Brunei

Visa requirements for Brunei depend on which passport you hold. Check the Traveller visa tool to see whether your passport needs a visa and, if so, how long you can stay.

January–March and July–August are the drier windows — best for Ulu Temburong National Park (only accessible by longboat). Brunei is equatorial and rainy year-round; any month can be wet. Hari Raya Aidilfitri (end of Ramadan) brings spectacular open-house hospitality.

• Modest dress throughout — Brunei is a strict Islamic Sultanate
• Cover shoulders and knees in public; women should cover loosely
• Swimwear only at hotel pools and designated beaches
• Remove shoes before entering mosques and royal buildings

• Never point with your finger — use the right thumb with the hand closed
• Do not use the left hand for giving, receiving, or eating
• The Sultan is deeply respected — do not speak disrespectfully of him or the royal family
• Bruneians are quiet and reserved; they appreciate polite, patient behaviour
• Kampong Ayer (the 'Venice of the East' water village in the capital's river) is home to 30,000 people — a living heritage site

• Brunei enforces Islamic Sharia law alongside civil law — the Syariah Penal Code (SPC) applies to Muslims and, for some offences, to non-Muslims
• Alcohol is prohibited for Muslims; non-Muslims may import limited amounts for personal use (not sold publicly)
• LGBTQ+ activity is illegal under Sharia law and theoretically carries corporal punishment — exercise extreme caution
• Eating in public during Ramadan daylight hours is prohibited for Muslims and disrespectful for non-Muslims