Get an ITIN without mailing your passport to the IRS

 

Important: We will be unavailable to process ITIN applications between January 30–FEBRUARY 11, 2024.

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Individual Tax Identification Numbers for non-US citizens

The Internal Revenue Service’s ITIN program allows certain foreign citizens who are not eligible for a Social Security Number to obtain an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to use for filing tax returns (and a few other things, like opening a US bank account).

Normally, obtaining or renewing an ITIN involves mailing your passport and other original identity documents to the IRS, which will leave you without your documents for weeks or months. But I’m authorized by the IRS to review documents on their behalf and certify their authenticity, allowing you to send copies to the IRS and keep your originals.

There are four steps:

  1. Fill out our online form and upload copies of your IDs.

  2. Arrange for physical verification of your documents – you can either bring them to our office in Mexico City or send them to us via your preferred courier service.

  3. We’ll give you a completed W-7 form (the ITIN application), a W-7(COA) certificate of accuracy, and certified copies of your identity documents. Mail these to the IRS with your tax return (or, in rare cases, other documentation that establishes your need for an ITIN for federal tax purposes).

  4. You (and we) should receive a letter informing you of your new or renewed ITIN within 9 to 11 weeks. If you sent a tax return with your application, it will be processed after the ITIN.

Ready to apply for your ITIN?

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The standard processing time for applications submitted from outside the US is 9 to 11 weeks. You can check the IRS’ Mission Critical Functions status website for more details.

  • The only documents we can review virtually are Mexican voter IDs (INEs) issued after 2019, and Mexican birth certificates. All other document types, including passports, must be reviewed in person.

  • If it’s been more than seven weeks and you haven’t received your ITIN, you can call the IRS toll-free at 800-829-1040 if you are in the United States or 267-941-1000 (not a toll-free number) if you are outside the United States.

  • We charge $175 USD (or the equivalent in pesos) for preparing the application and certifying your documents. There is no fee from the IRS to obtain an ITIN.

  • We’re set up to accept credit cards, cash (USD or MXN), Venmo, Cash App, PayPal, Wise, and bank transfers in the US, Mexico, and Europe. If there’s a different method you’d like to use let us know and we’ll see what we can do!

  • Yes, but you’ll need to mail original passport (or other identity documents) to the IRS or apply in person at an IRS service center in the US. Applying through us means you don’t have to give the IRS your original documents.

(Are you a U.S. Citizen helping someone apply for an ITIN? Don’t forget that you are entitled to vote in federal elections no matter what country you live in – make sure you’re registered and don’t forget to request your ballot every year!)