Apply for your ITIN. Only with a tax reason.

The ITIN is your personal tax number in the US. Many providers sell it as the key to accounts and cards — but the IRS issues it only for tax purposes and only with a stated reason. If you know this, you can submit an application that goes through rather than one that is returned weeks later.

In brief

You apply for the ITIN with Form W-7 to the IRS — as a rule together with a US tax return, and without one only if one of the IRS’s five exceptions applies. You need a tax reason; the ITIN is not needed for your company’s EIN. You send the passport as the original or as a copy certified by the issuing authority — or a Certifying Acceptance Agent checks it and returns it immediately. Processing takes about seven weeks; between mid-January and the end of April and for applications from abroad, nine to eleven weeks.

What the ITIN is — and what it is not

The IRS issues the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number to people who must be registered for tax in the US but cannot obtain a Social Security number. It has nine digits, begins with a 9 and serves tax purposes only. An ITIN is not a work permit, not a residence permit and not an entitlement to US Social Security benefits. Outside tax law, it is not a form of identification either.

The tax reason decides

The IRS requires a reason with every application. The standard case: you submit Form W-7 together with a US tax return — for instance because, as a shareholder (member) of an LLC, you have to declare income from business in the US. Without a tax return, it works only if one of the IRS’s five exceptions applies. One of them concerns partners in a partnership — for tax purposes this includes the LLC with several shareholders — that holds assets in the US whose income is reportable and subject to withholding. Since 1 June 2026, an acceptance agent submits such applications together with the part of the partnership agreement that shows the partnership’s name and EIN and the applicant’s name and signature. The IRS does not issue an ITIN for credit purposes alone. An application based on that is returned — and costs weeks.

How the application works

1. Clarify the reason: A US CPA reviews which tax return or which exception supports the application. No sound reason, no application.
2. Complete Form W-7: Tick the reason — for non-residents with a US tax return this is usually “b” — name as in the passport, address abroad, birth details, passport details. If an exception applies, its supporting documents are included.
3. Have the passport checked: The passport alone is sufficient proof of identity and nationality. It goes to the IRS as the original or as a copy certified by the issuing authority — or a Certifying Acceptance Agent checks it in person and returns it immediately.
4. Submit: With the tax return or proof of the exception to the IRS ITIN office in Austin, Texas — or via the acceptance agent.
5. Notice (about seven weeks): The IRS notifies you of the number in writing (CP 565). Between mid-January and the end of April and for applications from abroad, it takes nine to eleven weeks.

The passport: three routes

A notarised copy is not enough for the IRS — the certification must come from the issuing authority. Acceptance agents charge about €150 to €400 for the check and submission (market price, September 2026).

Route: Original by post · What you do: Send the passport to the IRS with the application · Your passport: is in transit for the duration of the review
Route: Certified copy · What you do: Copy certified by the authority that issued the passport · Your passport: stays with you
Route: Certifying Acceptance Agent · What you do: Appointment with the CAA, who checks the passport and submits the application · Your passport: is returned immediately

When the ITIN expires

An ITIN that does not appear on any US tax return for three consecutive tax years expires on 31 December of the third year. Thus all ITINs that were not used in the years 2022, 2023 and 2024 expired on 31 December 2025. You renew an expired ITIN with Form W-7 — with the same effort as for the first application. If you want to keep the number, you therefore need an ongoing tax reason.

ITIN, account and cards

What is true — Some issuers ask for the ITIN: In practice, the US credit bureaus track a personal credit history by SSN or ITIN. Some card issuers review applications with an ITIN, others require an SSN — each issuer decides this for itself.
What is not true — “With an ITIN, cards follow”: An ITIN is a prerequisite, not a commitment. The issuer decides on every application based on history, income and business.

How FIAON Global handles the ITIN

The ITIN application is included in every FIAON Global package — with the step that many providers leave out: our US CPA first reviews whether the application holds up, and on what grounds. Without a sound reason, we file no application at all rather than send your passport off on a journey for weeks. The Certifying Acceptance Agent checks your passport at the appointment and returns it immediately. We submit the application with all enclosures, track it until the notice arrives and place it in your document room — coordinated with your company’s EIN and the first card application.

The ITIN in the package

Both tax numbers, the company and the first account and card application — Global Structure at a fixed price.

What you need to know

The ITIN serves tax purposes only. Whoever applies for it takes on the duties on which the application is based — an annual US tax return, for instance.
US business credit cards generally require a personal guarantee from the owner. The institution alone decides on the account, the card and the limit.
An ITIN does not replace an SSN: separate rules apply to work and social benefits in the US.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an ITIN for my LLC?

Not for the company’s EIN. You need an ITIN personally if you have to file a tax return in the US or if one of the IRS exceptions applies.

How long does an ITIN application take?

About seven weeks; between mid-January and the end of April and for applications from abroad, nine to eleven weeks.

Do I have to send my original passport to get an ITIN?

Not necessarily. Instead of the original, a copy certified by the issuing authority will do, or a Certifying Acceptance Agent checks the passport and returns it immediately.

Can I apply for an ITIN just for a credit card?

No. The IRS issues ITINs only for tax purposes; the application needs a tax return or an exception. Some card issuers ask for the ITIN — they still decide on the card themselves.

Does an ITIN expire?

Yes, if it does not appear on any US tax return for three consecutive tax years — on 31 December of the third year. It is renewed with Form W-7.

Read on

EIN and ITIN. The two numbers you cannot do without. – EIN for your US company, ITIN for you personally: we clarify the tax reason, prepare both applications and file them with the IRS.
Apply for your EIN. Without a Social Security number. – Apply for an EIN for your LLC without an SSN: Form SS-4 line by line, fax, post or phone, timing and the typical mistakes — as of September 2026.
Credit in the US. It starts at zero. – Why SCHUFA does not count in the US, how the FICO Score is made up, what you need for a first score and how a US credit history grows.
Your LLC’s US tax return. Which forms, which deadlines. – Pro forma 1120, 1040-NR, 1065, 1120-F, FBAR: which US returns your LLC must file, by structure — with deadlines and the double taxation agreement.