Country guide · India
Form a US LLC as an Indian citizen
Last updated: August 2026
Bottom line
Form a US LLC as an Indian citizen is straightforward once the India paperwork is in order. As a Hague Convention member, India issues a single apostille that the US recognizes without further legalization. Tax treaty: US-India treaty (1989) reduces royalty/technical-services withholding to 15% and dividend withholding to 15·25%.
India’s LRS framework + RBI controls make a US LLC a regulatory question, not just a tax one. Get a CA opinion on the structure before deploying capital through it. This is the country-specific guide for Indian citizens to form a us llc, apostille, banking, and treaty notes that change by jurisdiction. For the canonical procedural sequence (the steps everyone follows regardless of citizenship), see the main US LLC formation page.
A Wyoming or Delaware LLC is the cleanest holding entity for a non-resident founder. No state income tax, no minimum capital, no resident director requirement. The whole setup runs remote: file Articles online, fax Form SS-4 for the EIN, open Mercury for banking. The catch is the annual Form 5472 filing, miss it and the penalty is USD 25,000.
What Indian citizens need to form a US LLC
Apostille
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
~2·4 weeks, ~USD 15. As a Hague Convention member, India issues a single apostille that the US recognizes without further legalization.
Banking flow
Indian residents open Mercury remotely. USD wires to HDFC/ICICI/Axis work; INR outbound via Wise is competitive vs LRS-band banks.
Timezone
UTC+5:30 (IST), 10.5 hours ahead of IRS Austin. IRS Austin is on UTC-6 / Asunción Migración on UTC-3.
Country-specific note
Common: Indian SaaS founders and IT consultants billing US customers who need an ITIN + Mercury to operate clean USD revenue outside LRS limits.
Tax treaty: US-India treaty (1989) reduces royalty/technical-services withholding to 15% and dividend withholding to 15·25%.
Questions Indian citizens ask about us llc formation
How long does the apostille take for Indian citizens? +
2·4 weeks through Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), at roughly USD 15. As a Hague Convention member, India issues a single apostille that the US recognizes without further legalization.
How do Indian-resident clients usually handle banking with their US LLC? +
Indian residents open Mercury remotely. USD wires to HDFC/ICICI/Axis work; INR outbound via Wise is competitive vs LRS-band banks.
Do Indian citizens get US tax treaty benefits on an LLC? +
US-India treaty (1989) reduces royalty/technical-services withholding to 15% and dividend withholding to 15·25%.
Form your LLC, Indian citizen
See the full procedural sequence on the canonical US LLC formation page, or jump straight to the apply form.
Form your LLCKeep going
The rest of the playbook
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Residency
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US Credit
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Stay Compliant
Stay compliant with Form 5472, BOI, and annual filings
The annual cadence that keeps your non-resident LLC out of USD 25,000 IRS penalties and in good standing.
Banking
Open bank accounts in Georgia and Panama, 100% remotely
Official SOLO (Bank of Georgia) and Towerbank partner. Passport to start, video call to activate, tax ID added later, no flights required.