How to get an ITIN from abroad: apply through a CAA and verify your passport
Apply for an ITIN with Exentax: W-7, documents and CAA verification without mailing your original passport to the IRS. Clear steps and personal support.
Applying for an ITIN from outside the United States should be a clear, supported process. You need a qualifying federal tax purpose, Form W-7 and properly verified identification. With Exentax, your application is handled through a CAA without sending your original passport to the IRS. We prepare the application, coordinate verification and follow it through to a response.
What matters is not simply getting a form submitted. You want the number issued in your name, the IRS assignment letter safely retained and a clear understanding of where to use it, whether for a personal tax return or alongside your LLC.
This guide explains how to get an ITIN, which documents to gather, what a CAA does and what happens after submission. It focuses on the application itself, rather than treating an ITIN as a routine requirement for every business owner.
Who can apply for an ITIN?
An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number is for a person who needs a US federal tax identification number but does not have, and is not eligible for, an SSN. The ITIN identifies you personally. An EIN identifies your LLC. Our guide to EIN, ITIN and SSN explains how those roles fit together.
The first question is which tax matter requires your identification. It might be filing Form 1040-NR, claiming a refund through that return or meeting a documented exception in the W-7 instructions. Owning an LLC does not, by itself, require a personal ITIN.
A financial institution may also request a US TIN. We review what it is asking for and why. Its account-opening requirements and the IRS eligibility rules are separate questions; understanding both helps you prepare the right application.
Form W-7: applying with a return or under an exception
The usual route is to submit Form W-7 together with a federal income tax return. For a nonresident with a personal US filing requirement, that will generally be Form 1040-NR. The IRS assigns the ITIN and forwards the return for processing. Issuing the number and processing the return are connected, but they are not the same decision.
The official W-7 instructions provide exceptions to the requirement to attach a return. Each requires specific evidence. A statement that you want a bank account or intend to invest is not, on its own, that evidence.
Consider three illustrative situations:
- A withholding refund: the applicant gathers the income and withholding records. If a 1040-NR is needed and they neither have nor qualify for an SSN, the W-7 is prepared with the return.
- An interest in a partnership: the agreement, entity documentation, income and conditions of the relevant exception are reviewed together. Ownership alone does not establish every requirement.
- A property transaction involving FIRPTA: the transaction documents and the particular filing determine how the ITIN application is coordinated. An exception route and a later income tax return should not be treated as interchangeable.
Choosing the route first means asking you for the right documents. You know what is needed, what each document supports and how we will prepare the application.
ITIN documents: what to gather before applying
An application brings together three elements: signed W-7, a return or evidence supporting an exception, and identification. For an adult primary applicant, a current passport can generally establish both identity and foreign status. Dependent applications have additional rules, including evidence of US residency where required.
The IRS accepts original documents and copies certified by the issuing agency. An ordinary photocopy or routinely notarized copy is not, by itself, equivalent to issuing-agency certification. A CAA can also authenticate documents within the scope of its authority.
To get started, gather:
- A valid passport with complete, readable details.
- Your full name exactly as it appears on your identification.
- Date of birth, citizenship and current personal address.
- A mailing address where correspondence can reach you.
- The tax number issued by your country of tax residence, if you have one.
- Earlier IRS letters and any previously assigned ITIN or IRSN.
- Records supporting the return, withholding, partnership interest or transaction behind the application.
This is a preparation list, not an instruction to send every document to the IRS. Exentax explains what needs verification, what accompanies the application and what you should retain.
Using a CAA without mailing your original passport to the IRS
A Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA) can authenticate certain documents and return them after checking their authenticity. The IRS distinguishes a CAA from an Acceptance Agent. Both help with applications, but they do not have the same document-authentication authority.
Exentax uses the CAA route so that you do not send your original passport to the IRS. We explain the verification arrangements, the documents to prepare and how to sign. You have a team to contact throughout preparation and follow-up.
That is a practical advantage when you live abroad: this route does not require a trip to an IRS office or mailing your passport there. Identity verification still takes place. Where dependents or other supporting documents are involved, their specific requirements are checked before submission.
Completing W-7: names, addresses and earlier tax numbers
The form is short, but its fields serve different purposes. Getting them right starts with using the applicant's actual details, not borrowing information from a company file.
