Paying my utilities online

djlawlaw

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Jul 6, 2006
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I am interested in paying for my utilities online. However, I have been told that I need a Dominican Bank Account in order to do this. Is it possible to open such an account if you do not have a sedula?
 

J D Sauser

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Nov 20, 2004
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www.hispanosuizainvest.com
I am interested in paying for my utilities online. However, I have been told that I need a Dominican Bank Account in order to do this. Is it possible to open such an account if you do not have a sedula?

Yes, you can open an account in a Dominican bank (in the DR) without a Dominican cedula or residency.
You must however be able to identify yourself with a valid passport.

There seem to be some new requisites. You may be asked to present the following:
  • Valid passport.
  • 1 or 2 recommendations or your current bank abroad (preferably in Spanish), stating that you have account with them in good standing and with an average in the thousands, ten thousands or hundred thousands (the higher the better).
  • 1 or 2 recommendations of a well known (to that bank) Dominican or legal resident individual or business in the DR, as to your business reputation... "to whom it may concern... blah, blah, blah...
I have heard of one guy in Santo Domingo just yesterday who was asked at a bank for his actual bank statements (of his accounts "back home") and even his login pass words of his e-banking so they could double-check it there for him. :confused: He laughed them out and refused. If asked, you should obviously do the same!

Wires: We receive wires here in about a 5 working days. But because of new regulations there may be additional paperwork to be filed if the amount is higher than USD 9'999.99. So please ask specifically before sending the farm over.


... J-D.
 

djlawlaw

New member
Jul 6, 2006
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Thanks JD. Do you know which banks will do this? I went into Banco Popular and they told me that I needed a sedular. I do not know if the young lady was expereience in these matters or did not want to deal with the stress.
 

DavidZ

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Aug 29, 2005
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ScotiaBank and Banco Popular and Banco SantaCruz only require a letter from your bank stating that you have had an account there in good standing for "____" years, it does not have to be in Spanish, they do not require account numbers, average balances, etc...and a copy of your passport...and your money! You may need references from 2 legal residents of the DR, but I dont remember, but definitely not more than that and they can be anybody with a DR phone number. BP has the highest minimum deposit/balance of the three. THis information is all accurate and current in Sosua/Cabarete (may be different elsewhere).

As for paying your utilities online, Scotia Bank has an 809 phone number to pay your verizon bill, and BP allows you to pay it online. Im pretty sure they no longer allow payment of EdenNorte online and definitely not CableDelNorte. Not sure about water bill or other utilities...are there other utilities??.
 

djlawlaw

New member
Jul 6, 2006
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Ok, it looks like the most important thing to have is the passport and the bank letter. I will talk to my bank and ask them what do I need to get a letter from them.