ITIN, passport or matrícula: what you can do with each

An ITIN, a passport from your country and a matrícula consular look like similar papers, but each one does different things. This guide is for anyone who has one or more of them and wants to know what they can do: file taxes, open an account, apply for credit, save for a home or prove who they are. We explain what the IRS, the CFPB, bank regulators and federal law say, with no promises and without mixing up a tax number with an immigration status.

In an ITIN, an IRS number for federal taxes only

9 digits¹

Documents the IRS accepts for an ITIN; the passport is the only one that works alone

13³

The minimum a bank collects before opening your account, including an ID number

4 items⁵

Three documents, three different uses

Before you go to a bank or an office, it helps to be clear about what each one is. An ITINITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number)An ITIN is a nine-digit number the IRS, the federal tax agency, issues to people who need a U.S. taxpayer identification number to file taxes and are not eligible for a Social Security number. It is for tax purposes only: it does not authorize you to work in the United States, does not qualify you for Social Security benefits or the Earned Income Tax Credit, and says nothing about your immigration status. You apply with Form W-7, and it expires if it goes unused for several years. Some lenders accept an ITIN for a mortgage.See the full definitionClose is a 9-digit number from the IRS.¹ Your passport and the matrícula consularconsular ID cardA Matricula Consular is an official Mexican government ID document issued by Mexico's consulates in the United States. Other countries offer similar IDs, sometimes called consular identification (CID) cards. According to the CFPB, many banks require a U.S. or state government-issued photo ID; if you do not have one, some banks and credit unions accept foreign passports and consular IDs such as the Matricula, but not all, and the CFPB suggests asking first. You usually also need another document, such as a bill with your name and address, and an interest-bearing account requires an SSN or ITIN.See the full definitionClose are IDs issued by your country’s government.⁶

What each one does

IRS number

ITIN

• It is for federal taxes, such as filing a return and claiming a refund.²
• It is not ID outside the tax system.¹
• A bank can use it as your identification number.⁵
• It gives no immigration status or work permit.¹

Photo ID

Your country's passport

• It is the only stand-alone document for getting an ITIN.³
• A bank can use its number and country as your identification.⁵
• It is an example of photo ID a bank can check.⁵

Consulate ID

Matrícula consular

• It is official ID from the government of Mexico; other countries issue similar cards.⁶
• Some banks and credit unions accept it; others do not.⁶
• For immigration matters, only an attorney or an accredited representative can advise you.¹⁴

Bring your passport (or matrícula) to identify yourself and your ITIN as your number; the FDIC lists all three among the documents a bank may ask for.⁷

The ITIN: for taxes, and nothing more

The IRS issues the ITIN, a 9-digit number, to people who need a taxpayer number for federal taxes and cannot get a Social Security number. You can apply regardless of immigration status.¹ It is used, for example, to file your federal return and claim a refund or report your income.²

What an ITIN does not do is written on the IRS page. It does not qualify you for Social Security benefits or the Earned Income Tax Credit. It does not provide or change your immigration status. It does not authorize you to work legally in the U.S. And it does not serve as identification outside the federal tax system.¹

To get one, see the guide to Form W-7; for everything you can do with it, see What is an ITIN?.

The passport: your strongest ID

For the IRS, the passport carries the most weight. Of the 13 documents it accepts for getting or renewing an ITIN, the passport is the only one that works alone; without a valid passport, you send two documents and one must have a photo. The rest of the list includes the national identification card, the foreign voter’s registration card, the civil birth certificate and driver’s licenses. They must be originals or certified copies, and the IRS does not accept notarized copies.³ The matrícula consular does not appear by name on that list.³

For a bank, a passport works too. Federal law says that for a non-U.S. person, the identification number the bank collects can be the passport number and country of issuance.⁵ And if the bank verifies with documents, it can use unexpired government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or a passport.⁵

The matrícula consular: your consulate’s ID

The CFPB explains that the matrícula consular is an official Mexican government identification document. Other countries offer similar IDs, sometimes called consular identification (CID) cards, and their consulates in the United States issue them.⁶

Where does it work? There is no single answer. The CFPB says some banks and credit unions accept foreign passports and consular IDs such as the matrícula, and recommends checking whether they accept it.⁶ The FDIC also lists a consular ID among the documents you may be asked for if you are not a citizen.⁷ Federal law lets a bank use, as your identification number, the number of another government document that proves nationality or residence and bears a photo.⁵ But each bank sets its own procedures based on its own risk assessment.⁵

Opening a bank account

An account in your name is the first step to saving and to showing your money to a lender. Under federal law, before opening an account the bank collects at least your name, date of birth, address and an identification number. If you are not a U.S. person, that number can be an ITIN, your passport number and country, an alien ID card number or the number of another official photo document.⁵

The CFPB sums it up for newcomers: they verify your name, date of birth, address and an identification number, which can be an SSN, an ITIN, your passport number and country or another government-issued number. For an account that pays interest, you need a Social Security number or an ITIN.⁶ And if you already applied for your number and it has not arrived, the law lets a bank have procedures to open your account in the meantime.⁵

Example with real numbers

What you might bring to the bank

An example in words for someone with a passport, a matrícula and an ITIN. Each bank decides what it accepts.

Identification number

Your ITIN, or your passport number and country

Photo ID

Your current passport; the matrícula, if the bank accepts it

Your address

A bill or other paper with your name and address

Interest-bearing account

They will ask for an ITIN or a Social Security number

Before you go

Call and ask which documents they accept

This is an example, not any particular bank's list.⁵⁶ Build yours with the document checklist.

