BHD Bank, i use their branch at the San Juan Shopping Plaza in Bavaro/Punta Cana, Pesos checking accounts and Dollar Savings accounts take around slow 45 minutes as they are really sloooow on filling in the lines on those 100 pieces of paper.
while it takes that almost one hour, it is not any complicated. the only requirement is to show a valid cedula and have some cash(2.000.- pesos for the Peso Checking Account and $300.- Dollars for the Dollar savings account) at hand. til you get the personal checks for the Pesos checking account in hand can take up to one month, they tell it takes 5 business days before the account is ready to receive transactions from abroad. locally it can be used right away, once you called their tall free number to register the included Debit Card.
the dollars saving account can be used right away, it does not give checks nor a debit card, i don't know what timelimit it has before you can receive transactions from abroad.
if you come with a passport instead of a cedula, then they ask for stuff like other accounts at other banks, credit cards to check your credit credibility and such stuff. just had that with my neighbours who first went their with her passport and came back ****ed about the requirements after i told 'em it would be easy. i went with both of the couple a few days later, without the passport, but with their cedulas, and all was done in less than an hour.
i don't think it went smooth just because they know me as a long time customer there, as i myself did not sign anything like a guaranter or such. both accounts been of course private accounts, not for any business use, which would be a very different thing and takes a longer while to finish everything.
MIke