海角乱伦

I am sure it will help many others over time.聽 Thanks for taking the time to detail this!

And two months later, at the same branch of the same bank (the third stop on my banking quest), I was told I'd need, among other things, a cedula (not just the initial visa) and three letters of reference. The employee showed me this requirement in writing (alas, did not give me a copy) and seemed quite serious that you cannot get an account with them until you are already a DR resident.

I think it just goes to show that it is what it is until it isn't聽 \_(**)_/ and you gotta just roll with it.

I really wanted Banco Popular because they are so ubiquitous, but I might end up with Banco Santa Cruz, which is supposed to be more expat-friendly? but has fewer locations. They had a long list of requirements too, but they gave it to me in writing and nothing on it seemed completely impossible.

FWIW, the Bella Vista mall has about a million banks in it, also ice cream which may become necessary.

My husband who is a Dominican citizen and I am not we were able to open an account at Asocacion Popular with no issues just with my passport, US bankstatements, income taxes and paystubs. We were turned down by 2 banks previous to walking into APAP. Our rep made it very easy for us. I was told I could have done it without him as well since I had all the docs they needed. And btw we also got approved for a home loan right on the spot. Hope this helps.

@wondering9 What?!?!

Are you serious????聽 Are you working with a lawyer on your residency?

@ondami yes, serious. unless there's more than one Banco Popular on Maximo Gomez (I was at the one across from the Palacios de Bellas Artes).

When I sorted today's paperwork I realized they did give me a copy of the list of requirements. I can't see how to post a photo of it, but the first item reads "Documento de estatus migratorio en Rep煤blica Dominicana. (Carnet Migracion, del Ministerio de interior y policia, Cedula de residente o ciudadania)." And they definitely saw the fancy visa in my passport and said that wasn't enough. Go figure. There seems to be a lot of individual discretion.

My lawyer thought Banco Popular was tough and slow but not impossible. The lawyer has a service to help you set up a bank account, but it's pretty expensive, and I'm going to try a little longer to crack this nut on my own.

@apromisingyou: good to know, thanks!

First I have heard of any bank requiring a cedula.聽 As.long as your status is legal based on your visa, most open the accounts!

@wondering9

Remember, here a lot of times noth8ng is consistent and the next day you go to a different branch and new person you may get a totally different requirement. It's frustrating but normal

@CHRISTOPHER DAVID56

That is what I am, er, banking on.

@wondering9 I think they may have given you the wrong list of requirements for opening an account.

I am looking at the requirements list they gave me right now and at the top it says:

鈥渟i el extranejero es no residente鈥�

-copia del pasaporte vigente鈥︹�� is the first requirement.

@ondami, that's definitely a different document. And I would definitely like to think yours is the correct one!

Mine says at the top:

"REQUISITOS PARA APERTURA DE PRODUCTOS PARA EXTRANJEROS 露 Si el cliente no proporciona estos documentos por favor abstenerse de hacer la apertura:"

and then the text I quoted above (as the first requisito, followed by several others)

There doesn't seem to be a way to upload a PDF or JPG or I'd share the whole page.

It must have come out of a different Big Black Notebook from yours, @ondami

I guess, just keep shopping til something clicks is the only way to go, guided by these success stories as at least providing some perspective and things to try.

Going forward, I wonder if it might be useful to have a thread where people share what worked for them, together with the bank/branch/date? Since banking does seem to be one of the stickier hurdles to getting residency done ...

If so, I would recommend more what @ondami and @apromisingyou did (report on a successful completion) rather than what I did (report on interim complications) (since there will always be 100s of those). That way people would have concrete action plans they could at least try out. IF anyone else thinks such a thread would be a good idea, maybe the initial post could say something about "unpredictable, complicated, no guarantees, but worth a try" and after that it could focus on things that have worked, at least once?

Just a thought.

@wondering9 I would ask for Fernando or Laris.