# Checking and Cashing Checks



## Vortexijah (Oct 20, 2009)

I have my FM2 and have been living in D.F. for about 20 months now. I am running into a huge problem when it comes to cashing checks. Please can you advise me on this? 

I know some expats had accounts with banks in the U.S. that have a relationship with a bank here in Mexico. My U.S. bank does not have any such connection with a Mexican bank. Every time I receive a check, I must mail it to the U.S. in order to deposit it in my bank. 

Now I am expecting to receive this week a pension check that I need to cash A.S.A.P. So many people (no experts) have told me that I cannot cash a check drawn on an American bank in a Mexican bank. Is that true? 

The people who hold my pension have refused to wire the money to my bank in the U.S. They also refused to send me a Money Order. They will only mail me a check. What are the _real_ facts about cashing a U.S. check in Mexico? Are there any agencies here that will cash the check? 

Many thanks. This is a very urgent matter for me.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Vortexijah said:


> I have my FM2 and have been living in D.F. for about 20 months now. I am running into a huge problem when it comes to cashing checks. Please can you advise me on this?
> 
> I know some expats had accounts with banks in the U.S. that have a relationship with a bank here in Mexico. My U.S. bank does not have any such connection with a Mexican bank. Every time I receive a check, I must mail it to the U.S. in order to deposit it in my bank.
> 
> ...


My experience for what it is worth...
I have deposited a personal check drawn on a US bank in my account with Banamex. There was a USD $10 fee and I had to wait while the branch manager approved it. And I had to do it at the branch which holds my account. They credited the amount immediately to my Banamex account and it cleared my US account in a couple of days.


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## pappabee (Jun 22, 2010)

Vortexijah said:


> I have my FM2 and have been living in D.F. for about 20 months now. I am running into a huge problem when it comes to cashing checks. Please can you advise me on this?
> 
> I know some expats had accounts with banks in the U.S. that have a relationship with a bank here in Mexico. My U.S. bank does not have any such connection with a Mexican bank. Every time I receive a check, I must mail it to the U.S. in order to deposit it in my bank.
> 
> ...


You might also check with Lloyd's and see what they could do for you. Of course the best plan is to open a Mexican bank account and have your pension check directly deposited there. Another option is to get your pension check directly deposited into your US account then you can use an ATM to get money.


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## Vortexijah (Oct 20, 2009)

TundraGreen said:


> My experience for what it is worth...
> I have deposited a personal check drawn on a US bank in my account with Banamex. There was a USD $10 fee and I had to wait while the branch manager approved it. And I had to do it at the branch which holds my account. They credited the amount immediately to my Banamex account and it cleared my US account in a couple of days.


TundraGreen, Thanks for responding. Please may I ask what documents you needed to open your Banamex account? Is my FM-2 sufficient? Can I open an account at any Banamex branch or did you have to go to a special branch to open the account?


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## Vortexijah (Oct 20, 2009)

pappabee said:


> You might also check with Lloyd's and see what they could do for you. Of course the best plan is to open a Mexican bank account and have your pension check directly deposited there. Another option is to get your pension check directly deposited into your US account then you can use an ATM to get money.


PappaBee, Thanks for your response. I have been told over and over that until I get my citizenship, I cannot open an account. Was that information incorrect? Did you open your account while you just had a Mexican visa? I have an FM-2. Is that sufficient? What documents did your Mexican bank require for you to have a Mexican bank account? Thanks.


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## pappabee (Jun 22, 2010)

Vortexijah said:


> PappaBee, Thanks for your response. I have been told over and over that until I get my citizenship, I cannot open an account. Was that information incorrect? Did you open your account while you just had a Mexican visa? I have an FM-2. Is that sufficient? What documents did your Mexican bank require for you to have a Mexican bank account? Thanks.


I had no problem opening my account with BBVA and I know that many others have done the same with other banks. I needed some money to deposit ($5000mx), my passport, my visa and a utility bill showing the address where I was living. (it was not necessary for the bill to be in my name). BBVA has an entire division to assist expats put their money in their bank. I know that not all branches even understand this but many do. Other banks may not have similar people but most branch managers will be very happy to assist expats deposit their dollars in the Mexican banks. 

