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Abrir Conta Bancaria offshore cheque

Cartão Mastercard pré-pago.

Como abrir uma conta bancária no exterior sem sair de casa?

Como abrir uma conta bancária offshore?

Como abrir uma conta bancária no exterior: Muitos bancos, especialmente no Caribe, Europa, Oriente Médio, Ásia e na América Latina exigem uma referência ou apresentação do candidato para poder abrir uma conta bancária. Em muitos casos, o agente pode fornecer a referência ou apresentar o cliente ao banco, portanto, facilitando à abertura da conta.


Hoje em dia muita gente optar por uma conta bancária offshore de dispor inúmeras vantagens como a protecção de bens e benefícios fiscais. As multinacionais grandes e mesmo os indivíduos recorrem a esta prática. No entanto é preciso conhecer as vantagens do tratamento offshore conta bancária eo modo para selecionar o melhor banco offshore.

As vantagens de ter uma conta bancária estrangeira depende da situação financeira de um indivíduo para uma extensão. Pessoas que são internacionalmente foco< ou estrangeiros podem obter facilidades como facilidade de acesso, flexibilidade e alcance mundial se abrir uma conta em um banco ideal offshore. Outras vantagens incluem melhores taxas de juros, o planeamento de propriedade e proteção de ativos. No entanto pode optar por um conselho profissional antes de abrir uma conta em um banco offshore.

Uma pessoa precisa para abrir uma conta offshore no país apropriado. Nem todos os países têm leis semelhantes para os estrangeiros que querem abrir uma conta bancária nos seus territórios. Por uma questão de facto, uma pessoa que procura a conta bancária offshore deve selecionar um país com economia estável e crescimento. As relações internacionais entre os dois países também é importante neste contexto.

Antes de escolher um banco offshore que uma pessoa precisa fazer alguma pesquisa de fundo sobre os diferentes bancos. Um banco que tem as suas filiais em vários países e goza de uma reputação global para o serviço deve ser escolhido neste contexto. Essas informações podem ser obtidas on-line.

Os bancos offshore oferecem vários tipos de conta e uma pessoa precisa para escolher aquele que satisfaz sua necessidade. Hoje, uma pessoa pode abrir uma conta em um país estrangeiro a partir de seu próprio país. Posteriormente, a conta pode ser tratado online de seu país também. No entanto, é obrigatório apresentar os documentos de identificação necessários e status de renda.

Muitos bancos oferecem offshore telefone e internet banking e estes são adequados para os executivos de trabalho que levam uma vida agitada. No entanto alguns países proibir seus moradores de abrir uma conta bancária offshore.

Jurisdições que abrem contas corporativas remotamente
Os países que se tornaram bastante conhecida por oferecer excelente operação bancária offshore de incluir a Suíça e Bermuda. As contas bancárias na Suíça são escolhidos para a sua privacidade. Outro país que é o preferido por muitos empresários para a operação bancária offshore segura é o Bahamas. Em última análise, uma pessoa tem de escolher o país que é mais adequado para suas necessidades bancárias offshore.


