Yes. A foreign individual can own 100% of a US LLC, run it from anywhere and never visit the US. Neither Wyoming nor Delaware requires an owner to be a US citizen, a US resident or a visa holder. Thousands of freelancers, agencies and online sellers outside the US run their business this way.
What changes is not whether you can own one, but a few things around it: how you get the tax ID, which yearly IRS filing applies, and what banks ask for. This guide walks through each of them.
The short answer
- Who can own it: any individual of any nationality, living anywhere, as well as foreign companies.
- How many owners: one (a single-member LLC) or several (a multi-member LLC). Owners can be a mix of US and non-US people.
- Do you need to visit? No. Formation, the EIN and the registered agent are all handled remotely.
- Do you need an SSN or ITIN? Not to form the LLC or get its EIN.
- What it does not do: owning a US LLC does not give you a visa or permission to work in the US.
What US law says about LLC owners
An LLC’s owners are called members. State LLC laws set the rules for forming and running the company, and they do not limit who can be a member by citizenship or residence. The state asks for a registered agent with an address in the state, a company name, and the filing fee. Wyoming’s filing fee is $100 and Delaware’s is $110 (state fee schedules, checked October 2026; our order shows the state fee as its own line, see pricing).
Neither state lists members or managers on the public formation record. Your name does not appear on the Wyoming or Delaware register just because you own the LLC.
One owner or several?
| Structure | How the IRS treats it by default | Yearly federal filing |
|---|---|---|
| You alone (single-member LLC) | Disregarded entity | Form 5472 with a pro-forma Form 1120 |
| You and partners (multi-member LLC) | Partnership | Form 1065, with a Schedule K-1 for each partner |
| Your foreign company as owner | Disregarded entity | Form 5472 with a pro-forma Form 1120 |
| Any of the above, by election | C corporation (Form 8832) | Form 1120, plus Form 5472 for 25% foreign shareholders |
Most solo founders choose the single-member LLC. If a foreign company will own the LLC, our guide Can a foreign corporation own a US LLC? covers that structure in detail.
Can a foreigner be a partner in an LLC?
Yes. A multi-member LLC can have any mix of US and non-US members. The LLC is then a partnership for tax and files Form 1065, due March 15 for a calendar-year partnership (IRS, Instructions for Form 1065, checked October 2026). When a partnership with foreign partners has US business income, it may have to withhold tax on their share under section 1446. That makes a multi-member LLC with foreign partners more involved than a single-member one, so plan the structure before you form.
What actually changes when the owner lives abroad
1. The EIN: no SSN needed, but no online form
The IRS’s online EIN application is for applicants with an SSN or ITIN. A foreign owner applies by phone, fax or mail with Form SS-4, writing “Foreign” where the form asks for the responsible party’s SSN. The IRS’s international EIN line is 267-941-1099, Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern (IRS, Employer identification number, checked October 2026). Our EIN without SSN guide covers each step.
2. A yearly Form 5472, even at $0 income
A US single-member LLC owned by a foreign person must file Form 5472 attached to a pro-forma Form 1120 every year. It reports money and property moving between you and the LLC. It is due April 15 for a calendar-year LLC, and the penalty for a missing form is $25,000 (IRS, Instructions for Form 5472, checked October 2026). Our Form 5472 explained guide shows what goes on it.
3. Income tax depends on where the work happens
Owning a US LLC does not make all your income US-taxable. A nonresident owes US federal income tax on business profit only if it is effectively connected with a US trade or business. For services done from outside the US, that is often not the case. Read foreign-owned LLC taxes for the full test.
4. Banks and payment providers ask more questions
Banks and fintechs must verify every owner and the company’s address. As a foreign owner, expect to show your passport, proof of your home address, the formation documents, the EIN letter, and often evidence of what the business does. Some providers do not serve residents of certain countries. Our US bank account guide compares providers, and which address your LLC needs explains why a registered agent address is not enough for most of them.
Owning an LLC is not a visa
This is the point most often misunderstood. Forming or owning a US LLC is a business act. It does not give you the right to live or work in the US. If you plan to travel to the US and work there, look at immigration rules separately with an immigration lawyer. Running your LLC from your home country does not raise this question.
Sanctions screening
US companies, banks and service providers must screen owners against US sanctions lists. Residents or citizens of a few sanctioned countries cannot use most US financial services, even through a US LLC. If that might apply to you, check before you form.
A quick checklist for foreign owners
Before choosing a provider, compare US LLC formation services. Our guides to registered agents for nonresident owners and operating agreements for foreign-owned LLCs explain what those parts of the package do and what you still need to arrange.
- Choose the state: Wyoming for low yearly cost, Delaware if you plan to raise investment. Compare them on Wyoming vs Delaware.
- Choose a name written in English (Latin) letters that includes “LLC”.
- Appoint a registered agent in that state.
- File the formation document with the state.
- Get the EIN with Form SS-4.
- Sign an Operating Agreement that names you as the member.
- Open a bank account, with your own operating address ready.
- Put Form 5472 on your calendar for April 15.
FAQ
Do I need a US address to own an LLC?
You need a registered agent with an address in the state of formation. You do not need a home address in the US. Banks may ask for an operating address, which can be your real address abroad for many providers.
Can I be the manager of my LLC while living abroad?
Yes. A member can manage the LLC from anywhere. There is no requirement for a US-resident manager or director.
Will the US share my ownership with my home country?
US banks report some account information to other countries under exchange agreements, and your home country’s own rules may require you to declare a foreign company. Check your home country’s reporting rules.
Do I need to report my LLC to FinCEN?
No, not for an LLC formed in the US. FinCEN’s final rule, effective August 14, 2026, keeps companies created in the US exempt from beneficial ownership reporting, whoever owns them (FinCEN, checked October 2026).
We form single-member LLCs for owners in any country we can serve, in Wyoming or Delaware. Every Company Formation plan includes the name check, state filing, EIN application without an SSN, the registered agent and an Operating Agreement. Full Compliance adds the yearly Form 5472, the state compliance filing and bookkeeping. Planning a multi-member LLC? Tell us about your partners and we will tell you what fits.
