Brunei:Visa Requirements

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Brunei Visa Requirements Map

Brunei: Visa Requirements

Visa requirements may change. Always verify the latest information through official government sources.

Visa-Free Entry Requirements

  • The traveller must carry a valid passport or travel document recognized by the Government of Brunei. The passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry into the country. The number of blank pages required in the passport is not specified exactly in the central official source. No separate central requirement applicable to all travellers has been published regarding damaged passports, machine-readable passports or biometric passports.
  • The traveller must have a return or onward ticket showing departure from Brunei and sufficient financial means to support themselves during the stay in the country. The document with which financial sufficiency must be proven, how many months' bank statement is required, and the minimum amount required in the account are not specified exactly in the central official source. Immigration officers may request evidence of financial sufficiency when necessary.
  • The E-Arrival Card registration must be completed before arriving in Brunei. For registration, a valid passport or individual travel document, flight or vehicle travel details, and accommodation information in Brunei are required. Creating an account on the portal and activating it with a one-time password is required. When registration is complete, a reference number is generated.
  • The E-Arrival Card process must be completed within three days before arrival. This registration is not a visa or electronic travel authorisation and does not replace the obligation of a visa-required traveller to obtain a visa. Whether the reference number must be carried in printed or digital form is not specified exactly in the central official source.
  • A valid passport or travel document must be presented at the immigration checkpoint. Admission to the country and the duration of stay granted are subject to the assessment of the immigration authority at the point of entry. The maximum period that may be stayed without a visa varies depending on the type of passport used and the applicable visa exemption arrangement; there is no single period valid for all travellers.
  • The purpose of travel permitted under the visa exemption may vary according to the passport type and the relevant regulation. For paid employment or activities requiring a work permit, an appropriate work visa and work permit must be obtained.
  • Regarding travel health insurance, no single checklist applicable to all visa-free travellers has been published on the central visa classification page. Some official Brunei missions require health insurance covering the entire stay and providing coverage of at least 10,000 Brunei dollars per person. As the application of this requirement may vary depending on the mission applied to, the nature of the travel or current entry practice, it should be checked with the relevant official mission before travel.
  • Travellers coming from or passing through an area endemic for yellow fever may be required to present a valid international yellow fever vaccination certificate. For travellers over one year of age, failure to present the certificate when arriving from an endemic area or having passed through such areas in the previous six days may result in refusal of entry, medical examination or health surveillance.
  • No central checklist covering all travellers has been published regarding birth certificates, parental consent letters or special accompaniment documents for minor travellers. These documents may be requested depending on the traveller's situation, carrier rules and the assessment of the immigration authority.

Visa on Arrival Requirements

  • The visa on arrival application is made using Form 19 upon entry into Brunei. The official visa page states that the form is distributed to passengers on flights arriving in Brunei. The applicant must provide all personal, passport and travel information requested in the form.
  • The visa on arrival can be obtained at immigration control points in Brunei. The practice is not limited to a specific airport. However, the traveller's eligibility for a visa on arrival is determined by the passport type and the official visa category.
  • The fee for a single-entry visa on arrival is 20 Brunei dollars. The fee for a multiple-entry visa on arrival is 30 Brunei dollars. The accepted payment methods, whether card payment is possible or foreign currency is accepted, are not specified exactly on the general visa on arrival page.
  • The traveller must carry a passport or travel document recognized by Brunei that is valid for at least six months from the date of entry into Brunei. The number of blank passport pages required for a visa on arrival is not specified exactly in the central official source.
  • The traveller must have a return or onward ticket, accommodation information in Brunei, and sufficient financial means to cover the duration of stay. The period of the bank statement and the minimum financial amount are not specified exactly in the central official source.
  • The E-Arrival Card registration must be completed before arriving in Brunei. During registration, passport, travel and accommodation information is provided, and a reference number is generated at the end of the process. The E-Arrival Card does not replace a visa on arrival.
  • The validity period of the visa on arrival and the maximum permitted duration of stay vary according to the passport type and the visa on arrival arrangement applicable to the traveller. No single duration of stay applicable to all visa on arrival applicants has been published in the central official source.
  • The number and size of photographs, background colour, biometric data, interview, health insurance cover and additional documents for children are not specified exactly in the central official source for visa on arrival. The immigration authority may request additional information or documents upon entry.
  • Travellers coming from or passing through an area with yellow fever risk must carry an international yellow fever vaccination certificate compliant with applicable health regulations.

