www.CostaRicaTicas.com

ARICA – One of the problems of many foreigners non-residents in Costa Rica is opening a bank account. But that has all changed.

Now the Banco of Costa Rica (BCR) allows any person to open an account only presenting identification (identity card, passport or DIMEX) and providing a cell phone number.
Click here to open an account

Click here to open an account

In addition, opening a bank account at the BCR can be done online, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The online application form is simple and straightforward, fill in all the boxes or call the mobile banking number at 2211 1111. Within minutes the customer receives their account number by email and / or text message, then wait for notification to pick the bank card.

Of course, you can still visit a BCR branch and wait in line.

The account is full service, that is the customers have access to all branch services and electronic channels including receiving salary by direct deposit, withdraw money at ATMs , shopping in stores and make online payments for utilities and other services.

For foreigners without residency – that is opening an account with only a passport – the limitation is a maximum monthly deposit of up to US$1,000. (Click here for rules – in Spanish)

The new rules, for now, is only at the BCR and is part of the state bank’s simplified account opening program (Apertura de Cuentas de Expediente Simplificado – CES).

The change was created by executive decree as an effort by the Government to allow sectors of the population finding it difficult to comply with all the requirements of openness required by regulators and the financial system

In this way, by allowing non-resident foreigners, as in the case of many domestic workers, including many north-americans in Costa Rican working at call centres, the Government can reduce the cash economy.

At the Q we decided to test the BCR. After filling out the online form, using only a passport for identification, we got the following the automated reply:

By email:
Estimado cliente: El Banco de Costa Rica le informa en respuesta a su gestión de solicitud de apertura cuenta en el banco tramitada el día 21/01/2016, fue exitosa. Su nuevo número de cuenta es xxx-xx-xxxxx-xxxx y su cuenta cliente es xxxxxx. (Account numbers x’d out) Pronto será notificado para el retiro de su tarjeta en la oficina 919-SANTA ANA del Banco de Costa Rica que indicó al llenar el formulario de solicitud. Gracias.

IMG_3247

We will update this post once we get notification and the account is open.


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not as good as I once was, but as good once as I ever was

Did you open a Checking account or Savings account? just curious what the Interest rates are.

Badboy; I have accounts here. I have lived here for more than thirty years. I have seen this question asked recently and thought some people would like to know. By the way intrest rates for CD's in Colones is about 7% and dollars about the same as in the states nada!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

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not as good as I once was, but as good once as I ever was

Funny, I am in the process of finishing up all the requirements for my residency here. Went to the caja. Was told I could not join the caja (a requirement for residency) without having a bank account here. Went to BCR. Was told "NO way! NO cedula, NO cuenta!" This was Monday of this week. Now you stated that BCR would open accounts ONLY with a maximum of $1000 a month- maybe they just assumed that since to get residency you are required to deposit a MINIMUM of $1000 a month. But no mention was made by me nor the bank of any way to open an account without a cedula; in fact just the opposite! I was told that as of about a month ago, no one could open an account without a cedula.

I went to BCR because the last time I had checked they were the only bank here where Social Security (USA) would direct deposit in Costa Rica (now a requirement). I thought, "OK, typical government screwup. One branch does not know what another is or is not doing!!" After talking with SS at the US Embassy, I found out that now SS will direct deposit into BCR, Banco National, or ScotiaBank. I went to Scotiabank thinking since they are part of a Canadian bank things might be simpler!!!!! After copies of more than 100 pages of (mostly) personal info that they actually have no need for I am told that next Tuesday or Wednesday I should have an account. They required virtually everything immigration had required including copies of EVERY PAGE (VISA STAMPS) in my passport and copies of the last 3 months statements from my bank account in the States.

AND, in typical government fashion when I returned to the Caja yesterday for my appointment (with only the promise of an account at Scotia) I had a different person. She wanted the form I had been given to complete, the copy of my approval from immigration, and copies of receipts where I had paid all the fees required. NEVER ASKED FOR PROOF OF A BANK ACCOUNT. IN FACT NEVER MENTIONED A BANK EXCEPT FOR GIVING ME A LIST OF BANKS WHERE I CAN PAY MY MONTHLY INSURANCE BILL!!

One other thing for those who might be interested. There has been a lot of talk about how expensive the caja has become for extranjeros . I have been told and have continually heard that it was now 9 to 12 % of your income. I had also been told by more than one Gringo that they would accept what ever figure you told them as long as it was above the required minimum of $1000 a month. WRONG! WRONG! ON BOTH ACCOUNTS!!!!!! You have to have a certified statement from SS (easy to get at the embassy here.). AND my monthly payment is c54000 (about $102) which is just a fraction over 6% of my monthly income.

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Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!

Is there a way to purchase certificates through the bank's website?

The OP was exactly correct. I filled out the online form which required only basic info, email address, address, phone number, passport number, nationality. No FBAR, FIBAR bullshit. No social security number. I selected a dollar savings account. Between 1$ and 1000$. Selected the bcr branch to pick up card. Selected account for foreign tourist without cedula.
Got approved within 2 hours with account number.
Two days later received text message and email stating card was ready to be picked up.
Went to selected branch of bcr. Had to show passport, they looked and made a copy of my entrance stamp, passport info page. Signed a few documents. Got card with pin. Put a little cash into account and listo presto good to go.
I was told the limit for deposits was 1000$ per day not the limit for the account. You can deposit checks. Or receive direct deposits from the states.

Application form was in spanish, very simple. All docs in spanish, email messages in spanish. Lady teller only spoke spanish but very simple and easy.
Card is visa, good for ten years but has no chip. Only mag stripe.
I could have selected an account between 1$ and 10000$ dont know what that would have entailed.

Zman good stuff. What did you pick for identification type? I'm not seeing an obvious passport or tourist type option. Temporary Resident?

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This post is provided purely for entertainment purposes and free of charge on the part of the author. No tourist or travel promotion is expressed or implied. The author of this post was not provided compensation (monetary or otherwise) for this potentially entertaining contribution.

Selected passport as id. Nationality usa. Extranero sin cedula. You have to scroll down to access all the options. I do not have temp residency and have never ever applied for it. They made sure my entry stamp was valid in passport.
Incredibly easy. My spanish is not good but i had no problem filling out online application or talking with teller.
pura vida.

Thanks Zman. My mobile browser wouldn't let me scroll all the way down.

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This post is provided purely for entertainment purposes and free of charge on the part of the author. No tourist or travel promotion is expressed or implied. The author of this post was not provided compensation (monetary or otherwise) for this potentially entertaining contribution.

This is an EXCELLENT post Tuanis. Thanks so much for posting!

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* These are the "Good Ole Days". Enjoy Them.

* RENT but, "Don't Buy a Home in Costa Rica" until you have lived here for THREE years.

where is the link for getting an account, it didn't show up in the original post??

http://m.bancobcr.com/

Thats the page. Click on abrir una cuenta, thats it , easy as pie.

If a foreign account held by a US citizen at any time in the year exceeds $10,000 in value and you do not file an FBAR you are subject to very big fines and long jail time for each violation and don't think for a minute that your bank is not meeting the new reporting requirements to rat you out.

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The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.

Anyone know if these debit cards can be used in Cuba for ATM withdrawals?

Good luck finding ATMs in Cuba, I gave up looking after 4 trips