There are many threads on the subject on this site my suggestion is to search for Mexican bank accounts and enjoy.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Another option is to visit the nearest 'casa de cambio' with your proof of address, passport and INM document. They will give you check cashing privileges, if you ask.
It is puzzling, why your previous employer won't make direct deposits to your US bank. That is the most common approach, which then allows you to bank online and use ATMs here, or anywhere.


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## DNP (May 3, 2011)

Vortexijah said:


> PappaBee, Thanks for your response. I have been told over and over that until I get my citizenship, I cannot open an account. Was that information incorrect? Did you open your account while you just had a Mexican visa? I have an FM-2. Is that sufficient? What documents did your Mexican bank require for you to have a Mexican bank account? Thanks.


You haven't said who told you over and over, but they're wrong. Since many non-Mexican citizens have bank accounts in Mexico, someone is misguiding you.

Here's what Banamex says on their website. (Other banks have websites too.)

http://www.banamex.com/resources/pdf/es/ley_transparencia/folletos_informativos/art45_CBASICA.pdf

If you don't speak Spanish, maybe some one you know who does can help you.

If someone in your country of origin won't do this or that, you need to address that with them, not with a bank in Mexico.

Good luck. Hope you get your problems solved.

WashDC/SMA


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## pappabee (Jun 22, 2010)

RVGRINGO said:


> Another option is to visit the nearest 'casa de cambio' with your proof of address, passport and INM document. They will give you check cashing privileges, if you ask.
> It is puzzling, why your previous employer won't make direct deposits to your US bank. That is the most common approach, which then allows you to bank online and use ATMs here, or anywhere.


It also costs the employer less money but he/she can't float a check. When it's posted, it's there. (Oh I know all about the new non-floating laws)


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Vortexijah said:


> TundraGreen, Thanks for responding. Please may I ask what documents you needed to open your Banamex account? Is my FM-2 sufficient? Can I open an account at any Banamex branch or did you have to go to a special branch to open the account?


As I recall, it has been awhile now, the only thing I needed was my passport. They seem more interested in that than in my visa, although I had an FM-3 when I opened the first one and an FM-2 for the second one. You can open it at any branch. Some things can only be done at the branch where the account is held. One of my accounts is in Queretaro and I opened the second in Guadalajara for that very reason. I would suggest opening an account at one of the larger branches. I have found that sometimes a small branch will tell me something is impossible, only to find that it can be done at the larger branch.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

I second, and third, etc. everybody above who said you don't need citizenship to open a bank account. All you need is a non-tourist visa (i.e. the visas formerly known as FM3 or FM2). You will probably need to show your passport, visa, and proof of address (utility bill showing your address). Oh, and of course the money to deposit to open the account.

I had a US cheque to deposit in my Bancomer account. (This was in late 2010.) The teller accepted it, but her machine couldn't read the code, so she called over an executive. The executive tried, and it didn't work either so she got out her regulations and after a long while studying them, finally decided that it wasn't allowed (consequence of the anti-laundering provisions that had at that time recently been implemented). Try a casa de cambio, she advised.

Time went by. A couple of weeks later, when I had time to visit some casas de cambio, they turned it down right away. “No casa de cambio can change a US cheque,” they assured me. “You need to go to your bank.”

So it was about 3 weeks later that I went back to my bank. And now, magically, without explanation, the cheque was accepted for deposit to my account.

Recently I had another US cheque to deposit, and this time they accepted it on the first try.

(Both cheques were in the range USD$500 to <1000.)


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## abscissa (Apr 5, 2010)

You can get a mexican bank account with a FMM ... we have one with Bancomer .. and all we have is a FMM's


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## joaquinx (Jul 3, 2010)

abscissa said:


> You can get a mexican bank account with a FMM ... we have one with Bancomer .. and all we have is a FMM's


I believe that Bancomer is the only one. HSBC wants an FM-3 type visa.


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