Consular Visa Application Requirements

  • The visa application must be made to the nearest Brunei embassy, high commission or other authorised external mission. If there is a Brunei mission in the applicant's country of residence, the application may be required to be submitted in person with the required documents. In places where there is no mission, documents may be sent via secure courier with a prepaid return envelope bearing the applicant's address.
  • Each applicant must complete a separate visa application form. The current form must be completed in block capitals, dated and signed by the applicant. The form is free of charge.
  • The form asks for full name, current and previous nationality, marital status, sex, date and place of birth, occupation, residential address, religion, passport or identity document number, place and date of issue, expiry date, purpose of entry and contact address in Brunei.
  • For private visits, the name, address and relationship of the host to the applicant; for business or professional visits, the name and address of the company to be visited; for applications made for employment purposes, the name and address of the employer; and for transit applications, the destination country must be written.
  • On the form, persons accompanying the applicant and included in the travel document, the type of visa requested, any previous refusal of entry or deportation, criminal conviction information, intended duration of stay, proposed date of entry, previous visits to Brunei, and the amount of money available for the journey must also be declared. The competent authority may require proof of financial means.
  • For a social or tourist visit visa, a completed application form, passport, two recent colour passport-sized photographs, a confirmed return ticket, hotel reservation or address of stay in Brunei, and the applicant's contact details must be submitted.
  • The passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry into Brunei. Depending on the application category and the mission, the original or a copy of the passport may be required. Some applications require the original passport to be submitted to the mission for processing.
  • The number of blank pages required in the passport is not specified exactly in the central official source. As different requirements such as three, four or six blank pages may be found in the checklists of official external missions, the current checklist of the mission where the application will be made should be taken as a basis.
  • The central requirements request two recent, colour, passport-sized photographs. The dimensions of the photograph in centimetres, background colour, date taken, file format and digital technical specifications are not specified exactly in the central official source. Some external missions may apply additional requirements such as a white or blue background.
  • For business visit applications, the application and support letter of the guarantor or company in Brunei must be attached to the application form. Depending on the nature of the activity, a support letter issued by the relevant public authority or registered company in Brunei, approval of the event or commercial activity, relevant labour licences and company documents showing that the applicant is a businessperson may be required.
  • The original and copy of the business visit guarantor's identity card may be submitted. If the guarantor is a foreigner, the original and copy of their passport may be requested. The business licence of the guarantor or company and documents showing the applicant's business activity in their home country may also be requested.
  • For professional visit applications, the application letter of the guarantor or company in Brunei, a support letter from the Government of Brunei or the relevant company, a project proposal or assignment letter, required labour documents and an employer letter confirming the applicant's professional expertise must be submitted.
  • In some cases, the business and professional visit visa application must be made to the Immigration and National Registration Department by a registered company, public authority or government-linked company in Brunei on behalf of the applicant. After the approval letter is issued, the applicant completes the visa process at the nearest Brunei external mission.
  • For employment, student and dependent family member visas, the employer, educational institution or family sponsor in Brunei may need to obtain prior immigration approval. For these categories, additional documents related to the purpose are required, such as a work permit, acceptance letter, medical examination, document proving family relationship or sponsor documents. There is no single central checklist applicable to all applicants for all these documents.
  • The central application fee for a social visit visa is 20 Brunei dollars or equivalent. Whether the fee is refundable, the local currency equivalent and the accepted payment method may vary depending on the mission applied to. While there are missions that accept cash, postal order or bank cheque, no single payment method applicable to all missions is specified in the central official source.
  • The processing time stated for the application category requiring preliminary review and referral to the Brunei authorities is 14 working days, excluding the date of application. For social visit applications processed more directly, a period of three working days, excluding the date of application, is stated on the central page.
  • For business and professional visit applications made by a company or institution in Brunei, the general processing time is three working days at the Immigration Department headquarters and Kuala Belait branch; five working days at the Temburong branch. Files requiring additional assessment may take longer.
  • External missions may apply different processing times depending on local workload and whether the file needs to be sent to Brunei. There is no central time applicable to all missions regarding how far in advance the application should be made before travel. Some missions may require an application period of two weeks, 30 days or longer.
  • A single-entry visa may be used for one entry only, while a multiple-entry visa may be used for multiple entries within the validity period of the visa. The granting of a multiple-entry visa is not automatic and depends on the purpose of application, the documents submitted and the assessment of the immigration authority.
  • A single visa validity period and maximum duration of stay applicable to all consular visas are not specified exactly in the central official source. While some official external mission pages state that the visa may be valid for a maximum of three months, the actual validity and duration of stay are indicated on the visa label, approval letter and the permit granted upon entry.
  • How many months' bank statement is required and the minimum account balance are not specified exactly in the central official source. Some missions apply a bank statement, tax document, proof of income or minimum balance requirement specific to the country of application. These amounts are not universal for all applicants.
  • Travel health insurance and the minimum coverage amount are not specified exactly on the central visa category pages. Some official missions require insurance with coverage of at least 10,000 Brunei dollars covering the entire stay, emergency treatment and hospitalisation. Different coverage amounts may apply for employment, student or long-term visas.
  • National identity card, birth certificate, marriage certificate, previous passports, old visas, proof of legal residence and documents showing family ties may be required by some missions or visa types. These are not made mandatory for all applicants in the central social visit checklist.
  • The requirement for translation, notarisation, legalisation or apostille of documents not in English varies depending on the mission applied to. Some missions require a notarised English translation of all documents not in English. No single translation or apostille rule applicable to all missions has been published in the central official source.
  • The requirement for fingerprinting or other biometric data collection is not stated on the central short-stay visa pages. The external mission may conduct a telephone or in-person interview with the applicant when deemed necessary and may request additional information or documents.
  • For children, birth certificate, parents' identities, document showing family relationship and parental consent letter may be requested depending on the mission applied to and travel conditions. No single central document list applicable to all minor applicants has been published.
  • After the visa is granted, the E-Arrival Card registration must be completed separately. In the registration, valid passport, travel and accommodation information in Brunei is provided. The E-Arrival Card does not replace a consular visa.
  • Applicants coming from or passing through an area endemic for yellow fever are required to present a valid international vaccination certificate. The mission applied to may also request a polio vaccination certificate or other health documents depending on health risks in the country of residence; these requirements are not universal for all applicants.
  • The issuance of a visa does not guarantee the right to enter Brunei. Final admission, duration of stay and entry conditions are determined by the immigration officer upon arrival in the country.

