Guides · ITIN

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The Complete ITIN Guide for Non-US Residents

Last updated 14 September 2026
Classical American bank building: the dome of a historic savings bank
An ITIN is the 9-digit tax number the IRS issues to people who need a US taxpayer identification number for federal tax purposes but cannot get a Social Security Number. Non-US residents who need one can apply from abroad, regardless of immigration status. It does not change immigration status or authorize work in the US.
The basics

What an ITIN is

An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is a tax processing number issued by the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS issues ITINs to individuals who need a US taxpayer identification number but are not eligible for a Social Security Number.

Think of it as the equivalent of an SSN for non-residents. It is not a visa, not a work permit and not residency. The IRS publishes its own list of what an ITIN does not do, and what an ITIN is quotes all four items of it alongside the definition.

The ladder

What you can do with an ITIN

The ITIN is step one of a ladder. Everything else builds on it.

  1. Get your ITIN. Your key to American banking and credit.
  2. Open US bank accounts. Bank of America, Chase, JP Morgan, Wells Fargo. Get your first credit cards and start building your credit history.
  3. Build your credit score toward 750. Access top-tier cards like Chase Sapphire and American Express Platinum, with the reward programs that come with them.
  4. Combine it with a US LLC. Access business funding and business credit cards on top of your personal setup.

Down the ladder, the same number is what US lenders use to see you: loans, mortgages, funding.

The best time to start is about 3 months before you plan to touch US soil, because the number should be waiting for you, not the other way around.

For the full picture of what people do after the number lands, see the Hall of Wins and the US credit program.

Who this is for

Non-US founders running or forming a US LLC. Entrepreneurs who want American banking without relocating. Anyone who plans to build a US credit score from abroad.

If that is you, everything else you want from the US starts here, and having the application handled for you is the first move.

The requirement is a status test rather than a nationality test, but the logistics of proving who you are do change by country, because the IRS publishes a separate agent listing for each one. There are routes written from where you are for Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Spain, Canada and Germany, and a separate one for a spouse or a dependent.

The process

How the process works

The application itself is the easy part when it is done for you:

  1. Fill out a short form. Two minutes.
  2. Sign one document within the first week.
  3. The team takes care of the rest. Your documents are checked and handed straight back, so your passport never goes in the mail. No US travel, no US address, no SSN.
  4. Your ITIN arrives by email. Quoted timeline today: 45 to 60 days.

What you provide:

That is the whole list. Filing with the IRS yourself means a longer one, and the document checklist builds it for your own situation. How to get an ITIN sets out the four routes the IRS publishes and the five questions that decide which one your documents can survive.

The proof

How long it takes

Many ITIN applications run four months or longer. The timeline quoted to clients today is 45 to 60 days, and client results published on the First Class Citizen site include cases delivered in as little as 37 days.

Antonio Leao
Client
"You have the record for the fastest ITIN we have ever processed. We did it in 37 days."
Davide Vignoli
Client
"My ITIN was delivered in 1 month and 2 weeks. Really happy with the process and I am gearing up for my trip to Miami now."
Thor M.
Client
"Got my ITIN within 6 weeks thanks to you and the whole team. I just filled out a form and waited and it came to my mail."
Chris M.
Client
"I got the ITIN as promised, FASTER than I was promised. I got the corporation and everything is done, and whenever I have a question I get my answers right away."
Michael Niziolek
Client
"Got my ITIN in 40-50 days and now I have 2 credit cards already. The experience has been amazing with hands-on support from the team."
Andrew Menechian
Client
"The LLC is fine, the EIN was fine, the ITIN's all good, got the bank accounts remotely, so everything went pretty good."
Neil Ateem
Client
"The process was super quick and easy. Whoever is behind the scenes in your team, they are on it, very communicative."
Povilas
Client
"I have a company in Lithuania doing $5-6m in ad spend through my debit card. I didn't know AMEX existed until I met Miquel and he explained how I was leaving money on the table."
Client confirms the ITIN email arrived and answers the team: exactly 60 days since applicationClient reports a Bank of America credit card approved at a 1,000 dollar starting limit with no prior US banking historyClient reports a Bank of America account opened in person, with the credit card appointment booked for the next dayEmail delivering a client's US ITIN with the document attached, and the client's reply: this is excellent newsSpanish-speaking client confirms the ITIN came through and asks for help with credit cards nextClient reports the ITIN took about seven weeks; the team answers to open US banks first, then apply for cardsClient receives the ITIN in 42 days and plans a Miami trip to open US bank accountsClient confirms the US bank accounts are open and thanks the teamInbox message titled Your ITIN is here, with the client's reply: I'm so happy, thank youTwo clients receive their ITINs in 58 days and ask to arrange US bank visits before returning to DubaiEmail from the team delivering a client's US ITIN, with the client's thanks in reply

Real client wins, straight from the Hall of Wins.

