trying to open a bank account, help!!!

[enjoyingmylife]

Hi kl, do you need an HSBC account at home to do this? Also, how long was your lease, 2 yrs? I ask b/c i have a temp lease and I'm guessing that won't cut it.

Thanks!

Hi Kirst,
The HSBC branch is the big international one in 201 Florida.
The contact is Valaria Mambrilla

 

[mini]

I don't know about your lease, but you do not need an HSBC account outside the country (ie 'home') to open one in Argentina.

 

[arockwell11]

Anyone have have any experience with Itau in Buenos Aires? I live in Rio de Janeiro and have an Itau account here. I hoping that will help me get one there or possibly use my account there?

 

[wreReynolds]

You should be wary of bringing money into the country. I have no personal experience but have been told many times that transfers from abroad into an Argentine account are subject to a withholding tax (they grab 30%). But as I said, I am not completely certain. I do all my banking offshore and just use my debit card for cash - thankfully, the A$R300 withdrawal limits seem to have vanished.

 

[steveinbsas]

You should be wary of bringing money into the country. I have no personal experience but have been told many times that transfers from abroad into an Argentine account are subject to a withholding tax (they grab 30%). But as I said, I am not completely certain. I do all my banking offshore and just use my debit card for cash - thankfully, the A$R300 withdrawal limits seem to have vanished.

There is no tax on funds brought into Argentina, just transfer fees (unless you bring the cash in person). You can bring up to $10000 (undeclared) and must declare anything over that or a 50% fine may be charged on the undeclared amount.

The one case I know of a 30% hold applies to amounts in excess of the stated purchase price on the escritura when buying property. The law (which applies to foreigners without temporary or permanent residency) requires that 30% of the overage be deposited for one year with the national bank at zero interest.

 

[blackburn]

Kirst.
If you transfer money from abroad it is automatically changed to pesos.I couldn't open anaccount with HSBC as I don't have a DNI.I managed to get one with Banco Macro but I live in La Plata.I use my Nationwide Debit card and there is no charge at the atm,it is the cheapest way for me.I have transfered money from N/W to banco Macro but the charge in UK is 20GBP 50USD and goverment taxes here in Argentina so its expensive.Hope you get what you want.....chau Dani

 

[orwellian]

Just had an HSBC manager tell me that now you need a residencia to open an account at HSBC.

 

[Zackdotcom]

googlemaps hsbc they are everywhere!

 

[orwellian]

googlemaps hsbc they are everywhere!

If it only was that easy...

 

[Hellek]

Well I have no bank account here but I was thinking about making one and the information I gathered is the following

1.) Apparently applying for the rentista visa requires a bank account here. So there is definately no law forbidding to open an account without DNI. Banks can obviously demand it anyway since it is their decision which extra requirements they demand.

2.) By law, a CUIT should be sufficient. Don't mix it up with the CUIL (the latter always being tied to a DNI). You have to make police verify your adress and that you are living there (can't remember how it was called, something with "domicilio"). With the stamped/signed sheet of paper you get from them, you can go to another authority (ANSES?) to get a CUIT (or a CDI and then a CUIT)
The CUIT is a kind of tax identification number. As far as I understood, CUIT is geared towards businesses while CUIL is for employees.

3.) As you see, I am not remembering everything in detail but the terms should be good keywords for a search on the details of the steps. People reported that it was a matter of luck whether a bank allowed opening an account with just CUIT + passport or not. I.e. same bank, different branches, 4 say no, one says yes.

I researched the topic on this forum about half a year ago, I hope that there weren't any big changes in legislation (or in the corporate guidlines of the banks) since then.

PS: Another european bank seems to be BBVA Banco Francés (apparently part of a spanish group and not related to french banks). Unless I missed it, only HSBC, Santander and Itau had been mentioned in this thread.