They are probably giving you a hard time because you don't have the ID card yet. Can you ask someone from work to put you in contact with the manager of their bank? Those types of introductions might help. I got a bank account that way when I was in Brazil on a tourist visa.

Went to the Bradesco where my boss has his account.    Sat with the managerand showed her all the documents I had brought  to the other branch.  She opened the account right on the spot.  We even wound up talking about traveling for 20 minutes or so.  Signed all the forms and go back to get my cards in 8 business days.  She didn't have any ideas about international bank transfers though.  Has anyone ever used Western Union??

Edited by jota pe - 02 July 2012 at 22:50

Originally posted by jota pe ... Went back today and they said I couldn't open an account because I was missing a document.  Has anyone had problems opening an account?  Or know what document they're talking about? ....

Why didn´t you ask wich document was missing? Wouldn´t that be the most natural thing ?

Probably the missing document was the CIE (Cédula de Identidade para Estrangeiros)

They said it was my ID number from the Federal Police, so the CIE is probably what they wanted to see.  But I had a letter from the Federal Police saying that I was in the process of obtaining my visa, Had my protocol number and everything else.  I just went to the bank branch where my boss goes and had no porblems. 

The boss' connection was the key.

I just got my account at Banco do Brasil with the help of an accountant's connection to the Branch manager people. It can be done without RNE for sure.

Trying to do it alone I think is not worth the time and frustration. I was already thinking of driving 4 hours to RJ to speak with a special branch there (the one in Centro, Rua Senador soandso) where they supposedly have people who are used to work with foreign clients. I didn't feel it was pointless, but I knew that papers would be required that I could not produce from RJ so easily. What I ended up needing was:

 - CPF
 - Passaporte
 - a rental contract (fake, though I got a bit sweaty signing a 30 month lease for R$1,000 per month) ... and especially when at the branch it was considered if we didn't have to register the contract at the cartorio. but then there was also a ...
 - declaration of residence, wherein the putative land lady certified that I lived there.
 - a declaration of income, which the accountant made and signed for me (stating that I'd have $1,500 per month)
 - 2 (two) referents, for which purpose the accountant gave his own name in person and one of his colleague just by stating it.
 - and I had to go to the cartorio to get the signature affirmed on that declaration, which only took me a half hour, thanks to small town, all in walking distance

In RJ this would have taken a week of running around.  But my experience in small-town environment was excellent. Just by my sincere interest in buying a certain property, the RE broker who knew the whole town, and his buddy the accountant who knew the way, got it done for me in 3 days of elapsed time. Day 1 trying it myself, day 2 speaking with the accountant who already had it cleared with the branch manager when we met first time, day 3 to put the whole plan into action. Day 3, from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm all together with making, signing, certifying the papers and opening the account.


Edited by Squiddie - 27 July 2012 at 22:42