There are legitimate reasons for splitting transactions. But nine times out of ten, it's someone trying to get around some threshold they've heard about.
The correspondent banks have access to the same monitoring systems with the same possible rules. Long ago, correspondent banks weren't really required to do much checking on what happened on correspondent accounts. But nowadays they do. So it's wise to assume that they, too, will catch 2 x 9,000 transaction from the same sender and/or to the same beneficiary.
There is no clear answer on this as multiple factors might trigger a check or put the account at risk. One can have an account and transfer 500k usd without questions asked and someone else for two payments of 3k eur questions can be asked.
Frequent regular payments of 9k eur in the first six months of a new account will ofcourse also increase the risk. Just take it slowly and do a few irregular payments with smaller amounts in the first six months.
Personally on new EMI accounts I have limited myself to transfers below 10k eur and let the account age while doing infrequent but regular transfers of different amounts. After 6 months and when the EMI had asked one time questions about a transfer they mostly leave you alone. For all EMI we have had at least once questions asked in the first 6 months.
In most countries banks are required to report a transaction above 10k according local AML rules. Some EMI limit the max amount per transfer to some countries specifically for this reason. We transfer frequently to SEA and the max amount per transfer (converted) is around 9k usd for exactly this reason (above 9k AML reporting and questions are triggered). Multiple transfers of 9k usd, even on the same day do not pose any problem. This is for this specific country, other countries we can transfer freely few hundred thousand eur at a time.
To avoid questions use multiple accounts (the more the better) and transfer first small amounts irregularly while building a "relationship" with the EMI. Let the accounts age for 6-12 months and you will have a lower risk profile, hence can transfer larger amounts without questions asked.
Using +5 accounts and transfer biweekly 9k eur allows to transfer almost 100k a month.
If no urgency to transfer the money this is the method we personally use to transfer to some countries. If a larger amount needs to be transfered it's best to have some information at hand providing the reason and source. Mostly if the money already came from another account on your personal name this is sufficient as banks will assume the bank you wired from had already verified the funds.
All depends on your risk profile, your transaction history, your duration of the account and the country you wire from/to. Everyone has different experiences and I believe most with positive experiences transferring larger amount have already an EMI account for over a year and therefor a low risk profile.
Perhaps someone can confirm that they have transfered multiple large amounts withing the first weeks they had opened a new EMI without issues or questions asked. We never took this risk and use above mentioned method.
