justdandy81

Thanks everybody for the assistance. I am heading back to the US on Wednesday but we'll go to the nearest DFA here in Tacloban to inquire. I truly appreciate your help!

Thank you for the info! When I called the IRS a few months ago, they said I could get a certified copy at the same agency that issued her passport in the Philippines but apparently they don't do that there. So, I am planning to take her original passport along with the W7 form to my local IRS office but I am not sure if I would need to get the form notarized here in the Philippines so there's no doubt that she actually signed it. After I get her passport back from the IRS, I will send it back to her via FedEx.

Good day, I am an US citizen residing in the state of Maryland and I got married last October. My wife is from the Philippines and she’s not an US resident. This year, I need to file my taxes and they ask for my wife’s SSN or ITIN, which she does not have. About two months ago, I spoke to an IRS agent and he said that I needed to apply for her ITIN number by filling out form W7, and I needed to have either her passport or a certified copy of it. Since I already had scheduled a trip to the Philippines, i thought I could just get the certified copy during my trip and bring it back to the US. Unfortunately, the agency that issues the passports in the Philippines claims that they do not do certified copies of passports so I am going to bring my wife’s original passport with me along with the filled and signed W7 form. Do I need to have her signature on the form notarized? I wouldn’t want the IRS to question the authenticity of her signature and also, do i need to mail it out or can I stop by my local IRS office? and, is there any other form or piece of documentation I need to bring besides the w7 and her passport? Thank you!