Document Checklist for a Non-Resident US LLC

Published 3 September 2026 · Reviewed by Ashfaq Khattak, US Tax Consultant

Exactly what you need at each stage of forming and running a US LLC from outside the United States, and — more useful — what you do not need. Almost every delay we see comes from one of two things: a document gathered late, or a document gathered that was never required.

Nothing here needs to be notarised for the state filing in the states we form in, and nothing here requires you to travel.

To form the company

Needed	Why
Three candidate company names, in order of preference	Names get rejected for being too similar to an existing one. Having alternatives ready saves a round trip.
Your full legal name and residential address	Goes on the filing and, in some states, into the public record. Choose deliberately.
Ownership split, if more than one member	It determines whether the LLC files Form 5472 or Form 1065 — a different regime, not a detail.
A passport copy	For us and, later, for banking. Not required by the state.

Not needed: a US address of your own, a US bank account, a visa, an SSN, a notary, an apostille, or a US partner.

To get the EIN

The filed formation document, stamped by the state.
A responsible party — an individual with authority over the entity. This must be a person, even when the LLC is owned by a company.
The company’s mailing address, which should be one that reaches you, because the IRS posts the confirmation.

Not needed: an SSN, an ITIN, or a US phone number. Without an SSN the instant online application is closed to you, so it goes by fax or post and takes weeks rather than minutes. The IRS charges nothing.

To open a bank account

This is where applications are lost, and almost always for a preventable reason.

Filed formation documents — the stamped Articles or Certificate.
Your EIN confirmation letter (CP 575), or an acceptable substitute. Keep the original; a replacement is slower to get than the number was.
An operating agreement showing who owns what. Home-made single-member agreements are the most common rejection: they usually do not say enough.
Passport and proof of address for every beneficial owner, under know-your-customer rules.
A specific description of the business. What you sell, to whom, and how you get paid. "Consulting" is not a description, and vagueness here is the single most common decline.

Check that the company name matches exactly across the state filing, the EIN letter and the application — punctuation included. A mismatch triggers review, and review from abroad is slow.

To file the BOI report

For each beneficial owner: full legal name, date of birth, residential address, and an identifying document with its number and issuing jurisdiction.
An image of that document — usually the passport.
The company’s details as filed, including its EIN.

Choosing a state that keeps members out of the public record does not remove this. The BOI report exists precisely because some states do not ask.

To file the annual federal return

Bank statements for the year, or a clear statement that the company had no account.
A record of every transaction between you and the company — money in, money out, loans either way, and anything you paid on the company’s behalf from a personal account. This is what Form 5472 reports, and it is why a company with no customers still has a filing.
The prior year’s return, if there is one.
Details of any US presence: staff, contractors, an office, or inventory held in a US warehouse. This is what decides whether the income is US-taxable at all.

Only if it applies to you

ITIN (Form W-7): only when you have a US filing obligation of your own. Read EIN vs ITIN before you pay for one — plenty of people are sold an ITIN they do not need.
Certificate of good standing: when a bank, a payment processor or a client asks. Ordered from the state, so keep your filings current or you cannot get one.
Apostille or certified copies: for opening a bank account in your own country, or for some foreign registrations. Charged per document by the state.
Sales tax registration: only once you cross a state’s economic nexus threshold. Registering pre-emptively creates filing obligations you did not have.

Frequently asked questions

What documents do I need to form a US LLC as a non-resident?

Three candidate company names in order of preference, your full legal name and residential address, the ownership split if there is more than one member, and a passport copy. You do not need a US address of your own, a US bank account, a visa, an SSN, a notary, an apostille or a US partner.

What do banks ask for that formation providers do not?

An operating agreement that actually says who owns what, proof of address for every beneficial owner, and a specific description of the business — what you sell, to whom, and how you get paid. A vague description is the most common reason a remote application is declined.

Why does the company name have to match exactly?

Because banks and payment processors check it against the state filing and the EIN letter, punctuation included. A mismatch triggers a review, and a review from another timezone is slow.

What do I need for the annual federal return?

Bank statements for the year, and a record of every transaction between you and the company — money in, money out, loans either way, and anything you paid on the company’s behalf from a personal account. That last category is what Form 5472 reports, and it is why a company with no customers still has a filing.

Official sources

Rules, forms and fees on this page come from the following official sources, each checked on 2026-09-03. Government fees and deadlines change; confirm the current figure on the agency's own page before you file.