Your name, home address and mailing address
Your name should match your identification. If your name at birth was different, the relevant field records it. The applicant is the individual, not their LLC.
Line 2 is the mailing address; line 3 covers the foreign address under the applicable filing rules. A nonresident applying under reason b must provide a complete foreign address. Foreign postal codes are valid: use the correct city, region and country rather than inventing a US ZIP code.
An LLC's registered agent address is not a substitute for your personal residence. Keeping residence and correspondence details separate lets the IRS contact you without misdescribing where you live.
Tax details, identification and signature
Line 6b records your country-of-tax-residence tax number if one has been issued. Lines 6e and 6f deal with an earlier ITIN or IRSN. The date of birth uses MM/DD/YYYY, and passport details must match the current document.
The filing reason, attached return or exception evidence and signature are then reviewed together. If a representative signs, the applicable authority and supporting documents must be checked. Our team gives you specific signing instructions rather than leaving you to interpret an unfamiliar form.
Submitting the application and tracking the IRS response
The IRS application guide sets out how to assemble and submit the package. A return accompanying W-7 goes through the ITIN submission channel with the application, rather than being mailed separately to its usual filing address.
With Exentax, the work follows five steps:
- Initial review: establish the tax purpose, application type and service scope.
- Preparation: collect the details and prepare W-7 with the return or exception evidence.
- CAA verification: coordinate identification and signing without sending your original passport to the IRS.
- Submission and follow-up: retain the submitted documents and deal with requests for clarification.
- Delivery and use: review the assignment letter with you and explain where the number belongs.
The IRS advises allowing 7 weeks for a status notification, or 9 to 11 weeks for overseas applications and those submitted during the peak period from January 15 to April 30. These are processing references, not guaranteed completion dates.
If further information is requested, the response is handled against the existing application. We do not automatically send a second application because a letter has not arrived. The retained copy and submission date provide the basis for informed follow-up.
ITIN fees: what professional support covers
The IRS does not charge a fee to issue an ITIN. Professional fees cover preparation, verification and assistance. Preparing an accompanying tax return is a separate piece of work that should have a defined scope.
Exentax confirms what your service includes before starting: eligibility review, W-7, CAA coordination, necessary tax documentation, submission and follow-up. If a return needs preparing, that is identified in the proposal. You can assess the complete service without confusing professional fees with a government charge.
After your ITIN arrives: using and renewing the number
Keep the assignment letter and check the name and number. The ITIN can then be entered on the returns or documents that need it. For forms supplied to payers, our W-8BEN, W-8BEN-E and W-9 guide explains how the account holder and tax classification determine the form, rather than possession of an ITIN alone.
If you operate an LLC, the company's EIN remains separate from your personal number. Exentax coordinates both with the tax and banking documentation relevant to your structure.
An ITIN unused on a federal income tax return for three consecutive tax years expires at the end of the third year. An expired ITIN is renewed when it will be used again on a federal income tax return. There is no general annual renewal requirement. The IRS says renewal is unnecessary when the number is used only on third-party information returns.
Questions about applying for an ITIN through a CAA
Can I apply for an ITIN while living outside the United States?
Yes. You can apply from abroad if you have a qualifying federal tax purpose and do not have or qualify for an SSN. Exentax coordinates the application and CAA verification without sending your original passport to the IRS.
Can I get an ITIN without filing Form 1040-NR?
Yes, where a documented exception to the requirement to attach a return applies. The W-7 reason and supporting documents need review; there is no single exception that covers every applicant.
Do I need an ITIN to form an LLC?
Not simply to form the company. The LLC has its own EIN. Whether the owner needs an ITIN depends on their personal circumstances and the relevant federal tax matter.
What does a CAA do for an ITIN application?
The CAA verifies documents within its authority and helps prepare and submit the application. This route handles identification without sending the original passport to the IRS, which assigns the number.
Should I request a new number if my ITIN has expired?
Where renewal is needed, the existing ITIN is renewed rather than omitted from a new application. We review the assignment letter and previous use before preparing the request.
Your ITIN, handled by a team you can reach
Tell us why you need the number and whether you already have an LLC or IRS correspondence. Exentax reviews your circumstances, prepares the appropriate application and supports you through submission and subsequent use. You know what to provide, and we organize the work.