Book Your Assessment Call

Do you have to file US taxes because of an ITIN?

Having an ITIN will not create a US filing liability and / or tax liability.

If your application was rejected

Rejections happen, and they are usually fixable. Fixing them is its own craft, and the team behind this guide has processed hundreds of ITINs, including repairs of applications that failed elsewhere. The full rejection guide is next in this series.

The series

The full ITIN series

00
The complete ITIN guide
You are here
01
Get an ITIN without an SSN
Read it
02
Best ITIN services compared: done-for-you vs DIY
Read it
03
How long an ITIN really takes
Read it
04
ITIN for a US bank account
Read it
05
ITIN without traveling to the US
Read it
06
ITIN rejected: how to fix it
Read it
07
ITIN for your US LLC
Read it
08
ITIN vs EIN vs SSN
Read it
09
ITIN renewal
Read it
10
ITIN Form W-7: what it is and what goes with it
Read it
11
What banks accept an ITIN?
Read it
12
Your ITIN arrived: what happens next
Read it
13
What a nonresident alien actually is
Read it
14
Form W-8BEN, and what it does not do
Read it
15
How a nonresident alien is actually taxed
Read it
16
ITINs that landed, with the letters
Read it
17
What an ITIN actually costs
Read it
18
An ITIN for Mexican citizens
Read it
19
An ITIN for Amazon sellers
Read it
Watch

Learn the ITIN game in two videos

The same two videos First Class Citizen clients start with, free.

FAQ

What is an ITIN?
A tax processing number issued by the IRS for individuals who need a US taxpayer identification number but are not eligible for an SSN.
Can a non-US resident or non-citizen get an ITIN?
Yes, when they need a US taxpayer identification number for federal tax purposes and cannot get a Social Security Number. The IRS states that resident aliens and nonresident aliens can apply for an ITIN regardless of immigration status.
Does having an ITIN give you US immigration status or citizenship?
No. The IRS says an ITIN does not provide or change immigration status, does not authorize you to work legally in the US, and does not qualify you for Social Security benefits or the Earned Income Tax Credit.
Why would a non-US resident want one?
Three reasons: build an American credit score, open US bank accounts as a non-resident, access American credit cards as a non-resident.
What do you need to provide?
A passport photo or scan, a non-US address (any country) and an email.
Can I apply for an ITIN without being in the US?
Yes. The IRS says you can get help applying for an ITIN from an IRS-approved acceptance agent in the US and abroad.
Does an ITIN create US tax liability?
Having an ITIN will not create a US filing liability and / or tax liability.
How fast can you get one?
The timeline quoted to clients today is 45 to 60 days, and published client results go as fast as 37 days.
How long is an ITIN valid?
Plan on a three year validity. Renewal is its own step, covered in its own guide in this series.

Sources

The published pages this guide draws on, each read on the date shown.

  1. irs.gov read 2026-08-09
  2. irs.gov read 2026-08-09
  3. irs.gov read 2026-08-09

Ready to start?

The fastest way to know exactly where you stand is the assessment call. It is free, it is qualified, and you leave it with your next step clear.

Book Your Assessment Call

This guide reports what the authorities and institutions involved publish, quoted, with the date each source was read. It is not tax, legal or immigration advice. Published rules change, and an individual case can turn on facts no page can see.

MG
Author: Miquel Gironès
Founder & CEO, The First Class Citizen
Tools
  1. Find your routeTell it what you are trying to do and it maps the guides to read in order.
  2. ITIN document checklistPick your situation, get the exact list the IRS accepts.
  3. What it costsPublished prices and timelines, service by service.
  4. US credit calculatorWhat your spend returns at the rates issuers publish today.