Abrir conta bancaria offshore
Abrir conta bancaria offshore
Offshore - O que s? para?os financeiros ou fiscais?
Para?o fiscal
Conta no banco sem pagar
Lista de bancos que ofrecem contas correntes gratuitas
Conta Bancaria Sui? Offshore
Procedimento para abrir conta bancaria na Sui? ABRIR CONTA BANC?IA PELA INTERNET
Conta bancaria Sui? Anonima
Ordem seu conta bancaria na Sui? agora online internet
Conta bancaria Caribe Bancos
Conta bancaria Austria Bancos Austria
Let?ia conta Private Bank
Conta bancaria na Alemanha Bancos alemao
Conta banc?ia Portugal
Conta Bancos Estados Unidos
Duvidas Conta Banco nos Estados Unidos
Como Abrir conta nos Estados Unidos
Cart? an?imo Maestro VISA
Cartao maestro ATM anonimo
Contacto-nos offshore conta Bancaria
Gloss?io A contrario sensu
Diccionario de finan?s em ingl?
Lista bancos centrais no mumdo
Lista Bancos Sui?
Reguladores de Valores No Mundo
Guia Para Forex
O qui ?Forex - Foreing exchange
Como Fazer Para transfer?cias internacionais
O Cheque
Conta bancaria no Caribe Anguilla
Conta bancaria no Caribe Ant?ua e Barbuda
Conta bancaria no Caribe Bonaire
Conta bancaria no Caribe Cura?o
Conta bancaria no Caribe Saba
Conta bancaria no Caribe Santo Eust?uio
Conta bancaria no Caribe S? Martinho
Conta bancaria no Caribe Aruba
Conta bancaria no Caribe Bahamas
Conta bancaria no Caribe Barbados
Conta bancaria no Caribe Bermuda
Conta bancaria no Caribe Ilhas Virgens
Conta bancaria no Caribe Ilhas Caymans
Conta bancaria no Caribe Cuba
Conta bancaria no Caribe Dominica
Conta bancaria no Caribe Rep?lica Dominicana
Conta bancaria no Caribe Granada
Conta bancaria no Caribe Guadalupe
Conta bancaria no Caribe Haiti
Conta bancaria no Caribe Jamaica
Conta bancaria no Caribe Martinica
Conta bancaria no Caribe M?ico
Conta bancaria no Caribe Montserrat
Conta bancaria no Caribe Porto Rico
Conta bancaria no Caribe Santa L?ia
Conta bancaria no Caribe S? Vicente e Granadinas
Conta bancaria no Caribe Trinidad e Tobago
Conta bancaria no Caribe Turks e Caicos
Mapa du site
Conta Bancaria offshore disclaimer
Conta Bancaria OFfshore
Os Para?os fiscais
Lista de Para?os Fiscais
Para?os fiscais e desregula?o
Sites de Bancos em Portugal
Diccionario Balan? de Capital
C?bio Comercial termos Empresariales
diccionario DEB?TURE
Efeito-substitui?o
Fiscalismo
Ganho de capital
HIPERINFLA?O
O Gloss?io de termos Empresarial IBOVESPA
JURISDI?O ADUANEIRA
Palavra-chave para utiliza?o em um sistema de busca na internet.
LAJIDA
Moeda Estrangeira.
Neg?io eletr?ico
OBRIGA?ES
POSI?O A FUTURO
Quase-Moeda
REALIZA?O DE LUCRO
SALDO N?-NEGOCIADO
TARIFA DE EXPORTA?O
UFIR (Unidade Fiscal de Refer?cia) Gloss?io
Valor adicionado
Warrant Garantia, autoriza?o, procura?o, poder.
Extensible Markup Language XML - Linguagem e protocolo
YIELD Rendimento, lucro, produ?o.
Zona de Livre Com?cio
Gloss?io do Forex
Lista de pa?es no mondo
Lista Bancos Da Sui?
Organismos Internacionais
Os Participantes no Mercado Forex
Como Investir no Mercado Forex
Passos para se investir em Forex
As moedas mais populares Fores
O mercado de c?bio
Poder de negocia?o do mercado FOREX
Como os dados afetam o mercado
Transfer?cias com O CitiBank
C?igo SWIFT BIN em transfer?cias internacionais
O qui ?Forex

Banking in Israel The Postal Bank's Visa Prepaid USD card

 The Postal Bank's Visa Prepaid USD card.
    Safer than cash. A better deal than credit!

What is the Visa Prepaid USD card?
Visa Prepaid USD card will change the way you handle money when you travel. With the card you can
   prepay your planned budget (by presenting national I.D card or passport for foreigners and by paying
   cash only), for safe and convenient use anywhere that Visa credit cards are accepted (such as: stores and restaurants world wide), and allows cash withdrawals at all designated ATMs. The card also enables safe Internet purchases (as specified below). The card is valid for up to 3 years and can be reloaded multiple times. Additionally, you can receive information about your transactions and card balance


The advantages of Visa Prepaid $ card
Security
The money on the card is safe. You can have peace
of mind when traveling abroad!
 Convenience
You can use the card to pay at business establishments, withdraw cash, and reload it.
 Benefits
The cost of the card includes the first cash loading free, currency exchange discounts, and more.
 
