Thank you all for this important Q&A. We are moving to Boquete July 2015 and needed this process and referral to a bank. Will be using Scotia for sure!
Besides Ana Ortiz, they have Danilo and Pamela ... both speak excellent English and are nice and are helpful. For folks who have been in Boquete for a few years, they will let you slide on the attorney letter and the second bank referral letter. Also, and importantly, they get the S.S. $$$ into the accounts the minute it arrives, not several days later as some unmentionable banks do in Boquete.
Scotia is the BEST bank to deal with, hands down. After 11 years here, I've had (or have) accounts with Global and Banistmo (before it became HSBC and then back again). Scotia is easy, friendly and accommodating. The other great bank in town is Caja de Horas (a credit union savings bank)--but you have to have your permanent residency cedula to open an account there. If you have this, account can be opened in 20 minutes flat. Done.
Louise Andrew > Elizabeth WorleyMarch 20, 2015 at 12:03pm
Well, it IS Canadian...
Met the president once at a Canadian club party in Panama, and he then ended up as a neighbor here for a short time. Very good guy, if the rest are like him it doesn't surprise me at all.
The requirements to open the account are on their website. Or you can walk in there and they will give you a list. Everyone in there speaks English to some degree.
I was trying to open bank account there just recently. Still in the process - they require a lot of papers, like recomendation latters, rental agreement, lawyer immigration status confirmation, bank recomendation (tricky one).
Yes, they speak English.
Bruce Laidlaw > Stanislav SynkoMarch 19, 2015 at 12:39pm
Their requirements are easily fulfilled if you have a lawyer handling your residency stuff. Get your bank in the States to send you a letter proving you have an account with them,. Whoever you're renting from can easily provide you a short letter stating you are currently renting from them. It's not that difficult to accomplish these things. Ana and Danilo speak English and they'll help get you set up.
Replies
Thank you all for this important Q&A. We are moving to Boquete July 2015 and needed this process and referral to a bank. Will be using Scotia for sure!
Besides Ana Ortiz, they have Danilo and Pamela ... both speak excellent English and are nice and are helpful. For folks who have been in Boquete for a few years, they will let you slide on the attorney letter and the second bank referral letter. Also, and importantly, they get the S.S. $$$ into the accounts the minute it arrives, not several days later as some unmentionable banks do in Boquete.
And the two tellers speak great English...call me by name...and are excellent in customer service...very friendly.
Scotia is the BEST bank to deal with, hands down. After 11 years here, I've had (or have) accounts with Global and Banistmo (before it became HSBC and then back again). Scotia is easy, friendly and accommodating. The other great bank in town is Caja de Horas (a credit union savings bank)--but you have to have your permanent residency cedula to open an account there. If you have this, account can be opened in 20 minutes flat. Done.
Well, it IS Canadian...
Met the president once at a Canadian club party in Panama, and he then ended up as a neighbor here for a short time. Very good guy, if the rest are like him it doesn't surprise me at all.
Scotia has been great. Opened an account with them, and their Customer Service has been top notch.
The requirements to open the account are on their website. Or you can walk in there and they will give you a list. Everyone in there speaks English to some degree.
We just opened an account.
I was trying to open bank account there just recently. Still in the process - they require a lot of papers, like recomendation latters, rental agreement, lawyer immigration status confirmation, bank recomendation (tricky one).
Yes, they speak English.
Thanks for your advices. That could really help!