Hi all!,anybody know please what it takes to open a bank account in Bonaire and Curacao?,does one have to be a permanent resident?.Thanks a lot in advance!

To my knowledge you do not have to be a permanent resident. I've been told however that you do need a letter of reference from your own bank to establish an off shore account.
My advice is to e mail the bank on Bonaire where you are planning to establish an account for any additional details which they might require.

O.k,thanks a lot!

My experience is that Bonaire banks don't answer e-mail messages from non account holders. Best to get someone on island to get you the details in person and send you what you need to bring with you when you open the account in person. Peter

When e mail doesn't work, I say pick up the phone

You can open an account on the spot if you bring a letter from your bank stating what a good customer you are and how long you have been with them etc etc..... Might need to be certified genuine by a Notary if you hand carry it rather than have it posted/faxed or it could be considered fake and they are hot on Money Laundering and audit trails....

As a non resident, you can only open an account in US$ (can someone else verify this) but there was no problem when we opened ours. You WONT get a credit card immediately - or at least we were declined - but a checking account and ATM card make shopping and paying bills a lot easier.

Main Local Banks

MCB (Maduro and Curiel's Bank) and RBTT (Royal Bank of Trinidad and Tobago).

MCB is Antillean whereas RBTT is foreign LOL... We went for "support your local enterprise" but both have good reputations. RBTT is perhaps a little more conservative.... MCB provides internet banking. Maybe others do too but we have no experience.

Trevor & Carole

Trevor:

A nonresident can open a US$ or NAf account at MCB. We opened a guilder account to pay local bills. No problem, as you said you need a reference letter and it is easier to do on island.

Well basically I just want to have the account,don´t mind about not getting a credit card so checks and ATM will be enough,thanks so much!,I really appreciate your help Trevor&Carole,same for you Peter and Vince.