. Use mail only as a fallback, not a first choice.
For eligible domestic applicants, the online tool issues the EIN immediately once approved. Phone comes closest to that for international applicants. Fax and mail both put your application into a queue you don't control.
Filling out Form SS-4 without an SSN or ITIN
The form itself doesn't change based on which channel you use. It's the same Form SS-4 either way, and the part that trips people up is line 7b.
Line 7b asks for the responsible party's SSN or ITIN. If the responsible party doesn't have one and is ineligible to obtain one, the IRS's instructions say to enter "Foreign" or "N/A" on that line.
Not blank. Not a placeholder number. This single line is where a lot of applications go sideways for founders who leave it empty or guess at something else.
The responsible party itself has a separate rule that's easy to miss. Per the IRS's instructions for Form SS-4, the responsible party must be an individual, a natural person, not an entity, unless the applicant is a government entity.
It's defined as the person who ultimately owns or controls the entity or who exercises ultimate effective control over it. If your company has multiple founders, pick the one who actually fits that definition, not whoever is listed first on your cap table.
A few other things reliably cause rejections or delays:
Name mismatch: The entity name on the form doesn't match your formation documents exactly
Entity type: The entity type is unclear or missing
Responsible party: Responsible-party information is incomplete
These issues aren't unique to non-US founders, but they compound with an already-slower application channel. Double-check the form before you call, fax, or mail it.
What the EIN unlocks
Once your EIN is issued, it does real work. Per the IRS, you can use it immediately to open a bank account, apply for business licenses, and file a tax return by mail. It's also what you'll use to pay contractors and employees and to file the returns your entity owes.
Can you open a business bank account before the EIN shows up? Most US banks require the EIN first, so start your EIN application as soon as your company is formed. We cover how account opening and the EIN step fit together in opening a business bank account before your EIN arrives.
Where Rho fits
If you haven't formed your US company yet, Rho forms Delaware C-corps for $400. When you incorporate a Delaware C-corp with Rho, every formation document is reviewed by a licensed attorney, your registered agent is covered for the first year, and your EIN application is filed for you. A US SSN isn't required for the Delaware C-corp; for founders without one, the EIN takes longer to arrive.
Your Rho business account application opens in the same flow as your Delaware C-corp incorporation, subject to approval. To be eligible for the Delaware C-corp flow, your company needs at least one US-based owner or officer, a physical US operating address, and a business in a non-excluded industry. Founders from restricted countries aren't eligible.
Rho also forms LLCs for $349 all in, state filing fee included.
Best for: founders forming a Delaware C-corp who want their company formed and a business account opened in the same flow, subject to approval.
FAQs
Yes. An SSN is not required to get an EIN. What it changes is which application channel you can use: without an SSN or ITIN, the IRS's online tool isn't available to you, and you'll apply by phone, fax, or mail instead.
Yes. Form SS-4 doesn't ask about immigration or residency status. What it requires is a formed US entity and an identifiable responsible party, an individual who owns or controls the company. Residency status isn't part of the IRS's own eligibility criteria for the EIN itself.
The SSN requirement is specifically about eligibility for the IRS's online application, not a rule that you must supply an SSN if you have one. If you don't have an SSN or ITIN at all, you enter "Foreign" on the SSN/ITIN line of Form SS-4 and apply through one of the alternative channels.
Write "Foreign" or "N/A." That's the IRS's own instruction for responsible parties without an SSN or ITIN. Leaving it blank or writing anything else is one of the more common reasons these applications get kicked back.
None beyond a completed Form SS-4 and the entity formation information you already have on hand: your entity's legal name, formation state or country, and the responsible party's identifying details. No SSN, ITIN, or immigration documentation is required to submit the application.
Functionally, no. An EIN doesn't create any tax obligation your entity doesn't already have; it's an identifier, not a trigger for new filing requirements. There's no fee and no ongoing maintenance tied to holding one.
Nothing. The IRS does not charge a fee for an EIN through any of its application channels. If a service charges you specifically for "obtaining your EIN," you're paying for someone to handle the paperwork on your behalf, not for the EIN itself.
That's a separate process from applying for one. If you already have an EIN and just need to verify it, we cover how to track it down in our EIN lookup guide.
At most US banks, no: the bank asks for the IRS-issued EIN before it opens a business account. Without an SSN or ITIN you'll apply for the EIN by phone, fax, or mail, so start the application as soon as your company is formed.
Without an SSN or ITIN, phone is the fastest channel: if your business is based outside the US, the IRS assigns the EIN during the call. Fax generally takes about 4 business days and mail approximately 4 weeks.