Openning a bank account without a cedula

Roeyklein wrote:

I need to open a bank account so I can buy my CD for the residency visa.

K-Bros.,

On the Expat.com thread "Building in Ecuador," at which a poster claimed he had pulled off this feat, I recently asked at which bank a foreigner can open an account without a cedula.

Late in December, Mesimarja of Finland responded:

"We opened a bank account without a cedula just with T3 stamp at Banco Nacional de Fomento and Banco Bolivariano."

As for getting the "league lied" document and proof-of-work you mentioned, if a specific bank is requiring these documents and you can't produce them on your own, it seems you need to apply at another bank.

With regard to the letter of recommendation signed by an Ecuadorian, two days ago you mentioned on the "Getting Started" thread that your landlord was going to take care of this.  If she no longer is able to do so, perhaps she could refer you to another Ecuadorian who could write the letter to whatever bank would now be relevant.

cccmedia in Quito

The national de fomento has a list of things from here till the moon that they require to open a bank account!
Apposed to pichincha bank, they actually require two references from Ecuadorean clients, which I can get.. I mean that's ridiculous who will give me a reference if they don't know me...
I know I was looking for the shortest and quickest root but I guess it does not exist

I guess my only option is to go back to the coast ask my friends there for a reference and talk to some of the israelies who went through the same process. I think they help each other with these kinds of issues... Ah the brotherhood, I hate it and love it at the same time

The problem with the letter, is that the person who writes the reference holds responsibility for me, and in case I do something illegal with the account then he is held responsibility. Of course when my landlord understood that she backed off, and I don't blame her, I mean she knows me only for a week...but I really don't understand how other expats did it before me. There must be a way to go around this reference thing. What did everybody know someone when they arrived here?

Roeyklein wrote:

The problem with the letter, is that the person who writes the reference holds responsibility for me, and in case I do something illegal with the account then he is held responsible. Of course when my landlord understood that she backed off, and I don't blame her, I mean she knows me only for a week...but I really don't understand how other expats did it before me. There must be a way to go around this reference thing. What did everybody know someone when they arrived here?

If I recall correctly, my attorney wrote the letter to my bank, Banco de Guayaquil.

I know y'all haven't decided to use an attorney for visa acquisition, but add this to the list of reasons to reconsider.

cccmedia in Quito

I have heard that JEP does not require a letter of referral. You might try them.

Incidentally, the only thing the bank could do to the person who is referring you is close their account.  If that person has a lot of money in the bank I doubt they would even do that. It is very doubtful they could take any legal action.

Will someone please tell me what the heck's a cedula? Thanks. Finn O'G

finnogorman wrote:

Will someone please tell me what the heck's a cedula?

A "cedula" -- pronounced SEDD-oo-lah -- is the Ecuadorian ID card.  The week after you obtain your permanent residency visa, you can go to a government office and get your cedula.  It is a small two-sided plastic card showing your picture and signature and personal data.

Banks typically want to see a cedula to open an Expat account.  The Fomento bank may be an exception.

Expat retirees usually need a cedula to get the over-65 package of benefits, such as travel and utilities discounts, and low-cost admission in the Galapagos Islands.

Once you get your cedula, you can make a copy of same and stop carrying around the original cedula and your passport on a daily basis.

My attorney's fee for obtaining the residency visa also included his assistance in getting a cedula.

cccmedia
(cedula holder since February 2014)

Thanks ccmedia, that's pretty useful info. FO'G