How to form a US LLC from abroad, in 7 steps

Yes. Wyoming and Delaware do not ask the owners of an LLC to be US citizens or residents; the company needs a registered agent in the state, and the owner can live anywhere.

What changes for a non-resident is how some steps are done: the registered agent provides the in-state address, and the EIN is requested by fax or mail instead of the IRS online form. If you are still weighing the company type, start with what a US LLC is.

A valid passport, your residential address, an e-mail address and phone number, and the company details: state, name, and the members and their shares.

• Passport: the identity document checked before the order goes to the state.
• The company name you want, with one or two alternatives.
• The members (owners) and their percentages; a company can also be a member.
• Your signature on the EIN application (Form SS-4) when LaunchUS has prepared it.

The how to order guide shows each screen of the order, and which service when explains what is needed now and what can wait.

Seven steps, from choosing the state to the yearly obligations. The actor tag on each step shows who does it.

1. 01
   Step 1. You

   Choose Wyoming or Delaware

   Most founders abroad pick one of these two states. Wyoming has lower yearly state costs; Delaware is the state many investors know.

2. 02
   Step 2. You

   Choose a company name

   The name must end in “LLC” or a permitted variant and differ from names already on the state register; the state accepts it when it reviews the filing.

3. 03
   Step 3. LaunchUS Registered Agent

   Appoint a registered agent

   Every LLC needs an agent with a street address in the state. LaunchUS Registered Agent is part of every formation plan.

4. 04
   Step 4. LaunchUS Registered Agent

   File the formation document

   The Articles of Organization (Wyoming) or the Certificate of Formation (Delaware) is filed with the state; the state reviews it and decides.

5. 05
   Step 5. IRS

   Get an EIN without an SSN

   LaunchUS prepares Form SS-4, you sign it, and the IRS assigns the company’s tax number. The confirmation letter goes to your vault.

6. 06
   Step 6. You

   Set up an address, banking and payments

   Add a business address if you need one, then apply to a bank or a payment provider. Each institution makes its own decision.

7. 07
   Step 7. You

   Keep up with the yearly obligations

   The state’s annual report or tax, the registered agent renewal and the IRS information return for a foreign-owned LLC come back every year.

Step 1 in detail: Wyoming vs Delaware. Step 3: what a registered agent is. Step 5: the EIN service and how long an EIN takes. Step 6: the US business address service, the post on a US bank account for a non-resident LLC and the Stripe guide. Step 7: the yearly obligations checklist.

No. Formation, the registered agent and the EIN application all work remotely; documents are signed and shared online.

A bank or payment provider may ask for more, such as a video call or extra documents. That is its own process and its own decision.

Typically 1–9 business days from payment to state approval in Wyoming and 3–19 business days in Delaware; without an SSN the EIN letter usually follows within 4–17 weeks of payment.

These are LaunchUS estimates from the same configuration your dashboard uses, not a commitment: the state and the IRS set the real timing, and their published times can change.

LaunchUS plans start at $549: one USD price; state fee shown as a separate line (currently $103 in Wyoming and $110 in Delaware).

The state then charges a yearly amount, and the registered agent renews from the second year. The three-year cost guide adds these up for both states; the pricing page has every plan and add-on.

Wait for the EIN, then set up the address, banking and payments, and note the yearly deadlines of the state and the IRS.

Our guide on what happens after you order follows the documents into your vault. A foreign-owned single-member LLC files Form 5472 with the IRS every year, even without income. US-formed companies are exempt from FinCEN’s beneficial ownership (BOI) reporting under its current rule (FinCEN BOI); our BOI post has the details.

An accountant or tax adviser in your country of residence. LaunchUS does not give tax advice.

How the LLC’s income is treated where you live depends on that country’s rules and any tax treaty. Bring the formation documents and the EIN letter to that conversation.

No. Owning a US company does not by itself give a visa, a residence permit or the right to work in the US.

Visas are a separate process with their own rules, set out on the US Department of State visa pages. Ask an immigration lawyer if that is your goal.

• Wyoming Secretary of State: business filing fee schedule
• Delaware Division of Corporations: fee schedule
• IRS: Employer identification number
• IRS: Instructions for Form SS-4
• FinCEN: Beneficial ownership information
• US Department of State: US visas

Checked on October 31, 2026