Forming a US LLC as a non-resident

What you need to get started

US states do not ask about your nationality or where you live to register an LLC. The list of what you need is short:

• A valid passport, used for the EIN application and the bank account.
• A real residential address in your country (home or office). Banks need a physical address and do not accept the registered agent’s address, a PO box or a virtual address (Mercury’s address rule).
• A company name, which you can check on the Wyoming name search before ordering.
• A clear description of your activity and, ideally, a website or a profile that shows it.
• An email address and a phone number where you can be reached.

How it works, step by step

1. Order online. You fill in the company details, members and address in one form.
2. Articles filed in Wyoming. We check the name and file the articles of organization; the $100 state fee is included. A registered agent with a Wyoming address is appointed for your company.
3. EIN requested by fax. Form SS-4 goes to the IRS international fax line (+1 304-707-9471) and the EIN usually comes back in about 4 business days (IRS). When a third-party designee handles the request, the IRS asks for a dated handwritten signature (signature rules), which we prepare with you.
4. Bank account opened online. With the EIN, the articles and your passport, you apply to the bank that serves your country of residence.
5. Start selling. Connect Stripe or your marketplaces to the LLC’s US account.

Our EIN guide explains the SS-4 in detail, line by line.

The bank depends on where you live

For US fintech banks, what counts is your country of residence, not your nationality. A founder of any nationality living in a country a bank serves can open an account there. Our bank finder shows, for each country of residence, the primary bank, the backups and whether a physical card is shipped. The full process is in our US bank account guide.

What an LLC changes, and what it does not

A US LLC lets you run a US business from abroad: invoice US clients, receive dollars, use a US Stripe account and sell on US platforms. It is a company, not an immigration status: visas are a separate process, covered in our guide on whether an LLC gives a visa.

Yearly obligations

Once formed, a Wyoming LLC owned by a non-resident has two recurring filings. The state annual report, with a minimum license tax of $60, keeps the company in good standing. Form 5472 with a pro forma 1120 goes to the IRS each year; the IRS sets a penalty of $25,000 per missing form.

Formation costs $489 all-inclusive, with the first Form 5472 already covered. From the second year, the annual plan at $300 handles the registered agent, the annual report and Form 5472 for you. The details are on our pricing page.

Everything happens online, wherever you live. Start your order when you are ready.