Availability
Purchase and reloading at all postal branches throughout Israel.
 Control your expenses
You determine the amount you load, so you can only spend as much as you planned.
 PassportCard
Travel Insurance
Innovative and unique travel insurance, allowing you to enjoy a relaxed stay abroad.
For information about your transactions and card balance click here
Visa Prepaid $ / € card Advantages
 Security
The card is identifiable (although the cardholder's name is not imprinted on it). In case of theft or loss, it is possible to block the card and keep the money loaded in it. In this way, the money in the card is safe, so you can have peace of mind when traveling abroad.
Visa Foreign Currency Prepaid is not connected to your bank account, so that in case of loss or theft, your bank account is not at risk.
You can order securely by telephone or on the Internet, since it is impossible to take out from the card more than the amount loaded in it at any given time. The card is insured, as is customary for all types of credit cards.
If your children are traveling abroad (summer camp, a trip to Poland, etc.), and you don't want them walking around carrying cash, give them a "Visa Prepaid $ / €" card and prevent unnecessary riskto them, while the money is kept safe – in case of loss or theft the card can be blocked.
In case of loss/theft of the card, contact the Help hotline, which operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: 972-73-2633555

The Visa Prepaid $ / card is so convenient!
It can be used for payment at various business establishments, including stores, restaurants, and places of entertainment – which accept Visa cards and use an electronic transaction device – or for withdrawing local currency at ATMs the world over.
You have the option of withdrawing cash at an ATM or paying for a purchase in local currency. In this case, there may be exchange rate difference costs.
No more money in the card? No problem! Your representative can reload your card for you at any postal branch.
A service hotline manned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and an automated system for checking your balance and recent transactions.
 Availability
You can purchase and reload the Visa Prepaid $ / € card at any postal branch throughout Israel.
Control your expenses
You decide what amount to load in your card, so that you can spend exactly the amount that you planned.
Want to limit the amount of money you spend? Load the card with the amount you have budgeted. This way you'll be sure not to spend more than the budget you decided on.
 Benefits
  1. Purchase of a card (for 40 NIS) includes the free first loading.
  2. The cost of the card can count as part of the payment for the insurance that is offered together with the card.
  3. If you load over $800 or € , you will receive a discount in the exchange rate.
  4. You can get travel insurance. For additional details click here
Passport Card™ Travel Insurance via magnetic card
A revolution in the world of insurance, from the Phoenix Insurance Company and DavidShield**.
Buy a Visa Prepaid $ / € Card at the Postal Bank, and join PassportCard™ Travel Insurance via magnetic card; you can enjoy special insurance that will cover the expenses* you will need to pay when using your card during your stay abroad.

PassportCard coverage plans include, among other things:
Availability/continuous service:24 hours a day, 7 days a week, any day of the year.
  • Cashless: Customers don't need to pay from their own pockets for medical services, or to temporarily finance the service before receiving a reimbursement from the insurance company.
  • Simplicity of implementation:A simple insurance process that doesn't involve bureaucracy.
  • Worldwide deployment: Millions of medical providers throughout the world. Visa Prepaid $/€ is valid at all clinics, pharmacies and doctors' offices throughout the world that accept Visa.
  • Telephone access:Toll-free numbers and Skype-free from all over the world.
  • Advanced technology:The product is based on advanced technological developments and benefits from advanced human engineering.
  • Support and guidance:Customer service supports you throughout the entire medical process, and directs you to the required medical service nearest to your location.
  • Medical consultation in Hebrew: PassportCard puts at your disposal a "doctors' room" for the purpose of consultation and professional guidance, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year.
  • High service standard:PassportCard has a service charter that obligates all of its employees, and provides a high standard of availability and quality in handling of customers; it includes financial compensation for customers in case of handling that falls below the set standard.
  • Extensive experience: The connection between the "Phoenix" Insurance Company and DavidShield** enables you to benefit from all their accumulated experience from all over the world, including medical services, rescue services, and compensation for loss of luggage and other property.
  • For the first time in Israel, PassportCard exempts you from paying a deductable for any medical service you may receive abroad via the magnetic card.
For information and additional details about the card and the services provided by us, contact the PassportCard™ service hotline *9912 from any phone in Israel, or via our homepage www.passportcard.co.il.
For new members, up to NIS 40 credit for the insurance premium at time of purchase.
PassportCard™ Travel Insurance via magnetic card, allowing a variety of solutions for travelers abroad, with personal customization, such as:
The Travel Planis a travel insurance plan built and customized for the varied and changing needs of the population that travels abroad. The policy allows us to provide an answer for all travel purposes, with personal customization of extensions.
The Mochiler Planis an extension most suitable for travelers who are going on a lengthy backpacking trip.
The Business Planis an annual travel insurance policy providing special solutions for business people who travel a lot abroad, or who combine business and vacation trips.

