Job Discussion Forums

[ralbush]

I've had a quick look and can't find any advice on this. I'm coming out to BsAs in the middle of March to teach, hopefully at International House.
If I'm working as a (British national) English teacher on a tourist visa, how easy is it to open a bank account to be paid into? Or is it more likely I'll be paid in cash?

I'd be very grateful for any advice from people already out there re. which bank to go to and the bank's reliability...HSBC already told me I'd need a work visa, or a starting balance of 25k...

Thanks very much!

[Phil_b]

On a tourist visa it'll probably be v.difficult to open a bank account - I never could. Having said that I didn't investigate it too much.

Two of the places I worked for paid me with nicely stuffed envelopes of cash - The other paid me through a complex arrangement where most of the staff "shared" facturas (tax invoices) - I was actually paid through my then girlfriend, now wife's factura (she's Argentine). In other words, on paper she was employed by the institution... and she got paid by cheque which she could cash in a bank. Obviously if you're sharing facturas with someone there may be some trust issues. If I'm right you don't have to have an account in a bank to cash a cheque in your name.

Generally from what I saw banks in Arg are to be avoided - they charge you for most things and many people got very badly burnt by their banks in 2001.

If you need to have some access to banks/credit cards etc. for your savings you might want to open an account at Nationwide in the UK - you can use their debit cards to take money out of ATMs or as Visa cards in Argentina without incurring charges. As far as I'm aware all the other UK banks will hit you with transaction charges and then rip you off with the exchange rate.

I did investigate getting added to my wife's credit card and health insurance and that was impossible without a DNI