Run it with your numbersDocument checklist

The guide to opening a bank account without a Social Security number explains the types of accounts and what to do if you are turned down.

When you are asked for your number on Form W-9

If a bank, a client or someone who pays you must report those payments to the IRS, they may give you a Form W-9. The IRS explains that the W-9 is used to get your correct name and taxpayer number. For an individual that number is generally a Social Security number, but if you have an ITIN, you must provide it on the W-9.⁴

One useful detail: if your ITIN expired, it can still be used on the W-9. What you cannot do is file your tax return with it until you renew it.⁴ The guide to renewing an ITIN explains how.

Credit and loans

To get credit, what matters is whether the institution accepts your number and your ID. The NCUA, the federal regulator of credit unionscredit unionA credit union is a not-for-profit financial institution that, like a bank, accepts deposits, makes loans and offers other services, but is owned by its members. Members elect a volunteer board of directors, and profits go back to them as lower fees, higher savings rates and lower loan rates. To join you need a common bond, such as your employer, your family, where you live or a group you belong to. It is chartered by the NCUA, a federal agency, or by a state. If the credit union is federally insured, your deposits are protected by the NCUA's insurance fund.See the full definitionClose, said in a December 2003 legal opinion that it saw no legal impediment to a federal credit union lending to members who use an ITIN and the matrícula consular instead of a Social Security number, as long as it manages the risks.⁸ Each institution decides; ask before you apply. To start building your credit historycredit historyYour credit history is the record of your credit accounts and of whether you paid them on time, as shown in your credit report. Credit reporting companies collect and update this information and provide it to other businesses, which use it to make decisions about you. A good history helps you get housing, bank accounts, cards and loans, and lowers the interest you pay. If you have no history, or very little (a thin file), there may not be enough information to produce a score. Paying with a debit card, cash or a prepaid card usually does not build it.See the full definitionClose, see credit from zero.

To buy a home, the rules change with the loan. Fannie Mae requires each borrower to have a valid Social Security number or ITIN, in addition to meeting legal residency and documentation requirements.⁹ It buys loans made to non-citizens who are lawful permanent or non-permanent residents, and lets the lender determine status case by case.¹⁰ In other words, on those loans an ITIN counts as the number but does not replace the other requirements. The ITIN mortgage guide explains what other options there are, and a HUD-approved housing counselor can go over them with you, often for free or at low cost.¹³

Driver’s licenses and state ID

Here each state sets its own rules, and this guide cannot summarize them all. What federal law does say: a state DMV may issue a REAL ID license or ID card only to a person who presents satisfactory evidence of lawful status.¹¹ States that choose to also issue licenses that are not for federal official purposes must say so clearly on the front of the card and use a distinct design or color.¹²

If your state offers that kind of license, look for its list of documents on the state’s official website, not in ads or on social media.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

• Mistake: Using your ITIN as if it were ID.

  Instead: An ITIN is not ID outside of taxes; bring your passport or your matrícula.¹

• Mistake: Believing an ITIN gives you a work permit or status.

  Instead: The IRS says it does not authorize work or change immigration status.¹

• Mistake: Going to the bank without asking whether they accept the matrícula.

  Instead: Some banks accept it and others do not: call first.⁶

• Mistake: Sending the IRS a notarized copy of your passport.

  Instead: Send the original or a copy certified by the issuing agency.³

• Mistake: Only opening a no-interest account because you have no SSN.

  Instead: An interest-bearing account requires an SSN or ITIN: your ITIN meets that requirement.⁶

• Mistake: Paying a notario to tell you which immigration process to follow.

  Instead: Only an attorney or an accredited representative can give you legal advice.¹⁴

If this is you

You only have an ITIN and a passport

With both you can identify yourself at a bank: the number and the photo ID.⁵⁵

You want to start your credit

Ask whether the institution accepts your ITIN or your matrícula; the NCUA saw no legal impediment to credit unions lending that way.⁸

You want to buy a home as a family

Loan rules change depending on who signs and with which number.⁹ A housing counselor goes over the options with you.¹³

You are going to rent

Bring your photo ID; an ITIN alone does not identify you.¹ More in the guide to renting without a Social Security number.

What to do this week

1. Make sure your passport is current; banks and the IRS ask for current documents.³
2. If you do not have an ITIN yet and you need to file, start with Form W-7.¹
3. Call two banks or credit unions and ask whether they accept your matrícula and your ITIN.⁶
4. Gather proof of your address with your name, use the document checklist and set up your credit plan.⁵
5. If someone offers to “fix your papers” with an ITIN, do not pay: look for an accredited representativeDOJ-accredited representativeAn accredited representative is a non-attorney whom the U.S. Department of Justice, through its Recognition and Accreditation Program, authorizes to represent people in immigration matters before DHS and, with full accreditation, before the immigration courts. They may only do so through a recognized organization, which must be a non-profit, federally tax-exempt entity. It is the safe way to get low-cost immigration help: the Department of Justice publishes the official roster by state. Anyone who is not on that roster and is not a lawyer is not authorized to represent you.See the full definitionClose or legal aidlegal aidLegal aid is the free civil legal help that nonprofit organizations and their lawyers provide to low-income people in civil, not criminal, matters. In housing, that includes representing families facing eviction or foreclosure, alongside matters such as custody, child support, protection from domestic violence and access to benefits. In the United States, the Legal Services Corporation, created by Congress, funds a nationwide network of these organizations; its finder points you to the one in your area. Each sets its own income limits.See the full definitionClose.¹⁴