FAQs
As a Visa Prepaid $ / € customer of the Postal Bank, we offer you PassportCard™ travel insurance from the Phoenix Insurance Company group and DavidShield**.
The experts from PassportCard™ Travel Insurance via magnetic card have collected for you a representative selection of frequently asked questions from the PassportCard sales and customer service centers.

What is PassportCard?
PassportCard™ Travel Insurance via magnetic card is a special advanced product, providing you with medical coverage via the card in your possession, for any medical need or problem abroad, whether you are on a business trip, family visit, or any other type of trip.
What should you do in case of a medical incident?
In case of a medical incident, contact the PassportCard™ hotline using the toll-free numbers in accordance with the country that you are visiting, or via Skype. The PassportCard service hotline is at your service 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
How do you use the card – how does it work?
In accordance with the description of the incident and with your location, we will direct you to the clinic or hospital that is nearest to your location. In case of need and/or at your request, one of our on‑duty doctors will provide you with medical guidance.
At the conclusion of treatment, PassportCard will pay the bill (with no deductable!), via the magnetic card in your possession.
Where can I use PassportCard Travel Insurance via magnetic card?
PassportCard service is available at all clinics, pharmacies, and doctor's offices throughout the world where Visa is accepted.
What should I do with the card upon returning from abroad?
Returned from abroad? We hope you had a good time! Keep the card in your possession together with your passport, and on your next trip you can activate the insurance in seconds...even on the way to the airport.
For repeat use, you can call the activation hotline *9912, or activate the card via the PassportCard homepage.
If you are interested in further details, or if you have not found an answer to your question – please contact us, via the PassportCard homepage, or call the PassportCard service hotline from any phone in Israel *9912, or via Skype, or telephone number 972-9-8920930.
 
US PENDING PATENT 12/949,367
* Medical expenses in accordance with customary and reasonable cost at the location where treatment is required. Subject to the terms of the policy and its appendices, the insurance plan is from "Phoenix Insurance Company" and DavidShield**.
** Through Mizrah Insurance Service Ltd.
  • The insurance agency DavidShield Ltd. and/or Phoenix Insurance Company Ltd is/are exclusively responsible for the insurance policy, its conditions and exceptions, and anything stemming from it. The Postal Bank or Postal Company bears no responsibility in relation to the insurance policy and services provided in the framework of the PassportCard™ plan.


 
Purchase and loading detailsGuide to using the cardCharges and fees
Important informationTerms of use

Banking in Uruguay

List of Bank in Uruguay

Uruguay is one of the Latin American countries to have shown a significant upward trend in economic growth, while also successfully overcoming both regional and worldwide crises in the last ten years. Its advance has been boosted by reforms that have provided greater macro-economic stability. However, a series of aspects still need improving, and these are important for strengthening the country's future growth and sustainability. One of these is financial depth.

The economics literature has highlighted the importance of broad access by the population to the products and services offered by banks in order to foster savings and facilitate investment and commercial activities, and to strengthen economic growth. Further, it is a channel through which the authorities can reduce the volatility of the GDP.

There are a number of reasons for this:

Financial institutions reduce the costs of identifying the most profitable projects and of monitoring their development. They also diversify savers' risk by placing lendable funds in projects in different economic sectors. Hence, they incentivise savings by channelling funds towards attractive investments with a lower risk. Greater savings means larger sources of financing for investment, which favours the accumulation of capital and, thus, growth.

Banks provide the liquidity that investors need, thus reducing the rate at which productive projects are halted owing to temporary problems. This means greater investment, greater accumulation of capital and, consequently, greater growth.

