Are you claiming tax treaty benefits in a foreign country? If so, you’ll need an apostille tax residency certificate (IRS Form 6166) to avoid double taxation and to enjoy all the US tax treaty benefits while staying abroad.

In this post, we’ll discuss the step-by-step procedure for having your tax residence certificate apostille and where you can get assistance to expedite the process. Keep reading to avoid any legal problems!

What’s the Certification of U.S. Tax Residency?

A certificate of residency for tax purposes, also known as IRS Form 6166, is a computer-generated letter printed on stationary and bearing the US Department of Treasury letterhead. This official document certifies that the person or entity named on the document is a resident of the United States and, therefore, covered by US income tax laws.

You may need to have this certificate of residence for tax purposes if you’re planning to claim any tax treaty benefits in a foreign country. To be specific, it’s often used for nations that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention.

To obtain a certified IRS Form 6166, you need to submit a filled-out Form 8801, which is the application for United States Residency Certification. You’ll have to pay a user fee to submit this form and process your request.

Overall, it may take about 4 to 6 weeks to receive your US tax residency certificate. However, you can’t request this certificate if you haven’t filed a US tax return or if you’ve filed your return as a non-resident.

Why Do You Need a Certification of Tax Residency?

You may need a certificate of tax residency US if you fall within any of these situations (list not exhaustive):

  • You’re a US resident running a business overseas. A certification of tax residence prevents you from being charged redundant taxes for your foreign-sourced income. This is especially true for S Corporations and US partnerships. 

  • You’re claiming reduced withholding taxes. If you’re declaring certain types of income overseas, such as interests, royalties, or dividends, a certificate of US tax residency will help reduce your withholding tax.

  • You’re planning your estate. For those with assets outside of the United States, the Form 6166 IRS prevents heirs from being charged excessive taxes once they receive their inheritance.

However, before you can officially use your certified 6166 form, you first have to get it apostilled. An apostille is an internationally recognized authentication for public documents, such as the US tax residency certificate.

To save yourself from the hassle, you can simply contact us at Rush In Documentation Center to have your certificate of tax residence USA apostilled quickly. With our apostille services in California, you no longer have to deal with the processes we discussed below, which means saving time and energy on your part!

How to Apostille a Tax Residency Certificate in the USA?


Once you’ve secured your certified 6166 IRS form, the next step is to have it legalized for international use, also known as apostille. Here are the steps it takes to get an apostille for your IRS certificate of residence:

Step 1. Get the IRS 6166 Certificate Translated 

If English isn’t an official language in the destination country of your IRS tax residency certificate, you’ll have to get it professionally translated. Take note that only certified and licensed translators are qualified to provide this translation.

Here at Rush In Documentation Center, we provide professional document translation services in California. Our ATA-certified translators specialize in multiple source and target languages for all kinds of documents, including your IRS Form 6166 certificate.

Step 2. Prepare a Cover Sheet

Next, you need to prepare a cover sheet for your apostille request. This should state the country where you’ll use the document, your personal information, and more.

You can use the cover letter template from the California Secretary of State’s (SOS) website if you don’t know how to make one. Nevertheless, you’re free to write your own cover sheet as you wish.

Step 3. Pay the Apostille Fee

After getting your certificate of tax residency USA translated and the cover sheet prepared, you now have to pay the apostille fee.

In California, you’ll have to pay $20 for each apostille per document. You can pay it via money order, check, credit card, or cash. However, you should note that the Los Angeles Secretary of State office doesn’t accept cash payments as of this writing.

In addition to the apostille fee, you must pay an extra $6 handling fee for each public official signature that needs to be authenticated.

Step 4. Submit All the Requirements

Next, you can now submit the apostille request for your IRS certificate of tax residency. You can send it via mail or in person, whichever you find convenient. But if you’re busy or don’t want to deal with the process on your own, you can let us handle everything on your behalf.

If you’re sending your apostille request for a U.S. tax residency certificate by mail, you should include a self-addressed envelope with pre-paid postage.

Step 5. Receive Your Apostille Certification of US Tax Residency

Once your certificate of residency from the IRS has been apostilled, you can pick it up from the SOS office. But if you send the request by mail, you’ll receive the apostilled 6166 certificate by regular mail via UPS.

I Need an Apostille for My IRS Residency Certificate ASAP. What Should I Do?

If you need to get your IRS certificate of residency apostilled as soon as possible, Rush In Documentation Center is the expert to call. We provide nationwide apostille services for any document you have faster than in-mail or personal submission.

Here’s how fast you can get your certificate of tax domicile apostilled through us:

  • As fast as 5 hours. We offer a same-day apostille for IRS proof of residency and any document. Just make sure that you place your request before 12 PM PST; otherwise, it will be processed on the next day. 

  • Within 48 hours. For our next-day apostille, you can get an apostille for your tax form 6166 for up to 48 hours at the best price.

  • Standard processing. If you’re not in a rush and want to save some bucks, you can opt for our standard processing of about 5 to 7 days.

We also offer federal apostille and embassy legalization if your destination country isn’t part of The Hague Convention. Aside from that, we provide various delivery options, from office pickup and FedEx overnight to special courier service for same-day apostilles.

Let Rush In Documentation Center Help With Your Apostille Needs!

Whether you need an apostille for your IRS Form 6166 certificate or other documents, contact us at Rush In Documentation Center. We will handle all the requirements, submission, and processing, so you no longer have to deal with manual requests.

We have a working relationship with the Department of State, Secretary of State, DOJ, FBI, and embassies to expedite your legalization needs.

Aside from apostille, we also provide mobile notary public services, green card assistance, visa assistance, and more. At Rush In Documentation Center, we’ve been providing professional services since 1994, so rest assured that your documents are in good hands.

Contact us today to learn how you can get an apostille fast and at a reasonable price!

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