Opening Bank Account - USA Passport for ID

[LindseyKaufman]

Did your neighbor have to vouch for you? Is he well known at the bank?

I guess he "paved the way" so to speak. I have no idea how well know he is. To me, he is just my neighbor.

Lindsey

[DaveJohnson]

I heard that Scotia Bank was the best. I wonder why not one person on this thread mentioned that bank in their experience???


Can anyone tell me the exact requirements for getting an account at Scotia
Bank? I will only have 9 days in the D.R. and eight altogether from the time I start the account opening to the time I leave.


Can they send something to me by mail if I am in the states when they finally get around to completing my account?


D.J.

[Yachtmaster]

I heard that Scotia Bank was the best. I wonder why not one person on this thread mentioned that bank in their experience???


Can anyone tell me the exact requirements for getting an account at Scotia
Bank? I will only have 9 days in the D.R. and eight altogether from the time I start the account opening to the time I leave.


Can they send something to me by mail if I am in the states when they finally get around to completing my account?


D.J.

I stopped by a ScotiaBank branch in Santo Domingo two weeks ago to check on what was required to open an account. The customer service agent did not speak English and with my intermediate Spanish, I understood the requirements to be: two bank references from other banks that you deal with and a personal reference from one's home country. It also gathered that they followed up on the bank references, so actually opening an account could take some time............

[DaveJohnson]

by email they told me one bank reference was enough. I sure hope they do not ask me for two when I show up at a Scotia Branch in the D.R. to open
an account !!!

Dave

[MerengueDutchie]

what happens if you only have had dealings with 1 bank

[MikeFisher]

than you present only that one record and all will be fine.
Mike

[MerengueDutchie]

When I tried to do that, the bank manager still insisted on 3 foreign banks...


My dominican references were no good either... a Dominican laywer who regularly appears on TV, a Santiago college professor and a Dominican army colonel...

Well I just gave up adn am now using my foreign bank accounts.

[mountainannie]

mountainannie: How long ago did you open the account?



I went to Banco Leon, Banco Popular, Banco Progresso, and Banco BHD. They all wanted additional information other than a USA Passport.

Sorry this took so long.. I opened the account at BanReservas four years ago in Las Terenas. Banco Popular at the time wanted personal reference but BanReservas was fine with just having the passport.

Since I travel along the border and in small towns, BanReservas was the best one for me since they are often the only bank in town.

[MikeFisher]

i went to BHD Bank with a friend of mine around 10 days ago,
that friend is new to the island and never had any bank account in the DR, i am myself a regular customer with that bank since many years with my business accounts and private accounts, they requested nothing from him, he presented his passport and opened a pesos withdrawal and a US$-Savings account in his name, the paperwork been done within 30 minutes, he deposited 1.000.- dollars on the dollar account and 50.000.- pesos on the pesos account, the bank did not request those high amounts, if i remember it right the minimum deposits would have been $500.-US and just 1.000.- pesos. they've been completely fine with my presence as 'guaranter', i did myself not need to sign any kind of paper. so i guess that Colonel and the TV Lawyer been not some with a good reputation in the banking 'puter system, lol.
if you know somebody living on the island since a while who has his bank accounts here, specially when that person runs a business account, go to his local branch together with that friend and it will be hassle free.
good luck
Mike