The financial system widens the range of payment means, which facilitates transactions. This drives commerce and economic activity.

It boosts the effectiveness of monetary policy, favouring the implementation of countercyclical policies and the attainment of macroeconomic stability.

The financial system in Uruguay, however, according to a number of measures, is lagging behind the rest of Latin America, even if differing income levels per inhabitant are taken into account. In other words, the country has failed to take advantage of the opportunities of financial depth to bolster the growth of activity. What is to be done? How can this process be driven forward? The object of the following chapters is to describe the situation in Uruguay in terms of banking penetration and then, on this basis, make recommendations to help gradually improve the population's access to the products and services offered by banks.



Uruguay’s Key Advantages 
Uruguay offers many advantages to the foreign or offshore resident, thus its reputation as “the Switzerland of South America”

Funds can enter Uruguay freely, that is, no withholding taxes or government fees affect transfers of money into the country.

Funds can exit the country, free of any taxes, at any point.  There are no waiting periods or permits to transfer money back out of the country.

One does not face currency risk, since funds in the country can (and usually do) stay in foreign currency (U.S. dollars and Euros being the main choice).  Over three quarters of the funds that Uruguayan banks hold are in dollars.

One needn’t be a citizen, a resident, nor be physically present in Uruguay, in order to own property in the country, or have investments or funds in a bank account in the country.

Assets in Uruguay can be owned by any type of foreign vehicle, with no disadvantage.  It’s common to see real estate owned by Panama, BVI or Delaware LLCs.

  
Obtaining Uruguayan Citizenship

Residency Is A Simple Process

Obtaining Uruguayan citizenship a simple process.   It starts with filing for residency (which is granted, on average, after a year).
Uruguayan residency is easy to obtain and the key requirements are three: one’s birth certificate (stamped by the Uruguayan consulate in the country of birth), a clean police record and proof that one can support oneself throughout the residency process (the “income requirement”).
To prove that one has a clean police record, he or she must present a police certificate from the country of origin and from those countries where one resided in the past five years (in the case of U.S. citizens, the U.S. record is requested in Uruguay, at the local Interpol office).

Income Requirement

The income requirement is fulfilled by proving that the interested party has yearly income of at least USD 6,000. This can be proved in a number of ways: a pension, a mutual fund, lease income from an asset inside or outside Uruguay, dividends of any nature, or a wage, to name common examples.  Uruguay’s immigration authorities scrutinize this requirement thoroughly, so the key is to prove it correctly, leaving no doubt to the authenticity and permanent or semi-permanent nature of the income source.

No Real Estate Requirement
 

It’s important to notice that Uruguay does not require that you own property or have investments in the country, in order to grant residency.  On the other hand, owning property does not eliminate the income requirement.
 
To file for residency, after gathering the necessary documents, one enters Uruguay as a tourist and files the request on a pre-appointed date, at the immigration authority (“DNM”).  From the moment a person applies for residency, he or she may stay in Uruguay indefinitely, and even request a national identification, which allows one to travel passport-less to Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Paraguay.  One may also, from day one, bring one’s household goods into the country, duty free.  Household goods do not include a car.

Citzenship
 

After five years of having filed for residency (three in the case of families) one can apply for citizenship.  This is done at Uruguay’s “Electoral Court”, and the requirement is that one have Uruguayan residency, and to have had a permanent connection with the country and no absence for more than six straight months, for three/five years (this is proved with documents and witnesses).  The citizenship application process is quick, and usually citizenship is granted within three months of one’s request.
 
Uruguay allows multiple citizenship, and the key benefit of citizenship is a Uruguayan passport, which allows for visa-free travel to all of Latin America and several European countries.

Retirees
 

A special law, 16,340, that applies to retirees with a government pension of over USD 18,000 per year guarantees a Uruguayan passport more rapidly.  For those who apply for residency under this law, a passport is granted after a year to eighteen months (the time the process usually takes).  But the hurdles and requirements are higher: besides the fact that income must be an official pension, and of at least USD 18,000 per year, one must also own a property in Uruguay valued at USD 100,000 or more.  This law also allows one to bring a car tax free, but this is not recommended, since bureaucratic delays can make the process very expensive.

