What do you do when you get a check from another country?
FiveCentNickel.com shares the story of a successful and easy foreign check deposit. Nickel was able to deposit a check from the UK without doing anything special -- a teller at Bank of America took care of everything, funds were available immediately, and there was no "fee" for the transaction.
Of course, the devil is in the details. While there may not be a fee for depositing a foreign check, you may take a haircut on the currency conversion. Most banks will not rip you off here, but it's worth knowing that you lose something in the conversion and it's effectively a fee.
In addition, funds may be available immediately, but be prepared for them to dry up if the check bounces. With foreign checks in particular, it can take a while -- weeks or months -- to be certain that the check is good. Even if you can spend the money right away, ask your bank when you can safely assume that the check has cleared.
Further reading: