You can’t renew an ITIN online. The IRS accepts renewals only on paper: by mail, through a Certified Acceptance Agent, or in person at a Taxpayer Assistance Center. All three routes use the same Form W-7 and require original or certified identification documents.
Why There’s No Online Option
Every ITIN renewal includes a physical check of your identity documents. Someone has to look at your original passport, national ID, or other qualifying papers before the application moves forward. A web form can’t do that, so the IRS keeps the process on paper and routes it through people who can verify documents in hand.
When Your ITIN Is Actually Expired
An ITIN expires automatically if you don’t include it on a U.S. federal tax return for three consecutive tax years. Expiration lands on December 31 of that third year. If you last used your ITIN on a return for tax year 2022 and skipped 2023, 2024, and 2025, it expired on December 31, 2025.1Internal Revenue Service. How to Renew an ITIN
There’s also an older group of numbers already out of service. ITINs issued before 2013 with middle digits of 90, 91, 92, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, or 99 have expired under a rolling schedule the IRS worked through over several years. If your number has any of those middle digits and you haven’t renewed, treat it as expired now.2Internal Revenue Service. You May Need to Renew Your Expiring ITIN
When You Don’t Need to Renew
Renewal is only necessary when the ITIN will appear on a U.S. federal income tax return. If the number only shows up on information returns like a Form 1099 that a payer files on your behalf, you can leave it alone. Expired ITINs still work for those reporting documents.1Internal Revenue Service. How to Renew an ITIN
You also don’t need a current ITIN to request a filing extension or make estimated tax payments. The renewal only matters when you actually file the return.
What Happens If You File With an Expired ITIN
The IRS will still process the return, but your refund can be delayed and you can lose certain tax credits until the ITIN is renewed. That can shrink a refund or leave you with penalties and interest on a balance due.1Internal Revenue Service. How to Renew an ITIN
The credits most exposed are the Child Tax Credit, the Credit for Other Dependents, and the American Opportunity Tax Credit. Each requires that you, your spouse on a joint return, and the relevant dependent or student have a taxpayer identification number issued on or before the return’s due date, including extensions. If your ITIN is expired when you file, the IRS treats you as not having a valid number for those credits.3Internal Revenue Service. ITIN Application Frequently Asked Questions
Renew before you file and none of this comes up.
What to Put on Form W-7
Download Form W-7 from the IRS website. In the application type block at the top right, check “Renew an existing ITIN.” Enter your current ITIN and the name it was issued under on lines 6e and 6f.1Internal Revenue Service. How to Renew an ITIN
Attach a U.S. federal tax return to the renewal unless you qualify for an exception. If there’s no return to attach and no exception applies, you generally don’t need to renew in the first place.4Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form W-7
Identity and Foreign Status Documents
A valid passport is the cleanest choice because it proves identity and foreign status by itself. Without a passport, you’ll need a combination of at least two documents that together establish identity, establish foreign status, and include a photograph.1Internal Revenue Service. How to Renew an ITIN
The IRS also accepts:
- National identification card, if it shows a photo, name, current address, date of birth, and expiration date
- U.S. or foreign driver’s license
- U.S. state identification card
- Civil birth certificate, required for dependents under 18
- Foreign voter’s registration card
- U.S. or foreign military identification card
- Visa
- USCIS photo identification
- Medical records, dependents under 6 only
- School records, dependents under 14, or under 18 if a student
Everything must be an original or a certified copy from the issuing agency. Notarized photocopies aren’t accepted.5Internal Revenue Service. Revised Application Standards for ITINs
For a dependent, the passport must show a U.S. date of entry to work as a standalone document. Two groups are exempt: dependents from Canada or Mexico, and dependents of U.S. military personnel stationed overseas.5Internal Revenue Service. Revised Application Standards for ITINs
How to Submit the Renewal
Three paths, each with a different tradeoff around mailing your original documents.
By Mail
Send the completed Form W-7, the attached tax return, and your original documents or certified copies through the U.S. Postal Service to:
Internal Revenue Service
ITIN Operation
P.O. Box 149342
Austin, TX 78714-93426Internal Revenue Service. How to Apply for an ITIN
The IRS returns original documents after processing. It doesn’t publish a guaranteed timeline for getting them back.
Through a Certified Acceptance Agent
A Certified Acceptance Agent is authorized by the IRS to review and authenticate your original documents, then submit copies with the application. You keep the originals. CAAs can also help fill out the W-7 and respond if the IRS follows up on your file. The IRS keeps a searchable directory of agents on its website.7Internal Revenue Service. ITIN Acceptance Agents
At an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center
You can book an appointment at a designated Taxpayer Assistance Center and have staff verify your documents on site. As with a CAA, your originals never go in the mail. Availability is tight during filing season, so schedule early.
Processing Time and Confirmation
The IRS estimates about seven weeks to process a complete and accurate ITIN application. During tax season, from January 15 through April 30, or for applications from overseas, expect nine to eleven weeks.8Internal Revenue Service. Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
When processing is done, the IRS mails a CP565 notice confirming your renewed ITIN.9Internal Revenue Service. Notice CP565 – Confirmation of Your Individual Taxpayer Identification Number
If your application has been pending longer than expected, call the IRS ITIN helpline at 1-800-908-9982 from inside the United States or +1-267-941-1000 from abroad.10Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your CP565 Notice
Submit the renewal well before you plan to file. Applications sent in January or February land at the IRS alongside millions of returns, and any small issue can push a refund back by months.