Taxes in Uruguay
For foreign citizens, and for Uruguayan citizens with offshore income, taxes are a neutral issue
 


Foreign Source Income
Recent changes in Uruguay’s tax code, in July 2007, introduced personal income tax for individuals, but did not change Uruguay’s main tax rule: foreign income is never taxed (nor does it have to be reported). Uruguay will continue taxing only income generated inside Uruguay and some assets located inside the country.  Thus, for citizens and foreign nationals alike, any type of income obtained from a foreign source, or assets abroad, will remain untouched by the Uruguayan tax collector.  A U.S. pension, dividends or capital gains on stock in a Japanese company, interest from a CD in a European bank or real estate in Australia: they all remain untaxed. 


Uruguay’s Offshore Vehicles

Uruguay maintains a reputation as an efficient and trustworthy offshore jurisdiction, mainly through two instruments: offshore companies and free-zone companies.

Uruguay’s offshore vehicle is the standard Sociedad Anonima (SA) which is untaxed on its offshore income and offshore assets.  The only tax that a Uruguayan SA pays when used solely for offshore purposes is a flat tax, ICOSA, which amounts to the equivalent of approximately USD 390 per year.

The SA is a stock corporation, and it is simple to manage and run.  It may have one or many owners (shareholders), of any origin, one or many officers (of any origin), and its shares may be nominative or bearer-type.  There are no public records or requirements to disclose or register the shareholders of the company, even in the case of nominative-share companies. 


SAs are easy and inexpensive to incorporate, and usually investors purchase a readily incorporated (but not-yet-activated) SA, which can be made available and used instantaneously.


Its sole obligations are to:
Have at least one officer or director, who has to register with the tax authorities and the Public Commerce Registry
File tax forms twice a year


Residency Is A Simple Process
 

Obtaining Uruguayan citizenship a simple process.   It starts with filing for residency (which is granted, on average, after a year).
 
Uruguayan residency is easy to obtain and the key requirements are three: one’s birth certificate (stamped by the Uruguayan consulate in the country of birth), a clean police record and proof that one can support oneself throughout the residency process (the “income requirement”).
 
To prove that one has a clean police record, he or she must present a police certificate from the country of origin and from those countries where one resided in the past five years (in the case of U.S. citizens, the U.S. record is requested in Uruguay, at the local Interpol office).

Income Requirement
 

The income requirement is fulfilled by proving that the interested party has yearly income of at least USD 6,000. This can be proved in a number of ways: a pension, a mutual fund, lease income from an asset inside or outside Uruguay, dividends of any nature, or a wage, to name common examples.  Uruguay’s immigration authorities scrutinize this requirement thoroughly, so the key is to prove it correctly, leaving no doubt to the authenticity and permanent or semi-permanent nature of the income source.

No Real Estate Requirement
 

It’s important to notice that Uruguay does not require that you own property or have investments in the country, in order to grant residency.  On the other hand, owning property does not eliminate the income requirement.
 
To file for residency, after gathering the necessary documents, one enters Uruguay as a tourist and files the request on a pre-appointed date, at the immigration authority (“DNM”).  From the moment a person applies for residency, he or she may stay in Uruguay indefinitely, and even request a national identification, which allows one to travel passport-less to Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Paraguay.  One may also, from day one, bring one’s household goods into the country, duty free.  Household goods do not include a car.

Citzenship
 

After five years of having filed for residency (three in the case of families) one can apply for citizenship.  This is done at Uruguay’s “Electoral Court”, and the requirement is that one have Uruguayan residency, and to have had a permanent connection with the country and no absence for more than six straight months, for three/five years (this is proved with documents and witnesses).  The citizenship application process is quick, and usually citizenship is granted within three months of one’s request.
 
Uruguay allows multiple citizenship, and the key benefit of citizenship is a Uruguayan passport, which allows for visa-free travel to all of Latin America and several European countries.

Retirees
 

A special law, 16,340, that applies to retirees with a government pension of over USD 18,000 per year guarantees a Uruguayan passport more rapidly.  For those who apply for residency under this law, a passport is granted after a year to eighteen months (the time the process usually takes).  But the hurdles and requirements are higher: besides the fact that income must be an official pension, and of at least USD 18,000 per year, one must also own a property in Uruguay valued at USD 100,000 or more.  This law also allows one to bring a car tax free, but this is not recommended, since bureaucratic delays can make the process very expensive.
 

