How to Self-Publish on Amazon From Outside the US

Yes, you can self-publish on Amazon from outside the US. The catch is that the US paperwork comes before the book: KDP checks who you are, where you pay tax and where it can send your money before you can sell anything. This post puts those steps in order. For each one it says what KDP’s own help page says, and points you to that page, because the details differ by country and change.

What do I have to sort out first?

Four things, in this order. The order is my advice, from publishing from Norway, and KDP lets you click through some of them in a different order.

1. Create the account and verify your ID.
2. Complete the tax profile.
3. Add a bank account KDP can pay.
4. Choose your ISBN, then publish.

Do the first three before you finish your book, so a rejected ID or tax form does not hold up your launch.

How do I create the account and verify my ID?

Sign up at kdp.amazon.com and follow the steps. KDP asks you to verify your identity. Its page on accepted IDs says it primarily accepts passports, driver’s licenses and residency permits, and that the accepted types vary by country. It also says: “If you do not see your country listed, it means you cannot open a new KDP account in that country.” Read KDP’s accepted IDs page before you spend time on anything else. KDP does not accept paper IDs, photos of an ID on a screen, utility bills or tax documents.

How do I complete the tax profile?

KDP’s tax profile page walks you through it and generates a Form W-8. KDP explains why: royalties from US sales are taxable income in the US, and US rules make Amazon collect your tax identity. Per KDP’s tax questionnaire page, “We must receive and validate your tax identity before you can update existing books or publish new books in the Kindle store.”

KDP says the default withholding rate is 30%, and that you may be eligible for a lower rate if your country of tax residence has a tax treaty with the US. It sends you to the IRS list of treaties. KDP says your W-8 expires on the last day of the third calendar year after you sign it, and that a reduced rate goes back to 30% if you let it expire. For the tax number, KDP accepts your country’s own number, and if your country has none of the types it lists, you can apply for a US one on the IRS website, which it says can take up to seven weeks. I am not a tax adviser, so use the IRS and KDP pages and talk to someone who knows your country’s rules. My own experience of the finances side is in how self-publishers handle finances.

How do I add a bank account KDP can pay?

KDP pays by direct deposit, wire or check, depending on the country of your bank. Its payment methods page says direct deposit usually has no minimum payment threshold and is the fastest option, while checks have minimums and take longer. If your bank’s country is not supported for direct deposit or wire, KDP shows only checks. Open KDP’s payment methods page and look up your bank’s country.

If you use a payment provider instead of a bank, it has to be on KDP’s list of participating providers. I explain that, and what the error message means, in my post on using Payoneer or Wise with KDP, linked at the end of this page.

Which ISBN should I choose?

On KDP you don’t need your own. KDP gives paperbacks and hardcovers a free ISBN that works only on KDP, and ebooks need none. If you want your name as the publisher, or want to sell outside KDP, get one from your country’s agency. Some countries issue them free, and where to get an ISBN number shows how.

Then what? Publish to all marketplaces

When your account is complete, create the book the usual way. Your KDP login works for every marketplace, and you choose your list price and territories during title setup. Prices, taxes and print availability vary by country. For two countries I have written up in detail, see self-publishing on Amazon from Canada and from the UK.

What I do about it

Keep a short list of what you’ve done: ID verified, tax profile complete, bank account accepted. That list is the first thing I’d check if a payment ever goes missing. My free 12-step self-publishing checklist puts these steps in order alongside the book steps, so grab it before you start.

More on publishing from outside the US

• Using Payoneer or Wise to get paid by KDP explains KDP’s payment provider rules and the “not able to receive KDP payments” message.
• Filling in the KDP tax interview from outside the US goes through the W-8 questions, the tax number and why the rate can still say 30%.
• How authors get paid has a section on what to do if KDP can’t pay to a bank in your country.
• The KDP sign-in guide covers moving country, or having an ID from another country.
• Where to get an ISBN number says which country’s ISBN to use and what it costs in several countries.
• Which is better, Ingram or KDP has a section on what to do if KDP doesn’t sell paperbacks in your country.

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