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Hi guys,

I have a friend who is working on his residency but he's currently here just on a tourist visa. He is going to start making some investments and he needs to get a bank account here. Does anyone know of a local bank who will open an account for someone who only has a CDI number and a US passport?

Thanks for your help!
 
Well it's been years and things do change, but I opened my account with Banco Patagonia several years ago with no problem, well except I had to have a certificado de resencia (provided by the police department) and a CUIL. Wasn't really a problem then but I don't know about now. I had no legal residency then and was staying at a hospedage.
 
I have a DNI and temporary residency, not permanent. Every bank I went to would only open an account for permanent residents. However in February Banco De La Nación (at Plaza De Mayo) finally opened a savings account for me. It costs 30 pesos/month, by the way.
 
As recently as December, I got a savings account from Banco Nacion with only a passport and CDI. At that time, no private bank would do it- only state owned banks.
And even then, only savings.
But that would be what I would try- Banco Nacion. If its possible at all, thats going to be the place.
 
We too have an account with Banco Nacion, (no DNI), but it was VERY important to them that we owned our Condo and wanted to see those papers. We were kicked out of HSBC when the rules changed and we didn't have a DNI.
This all happened last Dec.
 
Just goes to show how everything is uncertain here.

4 years ago, I bought a car with cash. I tried to get a CUIL from ANSES with my passport and they absolutely denied me this. The only thing I could get as a foreigner, according to them, was a CDI.

I went to every bank I could think of, around that time (not associated with the car purchase), to try to open a savings account and was denied every time. About three years ago, when I applied for my residency, it was required that I get a bank account and my lawyer took me to Banco Galicia where he knew someone that opened a bank account for me. Having the precaria at that point, it would probably have been possible for me to do it at that time myself.

I've heard many anecdotes about people being able to open bank accounts without a DNI, but I was never able to do so, nor do I know anyone who did - with one exception.

I have a (very) rich friend who spends half his time here and half in the States. He was able to get some kind of account set up for transfers through CitiBank, in conjunction with his accounts in the States. But he has more money than God and people with that kind of money can always find ways to deal with inconveniences.

I don't know, I've always been extremely unlucky on things like this it seems. I had heard other people able to do it and it never worked out for me.
 
I have a Santander Rio account, opened without DNI, however my company organised it and I am on my 2nd yr of residency,just still never received my DNI (every time I go to ask they tell me it's in the mail, 15 months now, I may faint if I ever actually receive one). So it's possible without a DNI but wthout residency of any sort I have my doubts.
 
I have a Santander Rio account, opened without DNI, however my company organised it and I am on my 2nd yr of residency,just still never received my DNI (every time I go to ask they tell me it's in the mail, 15 months now, I may faint if I ever actually receive one). So it's possible without a DNI but wthout residency of any sort I have my doubts.

Sometimes the acronym DNI is used (or at least by me) a bit loosely to include the precaria.

Once you have your precaria, you should be able to open the account, even if you didn't have the DNI yet. That's what the lawyer did for me when I applied for residency, and probably what your company did for you in the process of applying for residency.

I didn't get my DNI for about two and a half years - just got it this February. I had the bank account for about a year with no problem, but closed it.

As a side note, my sister-in-law's took almost two years and she's a Mercosur citizen. She applied for it when she was 14. She got it 4 days after her 16th birthday. It arrived expired. Heh. She had to go through the process to get a new one, which is required when the resident turns 16.
 
Many times it just differs based on branch to branch. Most of the times, the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing in Argentina and the laws are constantly changing. You can call 10 different branches and not get consistent answers.

I'd guess some branches probably will open it but not all of them...so if you hear about one that will....go only to that branch.
 
my friend there in town with just a CDI number said she was unsuccessful opening a bank account.
Cordoba Province, Banco Nacion, Alto Alberdi branch, 2 hours to open a Savings Account in Pesos with BNA using only a Precaria and using a USA passport as the ID number (i also got a CDI just in case i was going to buy a car or apartment, but not sure if the CDI is necessary for a bank account at BNA). that @GringoGod guide i posted is the best i've found, so maybe your friend should try a different branch, or a different company (i used BNA), or try again and ask for a Supervisor.

@Digital Nomad many people say it's possible, and i'm staring at my BNA mastercard debit card right now :) all i have is a Precaria - do you have a Precaria? i forget what your current plan is, but you for sure need a Precaria
 
Cordoba Province, Banco Nacion, Alto Alberdi branch, 2 hours to open a Savings Account in Pesos with BNA using only a Precaria and using a USA passport as the ID number (i also got a CDI just in case i was going to buy a car or apartment, but not sure if the CDI is necessary for a bank account at BNA). that @GringoGod guide i posted is the best i've found, so maybe your friend should try a different branch, or a different company (i used BNA), or try again and ask for a Supervisor.

@Digital Nomad many people say it's possible, and i'm staring at my BNA mastercard debit card right now :) all i have is a Precaria - do you have a Precaria? i forget what your current plan is, but you for sure need a Precaria
Thanks. I am just in wait mode. I'm actually heading back Stateside for a bit soon. I am going to visit my parents, renew my driver's license and I have a few credit and my debit card all expiring soon. I got my CDI as I want to buy a place but it might have to wait until later this year.

I was never able to open a bank account here with the CDI #. I tried a few places but they all wanted a DNI. It's ok as anytime I need to order a Mercado Libre my girlfriend lets me use her account.
 
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Thanks. I am just in wait mode. I'm actually heading back Stateside for a bit soon. I am going to visit my parents, renew my driver's license and I have a few credit and my debit card all expiring soon. I got my CDI as I want to buy a place but it might have to wait until later this year.

I was never able to open a bank account here with the CDI #. I tried a few places but they all wanted a DNI. It's ok as anytime I need to order a Mercado Libre my girlfriend lets me use her account.
FYI one of my new neighbors (American couple) just finally opened a bank account in BA. They went around to several banks including Banco de la Nacion which wouldn't open up an account without a DNI.

They did have a CDI # and just their passport.

 
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