Taxes in Uruguay
For foreign citizens, and for Uruguayan citizens with offshore income, taxes are a neutral issue
 

Foreign Source Income
 

Recent changes in Uruguay’s tax code, in July 2007, introduced personal income tax for individuals, but did not change Uruguay’s main tax rule: foreign income is never taxed (nor does it have to be reported). Uruguay will continue taxing only income generated inside Uruguay and some assets located inside the country.  Thus, for citizens and foreign nationals alike, any type of income obtained from a foreign source, or assets abroad, will remain untouched by the Uruguayan tax collector.  A U.S. pension, dividends or capital gains on stock in a Japanese company, interest from a CD in a European bank or real estate in Australia: they all remain untaxed. 
 

Banking in Colombia

Things you Need to Know Before you Go: Money and Banking


Whether you are visiting or planning to live in another country, arriving prepared will avoid a lot of woes. Colombia may sound exotic, but it's not as if you will be landing on another planet either.  Let me make the transition a little easier by giving you the rundown on everything everybody needs to know! Today let us tackle money, which some attribute all evil to, but be that as it may, it is also a necessary evil!
 
I tell everybody that whatever their destination may be to not bother using currency exchanges either at home or abroad and especially not in any airport. Currency exchanges will make money two ways: they will give you an exchange rate way below the official one, and then charge you a transaction fee. They prey on your worries that you will be stuck with no local currency at the other end, when in fact almost any airport in the world will have ATMs in their arrivals hall that will accept foreign bank cards.
Travelers' checks are not as practical as many guide books claim, since they will not be widely accepted except in major hotels  where you are actually staying and therefore you might wind-up cashing them at a bank, where they will charge you a princely percentage for the privilege. That said, a travelers' check as a backup emergency plan is not a totally bad idea.
Wiring money via services like Western Union will also be very costly because they also make money both on the exchange rate and hefty transaction fees on the sender's end, plus  there is always the possibility the office you go to retrieve the money in Colombia will refuse to tender the cash on a technicality,  such as a slight difference between your full name and address and the information provided by the sender (or an error by the wiring company's employee). Only use wires as a last resort! Cash advances against major credit cards will also cost you dearly, so that too is only good in a worst case scenario.
Speaking of credit cards, I also recommend not depending on them! First and foremost, whether it be Colombia or anywhere else, you should never use them in anything but the most reputable businesses and never let anybody take your plastic out of sight! Card cloning scams are everywhere, as I learned during a visit to my hometown of Montreal, where I used an American MasterCard check card in my favorite restaurant and stupidly let the waiter take it with him away from my table. Two months later, three transactions at Montreal gas stations totaling over 2500 dollars (they were using tankers, no doubt!) were made against my card, sending it into negative territory and triggering a rash of 32 dollar daily overdraft penalties as well. I got very penny back but it took longer because it was a check card as opposed to pure credit.
The other problem with making credit card transactions is that the local merchant's bank may very well apply its own inflated exchange rate on your transaction and then charge your own bank in your currency rather than the local one, whereas your bank would normally handle the conversion. What happens then is that what should have been a 30 dollar transaction could cost you 40 in the end.  This is not the fault of the merchant and in fact they usually do not even know that this is how it is being handled (and they do not get the extra ten dollars you were charged!). Thus, the best policy is to use cash for all your transactions once at your destination.
The best way to get cash in your host country these days, including Colombia, is to use your bank card in ATMs. American check (debit)  cards, use either Visa or MasterCard and will give you the official exchange rate. Typically, they will charge you a transaction fee each time you use the card (unless you use it at an affiliated bank's ATM), and a currency exchange fee as a percentage, typically three percent for US banks. To reduce your banking costs, you should try to withdraw the maximum allowable at the particular ATM. In Colombia, Bancolombia, the country's biggest bank, only allow you 400,000 pesos per transaction at its ATMs, while Davivienda allows you 720,000 and Citibank 800,000, so it's obviously more advantageous to use the latter two.  If you are planning to reside in Colombia, you probably want to take with you several ATM cards, in case one gets damaged, lost, or stolen. Your home bank cannot and will not send you a replacement card outside the country now matter how much you beg them!
