The 8-10 Day Timeline: how Delewarellc forms your Delaware LLC

The three buckets

Why we publish the timeline this granularly

Most formation services quote vague turnaround windows like "1 to 4 weeks" or "business days, excluding bank approval." The lack of precision lets the service avoid accountability when the formation actually takes 30+ days. Delewarellc publishes a day-by-day timeline because the work is process-standardized and the customer should know when to expect each milestone.

The 8-10 business day window is real and tracked. Across 40+ countries served, Delewarellc's internal operations log shows the median customer at 9 days from payment to filed Certificate of Formation. The outliers are usually customers who submit incomplete KYC on Day 1 and need follow-up to complete intake.

Phase 1: Days 1-5, formation

Day 1-2: KYC and payment.

• $297 Stripe payment.
• Passport scan upload.
• Short questionnaire: intended LLC name, business activity, owner home address, language preference for support.
• Formation specialist assigned; WhatsApp contact shared in your preferred language.

Day 3-5: Delaware Certificate of Formation filed with the Delaware Division of Corporations under 6 Del. C. § 18-201. The $110 state fee is paid on your behalf and itemized on your receipt. Delewarellc routinely uses Delaware's 24-hour expedited tier (additional $50 absorbed in the bundle) so the Certificate is in hand by Day 5 for most filings. Standard non-expedited processing takes 5-10 business days.

Phase 2: Days 6-8, EIN

IRS Form SS-4 is prepared with "Foreign" entered in the responsible party's SSN field. The form is faxed to the IRS international EIN unit. The IRS typically returns the EIN confirmation letter (CP 575) within 1-2 business days when the form is filled correctly.

Delewarellc has a verified return fax setup. The CP 575 comes directly to us and we forward to you the same day it arrives. If the IRS finds any error or ambiguity, we correct and re-fax at no additional charge.

Phase 3: Days 9-10, banking

Applications submitted to 4-5 banks simultaneously: Mercury, Wise, Relay, Lili, Payoneer. Each bank evaluates independently and runs its own KYC.

Important: Days 9-10 is when applications are submitted, not when accounts open. Bank approval timelines vary 2-4 weeks per bank after Day 10. This part is not under Delewarellc's control or any service's control; it is the bank's KYC and risk-rating decision based on the bank's current policy.

What can speed up or slow down the timeline

Faster than 8-10 days:

• Same-day Delaware filing via $500+ expedited service (founder pays the upcharge).
• IRS Form SS-4 cleared on first fax (no rejection, no re-submission).
• Customer responsive on WhatsApp for any clarification questions during Days 6-8.

Slower than 8-10 days:

• Incomplete KYC on Day 1 requiring follow-up.
• LLC name conflict requiring a replacement name choice.
• IRS rejecting Form SS-4 (most common: passport number in SSN field on a DIY submission, which Delewarellc's preparation prevents).
• Founder unavailable for Days 6-8 follow-up if any clarification is needed.

What happens after Day 10

Bank approvals take an additional 2-4 weeks. Until at least one bank approves, you can still accept payments via Wise multi-currency accounts, Payoneer marketplace integrations, or Stripe's express options depending on your business model. We coordinate which interim path makes sense based on your specific situation.

Ongoing obligations after formation:

• BOI report to FinCEN within 90 days of formation.
• Delaware $300 franchise tax due June 1 each year (year after formation).
• Form 5472 + pro forma Form 1120 due April 15 of the year after formation (foreign-owned single-member LLCs).