The documents to form a US LLC as a non-resident are short: a valid passport, your current home address, three company name options and a short description of the business. Founders in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Morocco and 9 other Arab countries prepare all four at home, with no notary, no translation and no Social Security Number.
This guide lists each document, shows how to prepare it in six steps, and explains which extra papers the US bank and Stripe ask for once the company exists. It is part of the guide to forming a US LLC from an Arab country, which covers the full path from Wyoming filing to yearly filings.
What documents does a non-resident need to form a US LLC?
A non-resident needs four things to form a US LLC: a valid passport, a current home address, three company name options and a one or two sentence business description. No notarized or translated documents are needed for the state filing.
The state filing itself asks for very little. The Wyoming Secretary of State files the Articles of Organization with the company name, the registered agent and the organizer. The passport and address matter more in the next stages, when the IRS issues the EIN and the bank reviews the owner.
| Document | Used for | How to prepare it |
|---|---|---|
| Valid passport | State filing records, EIN, bank review | Clear color scan of the photo page, not expired |
| Current home address | Company records, bank review | Full address as it appears on your bills |
| Proof of address | Bank review | Recent utility bill or bank statement in your name |
| Three name options | State filing | Each ends with LLC or Limited Liability Company |
| Business description | EIN, bank, Stripe | One or two sentences, same wording everywhere |
The Wyoming LLC state filing fee is $100(Source: Wyoming Secretary of State), and the state lists its fees on sos.wyo.gov. If you want to understand the company form before you prepare anything, read what an LLC is and how it differs from a local company.
How do you prepare the documents for a US LLC, step by step?
You prepare the documents for a US LLC in six steps: check the passport, prove your address, choose three names, write the business description, collect the company papers after filing, then build the bank and Stripe file.
Step 1: Check your passport
Check the expiry date first. Banks reject an expired passport at once. Scan the photo page in color, flat and with all four corners visible. A phone photo with glare or cut edges leads the bank to ask for the document again. A national ID card does not replace the passport for US banks.
Step 2: Prepare proof of your home address
Write the address where you live today, in full, with the city and postal code. Then find a recent utility bill or bank statement in your name that shows the same address. The formation step accepts the address as you write it. The bank compares it with the proof, so the two must match letter for letter.
Step 3: Choose three company name options
List three names in order of preference. Wyoming files the first name that is free in its records. Each name ends with "LLC" or "Limited Liability Company". Keep all three close to your brand, so any of them works on your website and invoices.
Step 4: Write your business description
Write one or two sentences. "We build websites for clients in Europe" or "We sell handmade leather goods online" is enough. The same wording goes on the EIN application, the bank form and the Stripe form. Reviewers compare them.
Step 5: Collect the company documents after filing
After the state files the company and the IRS issues the EIN, keep three papers together: the Articles of Organization, the signed operating agreement and the EIN confirmation letter, called the CP 575 notice. Check that the company name is spelled the same on all three.
Step 6: Prepare the bank and Stripe file
Add a live website with real products, prices, a refund policy and a contact page. List every person who owns 25% or more of the company. The bank and Stripe ask for both.
Which documents does a US bank ask a foreign-owned LLC for?
A US bank asks a foreign-owned LLC for the Articles of Organization, the EIN letter, the operating agreement, the owner's passport, a proof of address and a clear description of the business. The bank reviews the file and decides.
Every US bank must identify the people behind a company. Under 31 CFR 1010.230, the bank collects the identity of each person who owns 25% or more of the company and of one person who controls it. For a single-member LLC, that person is you. This is why the bank asks for your passport even though the account belongs to the company.
| Bank document | Comes from | What the bank checks |
|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization | Wyoming Secretary of State | Company name and formation date |
| EIN letter (CP 575) | IRS | Federal tax number matches the company name |
| Operating agreement | You, as the owner | Who owns and who controls the company |
| Passport | Your home government | Identity of each 25% owner |
| Proof of address | Utility company or home bank | Address matches your application |
| Website and description | You | The business is real and matches the form |
Digital banks such as Mercury, Relay and Wise Business accept non-resident owners most often. If your utility bill is in Arabic or French, ask the bank which languages it reads before you upload it. The guide to opening a US bank account from an Arab country covers each bank, and the US business bank account service prepares and submits the applications for you.
Which documents does Stripe or PayPal ask a US LLC for?
Stripe and PayPal ask a US LLC for the company's legal name, its EIN, a US bank account in the company's name, the owner's identity and a website that shows what the company sells.
As of October 2026, Stripe reviews a US LLC as a US business, so the documents are the company papers you already hold. Stripe also reviews the owner's identity, which means the same passport you used for the bank. The website carries as much weight as the papers. Stripe reads the products, the prices, the refund policy and the contact details, then compares them with the business description on the form.
The order matters. Stripe pays out to a US bank account, so an application without one stops at the payout step. Open the bank account first, then apply to Stripe with the same company name, the same EIN and the same description.
