This is a bit off topic but how do you PROVE that the money is "clean"? Is it not enough that it is in your existing account? I have never heard of this from the US..
Back to the main topic - I know from a research paper that most of the remesas (remittances) that come into the DR come from people paying in DOLLARS and receiving PESOS - this goes door to door - as AE stated- and there is usually no charge since they make their money on the exchange rate.
I still use a casa de cambio for cashing my checks- since the banks hold the check money for up to 90 days before clearing it. They do not charge for giving me pesos - at a rate better than the banks, usually. But it is a drag to have to go there every month. For getting dollars, they charge 1.5% of the face value.
The BofAmerica Scotia Bank route seems to be the best.
I have one ATM card that charges a WHOPPING fee - for withdrawing here so it is wise to check before you travel.
It is not so easy to exchange dolllar here - if you go to a bank, you have to wait on line and show your passport (and the lines at the end of the month and the middle of the month can mean AN HOUR!)
Somehow - it should be easier, me thinks......
in my case the source for my Euros on the private German account been a PayPal business account, so I had to proof that I paid in the past 'somewhere', in my case in the DR, taxes on that "Income".
if the money on your account came from a source/other bank account/Pension/salary etc where taxes been taken from, then that Money is Clean and can be send anywhere.
European and DR authorities can ask you for that "Proof" for all Transactions/received money from 10 years back, that's why it is a good Idea to always keep all Tax Papers stored for a long Time.
in case you Transfer/Wire just a couple K's$ per month it may be too small of a sum to make it worth for the Authorities to follow up on such, but if you move a few K's per Week they get very interested in the activities, and absolutely rightfully of course IMHO.
the Lines at the Banks of course depend in which area a bank is located, here in Bavaro near the Hotels the lines can reach out of the bank over the street, lol, ATM's in such areas are sometimes empty by 10AM on the 30th and 15th.
I use the Mainoffice of BHD at the crossing of Veron, always several Cashiers open even on not-paydays, I seldom need more than 5 minutes from entering the Door til I have the Dollar Bills in my Hand and walk out. I usually avoid the Paydays in general and do my banking business before or after, when the need is given to do so on a payday I never spent more than 15 minutes in that Bank's office.
but I know what you mean, banks in the middle of bavaro are 'overrun' on Paydays, lol.
aside of the Pesos accounts I have with BHD a US$ Savings account, I can send US$ by Online Banking from any of my Foreign account on that savings Account, of course in US$, to withdraw money from there does not even require a Check or such, I just present the account number and my Cedula and tell them how many dollars I want to have, the Cashier checks in her/his computer that the account contains sufficient Funds for the requested amount, and a minute later she/he is counting the Dollar Bills on the Table. I never found a bank in Germany to do such business as easy and fast as it runs with that specific Mainoffice of BHD Bank in Veron/Bavaro.
no conersion Fees/bad exchange rates etc,
and I do not Pay any Fees to BHD Bank for receiving moneywires or to withdraw US$ from that account, the opposite, it is a Savings Account, so the Bank credits me every month Interest on My Savings on that account.
Mike
btw,
good Banks with short waiting Times even on Paydays in the PC Area are:
* BHD Mainoffice, Cruze de Veron
* Banco de Reservas across the street from the Shell Gas Station
* Banco Popular on the Road to the Barcelo Beach Resort, a few hundred meters after you passed the Cruze de Coco Loco, right where AC Delco is located. here you may have on a Payday 8-10 Persons in front of you in line, but they usually have on Paydays 3 cashiers open, so it moves quick, in 15-20 minutes max In and Out.
of course during the Lunch hours 12-2PM at all banks the Cashiers rotate to take their Lunchbreak, while Customers use Their lunchbreak to go to the Bank, so those 2 hrs should be avoided anywhere.