Furthermore, you might want  the cards you do bring along to be from the banks that offer the lowest combined transaction and exchange fees. For this, you will have to ask the banks directly.  For example, Citibank will charge you only a 3% fee when you use their ATMs in Colombia, but that is still more than the combined rate of 2.26% Bank of America will apply using any bank's ATM there! While a couple dollars more per transaction may not sound like much, you may have to go to the ATM in Colombia six to ten times a month, so that becomes 12 to 20 dollars more in fees, or 144 to 240 dollars a year!
There is an abundance of ATMs in Colombia's  big and even smaller cities, and most will accept cards that use the Cirrus, Plus and Others. Foreign banks that have a strong presence here other than  Citibank,  is Spain's BBVA (their ATMs will not work with US cards).  Just as anywhere else, I highly discourage you from using any automated teller close to the street. It is infinitely safer to use an ATM in a mall, but even then be very mindful of who is watching. Thieves are known to follow people after using an ATM and are also known to not hesitate taking your life if you resist.  One way to minimize risk is to use the ATM and then go do your shopping in the same mall rather than exiting to the street right away. I have not been the victim of any crime in five years living here, but I practice what I preach regarding public safety so that probably has a lot to do with it!
As I mentioned earlier, I have lived here for five years, but in that time I only had a bank account locally for a brief time. In my situation, where my funds are earned abroad and not in pesos, there is not much use in a local bank account. Using ATMs with my foreign cards has worked well for me, but obviously for any foreigners with a local income, a local bank account becomes a necessity. Presumably, if you are employed in Colombia, you will have a national identity card, or "cedula"  as it is also known. This document is a requirement in order to open an account at a bank in Colombia.
Obtaining a credit card from your Colombian bank can be difficult unless you have a long enough credit history  in Colombia. Your credit rating in your country of origin means absolutely nothing here, but then again, your US credit history does not in Canada and vice versa! As anywhere, obtaining a consumer loan or mortgage depends on your Colombian credit history as well as your income level, although the requirements tend to be lower than in places like the USA. That said, interest rates in Colombia are much higher than in places like the USA, both on loans and savings. There are some oddities in banking transactions, in that any time you withdraw cash from your Colombian bank account, you will immediately be taxed 4 pesos on every 1000., while if you use your debit card enough, you will be refunded a portion of the Colombian sales tax you paid on your purchases, monies which will be deposited directly into your account. These are government programs, not your bank's!
The Colombian peso (COP) has seen many ups and downs in the past five years, ranging from over 2600 pesos per US dollar to as low as just over 1600, but more often than not the trading range has been between 1700 and 1900. What this means in practical terms is that your cost of living in Colombia fluctuates wildly when financed through foreign currencies. I have seen the rent on our townhouse go from 500 to 670 USD within the same year at one point! Still, the solution is not to convert vast amounts into pesos at the outset, because not only you will be killed by fees on the buying end, but you will also  likely lose badly on the selling end, the day you have to go back home.
If you are absolutely sure you are going to spend the rest of your life in Colombia, then of course the dynamic is different, but on the other hand Colombia is still an emerging economy and its money is speculative and inflationary, whereas bellwether currencies like the Euro or the US dollar have a purchasing power that is rather stable in Europe and the United States, respectively.  Be pragmatic, but also think long term is what I suggest!
Please note that if your bank is not in the US or in a country using the Euro, it is likely your currency is thinly traded against the Colombian peso. What this means is that your bank might charge higher fees for exchanging COP. Check with your bank. One solution is to open an account in the USA (this is legal), but that would make absolutely no sense if you are not going to live in Colombia and / or do not have a legal US address (say a winter home in Florida), because US banks cannot send your ATM cards to a foreign address and the temporary one they give you is, well, temporary!
You can check the value of the Colombian peso against other currencies on popular sites like xe.com, though my own blog, ocolombia.com lists the major ones on every page.

More info

http://www.colombia.travel

http://bankingin.com/colombia.html