Stripe or PayPal makes the final decision, and no one can guarantee approval. For the payment providers in detail, read the guide to Stripe, PayPal and Payoneer for Arab businesses. The Stripe setup service prepares the company file for the Stripe review. Freelancers who invoice foreign clients will find the full setup in the US LLC guide for freelancers.
Do you need an SSN, an ITIN or a US address to form a US LLC?
You do not need an SSN, an ITIN or a US address to form a US LLC. The company gets an EIN from the IRS, and a registered agent in Wyoming gives it a legal address.
Non-residents get an EIN with IRS Form SS-4 without an SSN(Source: IRS Form SS-4 instructions). The IRS publishes the form and its instructions on the Form SS-4 page. The IRS online EIN application asks for an SSN or ITIN for the responsible party, so owners without one apply by fax or mail with the paper form. The IRS does not charge a fee for an EIN.
Wyoming law requires every LLC to keep a registered agent with a physical address in the state. The registered agent receives legal mail and state notices for the company. This is why your own address stays in your home country.
The ITIN is a personal US taxpayer number, and most foreign LLC owners never need one. An ITIN (Form W-7) can be processed through an IRS Certifying Acceptance Agent(Source: IRS Form W-7 instructions). Offers of a ready-made "US tax number" sold online are not a document any bank accepts. The guide to the US tax number myth explains the difference between the EIN, the ITIN and the offers to avoid.
What changes in the documents for a multi-member US LLC or a specific Arab country?
A multi-member US LLC needs the passport and proof of address of every owner who holds 25% or more, plus an operating agreement that states each owner's share. The country of residence changes the bank review, not the US documents.
| Situation | Extra documents | Who asks |
|---|---|---|
| Two or more owners | Passport and proof of address for each 25% owner | The bank |
| Two or more owners | Operating agreement with each owner's percentage | The bank, Stripe |
| Owner lives outside the passport country | Proof of address in the country of residence | The bank |
| Owner changes address later | New proof of address | The bank, when it updates its records |
The US side is the same for every Arab country. A founder in Riyadh and a founder in Casablanca send the same Wyoming filing and the same Form SS-4. The difference is at the bank, which screens owners by country of residence. Arab LLC serves founders in 13 Arab countries, listed in the FAQ below.
Each served country has its own guide with banks, payment providers and home tax rules. Start from the US LLC guides by Arab country before you prepare the bank file.
Which document mistakes slow down a US LLC bank or Stripe application?
The mistakes that slow down a US LLC application are an expired or blurred passport, an address that does not match the proof, different business descriptions on each form, and a website with no prices or refund policy.
| Mistake | What happens | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Expired passport | The bank rejects the file | Renew before you apply |
| Blurred or cropped scan | The bank asks for the document again | Flat color scan, four corners visible |
| Address differs from the proof | The review stops for clarification | Copy the address from the bill |
| Different activity descriptions | The bank or Stripe flags the file | One description, copied everywhere |
| Company name spelled two ways | Documents do not match | Use the name from the Articles |
| Website with no prices or contact page | Stripe review fails | Build the full site before applying |
If one bank declines the file, you can apply to another. A rejection does not affect the company or the EIN. The guide to a rejected bank application explains how to read the decision and what to change before the next application.
Which documents does a US LLC keep after formation each year?
A US LLC keeps its Articles of Organization, operating agreement, EIN letter and bank records every year. The bank records support the yearly Form 5472 with a pro-forma Form 1120, which a foreign-owned single-member LLC files with the IRS.
Foreign-owned single-member LLCs file Form 5472 with a pro-forma Form 1120(Source: Treas. Reg. § 1.6038A-1; IRS instructions). The form reports money moving between the company and its owner, such as the money you put in and the money you take out. The penalty for a missing Form 5472 is $25,000 per form per year(Source: IRC § 6038A(d); IRS Form 5472 instructions), under IRC § 6038A(d). Keep every bank statement and every transfer record for this reason.
The Wyoming annual report costs $60 minimum per year(Source: Wyoming Secretary of State), and the state sends its notices to the registered agent. Read Form 5472 explained for the filing itself, the guide to US LLC taxes for owners abroad for both sides of the tax picture, and the guide to moving money out of a US LLC for the transfer records you keep. This page is general information, not tax advice.
How does Arab LLC help you prepare the documents for a US LLC?
Arab LLC checks your passport scan, address and name options before filing, then forms the Wyoming LLC, gets the EIN and prepares the operating agreement. The price is $397 service + $100 Wyoming state fee = $497 first year.
The US LLC formation service lists what is included. We review each document against the checklist on this page before it goes to the state, the IRS or the bank. We prepare and submit each application. The state approves the company, the IRS issues the EIN, and the bank and Stripe make their own decisions.
We also tell you which document each provider will ask for next, so you prepare it once. When a bank or Stripe asks for a new paper, we explain what it is for and which version to send.
If you are not sure whether a document from your country works, for example a bill in a family member's name, contact Arab LLC before you start and send the question first.
