Job Discussion Forums

[Russiatobe]

It's been a very difficult process to get banking done in this country. For starters, my school promised to set up a bank account for me so I can get direct deposit, but after waiting for 1 1/2 months, nothing was accomplished and I decided to take matters into my own hands..

I went in to set up a bank account at raiffeisen bank. I was told that I needed to have my passport translated and notorarized. I did this, and went back to the bank, took another 2 hours to set up an account (includes 1 hour for waiting) I was told to come back to do the wire transfer. I came back the next day, and after waiting for another hour and setting up two bank accounts ( 1 for roubles and 1 for usd) was able to send the money back. Now, the waiting begins. I sent the money on the 28 of october, it was coverted to the usd account and sent to the states on the 31 of oct. The intermediary bank in New York does not see the transacion yet.

Does anyone wire money to the United States? How long should it take normally? if there is a normally here.

[Americanartistist]

I had to set up a business bank account here, hope I never have to do that again, one big pain in the backside and even after I did that, my students still could not pay me. Because I was American, they gave me a regular bank account instead of a business bank account. Passport documentation, tax authorization documentation, all notarized of course. Then when I got my passport renewed, had to go through the same mess again. Then they wonder why nobody wants to pay taxes here. Banking here is one big mess, I can not even have publishers outside of Russia pay me because of money laundering laws, I have to be paid through my US bank, I could go on and on about Russian banks, one big aggravation. I have not tried wiring money from here, I would just use Western Union and registered mail here. I have a US bank that I use an ATM card for and for publisher's paying for photos and articles, then I use my US ATM to withdraw money. But considering how banking is done here, I doubt I would want to try it. Most of my clients either are bankers or work in a bank too, banking here is ancient in my opinion.
JD

[smithrn1983]

I send money back to the states regularly, and it usually takes only 2-3 business days from ordering the wire, to my US bank receiving the money. I use Citibank, though, so transfers to the states are much easier. I was told my bank in the US (not Citibank) that such transfers would normally take a week to process. You might check with Raiffeisen to see if the money was sent yet, and also double check the information you gave them.