Transit Visa Requirements

  • The transit visa is only issued at Brunei International Airport. No official practice has been published regarding the issuance of a transit visa at land borders, seaports or any other airport.
  • The traveller must travel by air via Brunei to a third country. A valid passport, confirmed onward flight ticket and, if required for the destination country, a valid visa must be presented.
  • The traveller must have sufficient financial means during the transit period. The documents with which financial sufficiency must be proven or the minimum amount required are not specified exactly in the central official source.
  • The transit visa provides a stay of a maximum of 72 hours from the date of issue. The traveller must continue their journey to the third country within this period.
  • The transit visa fee is 5 Brunei dollars and must be paid in local currency. Other payment methods are not specified exactly in the central official source.
  • The transit visa cannot be extended. Single or multiple entry options are not specified on the transit visa requirements page.
  • Eligibility for a transit visa may vary depending on the traveller's nationality, passport type or valid residence permit from specific countries. This eligibility must be checked on the basis of personal travel documents.
  • The official page on the transit visa only imposes a requirement for a valid passport, and does not specify a separate six-month passport validity period for transit travellers. No central conditions specific to the transit visa have been published for blank passport pages, photographs, health insurance, biometric data and documents for children.
Population
469,775(2026 est.)
Official language
Malay
Government type
Absolute monarchy
Continent
Asia
Capital
Bandar Seri Begawan
Currency
Brunei dollar
Area
5,765 km²
Phone code
+673

Brunei: Key Destinations

The capital city, Bandar Seri Begawan, serves as the primary gateway for most visitors arriving at Brunei International Airport. Other key urban centers include Kuala Belait and Seria, located near the nation's western oil fields.

Brunei offers a blend of Islamic culture and natural wonders, from the iconic Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque to the water village of Kampong Ayer. The country's pristine rainforests and coastline provide opportunities for eco-tourism and relaxation, while Seria's oil industry underscores its economic backbone.

Travelers typically begin their journey in Bandar Seri Begawan before exploring the Temburong District via boat or road. Regional connections to Sabah and Sarawak in Borneo are common, with flights and land routes linking Brunei to neighboring Malaysian states.