Expats moving to Brunei will find a small, tropical country with a tiny population of just over 400,000 residents. Brunei has one of the highest standards of living in the world and the country’s economy is booming thanks to its thriving oil and gas industries.
Brunei has a large expat contingent of around 40 percent of the country’s population, with most foreigners having been enticed by the prospect of lucrative employment packages and tax-free income. Expats moving from Western Europe and North America are likely to find the cost of living in Brunei relatively low.
New arrivals are sure to experience some culture shock. Brunei is a strictly Islamic country and expats should always take the necessary steps to adhere to local standards. All expats should dress modestly and refrain from physical contact between members of the opposite sex in public. It is also worth noting that any sexual contact or compromising behaviour between non-Muslims and Muslims can lead to severe punishment and deportation.
While Malay is the official language of Brunei, English and certain Chinese dialects are commonly used in business. As such, most expats won’t experience much of a language barrier.
Brunei is generally a safe destination for expats and crimes tend to be opportunistic rather than violent. The country has strict laws when it comes to alcohol and drugs. While expats are allowed to import small quantities of alcohol for their personal consumption, they are not allowed to possess more than their designated allowance or sell alcohol to others. Drugs are illegal in Brunei and being caught in possession of any banned substance can have severe consequences. Police carry out regular checks along busy roads to search cars for drugs and alcohol.
Brunei has one of the world’s top public healthcare systems. Public medical care can be accessed by locals at no cost and expats are usually charged low rates. For expats with a comprehensive health insurance policy there are a number of private hospitals which are also of a high standard, but these tend to be located only in major urban areas.
Although Brunei’s public education system is relatively young it is of a high standard and is continually improving thanks to large government investments. Expats generally opt to send their children to international schools, most of which are located in the country’s capital city, Bandar Seri Begawan.
While expats moving to Brunei may need to make some adjustments to their lifestyles and overcome elements of culture shock, they will likely be rewarded with a high standard of living and an array of new opportunities.
Population: Around 400,000
Capital city: Bandar Seri Begawan
Neighbouring countries: Brunei is bordered by Malaysia and the South China Sea
Geography: Brunei is split into two areas on the island of Borneo. Its geography consists of idyllic coastal areas and well-preserved rainforests.
Political system: Unitary Islamic absolute monarchy
Major religion: Islam
Main languages: Malay and English
Money: The local currency is the Brunei Dollar (BND) which is divided into 100 cents.
Time: GMT +8
Electricity: 240 volts, 50 Hz. Plugs with 3 flat blades are used throughout the country.
Transport and driving: Cars in Brunei drive on the left-hand side of the road
Employment in Brunei
Expats working in Brunei get to enjoy unique career opportunities, as well as a rapidly growing economy fuelled by the largest oilfields in Southeast Asia.
Economic Overview
Though it is a small nation, Brunei boasts an incredibly wealthy economy, largely down to its international relations and oil deposits. Each day around 167,000 barrels of oil are produced, and around 25.3 million cubic meters of liquefied natural gas. Brunei is the fourth largest producer of oil in Southeast Asia and is one of the richest countries in the world. Substantial income from overseas investment supplements the economy, and most of these investments are managed by the Brunei Investment Agency, a department of the Ministry of Finance. The government uses this money to, among other things, pay for all medical services, and subsidize rice and housing.
Given the makeup of its climate and environment, Brunei relies heavily on an import, export system whereby many food stuffs are brought into the country. Around 60% of its required food is imported, with 75% of the imported food coming from nearby Asian countries. Over the few next years, Brunei’s leaders hope to increase the workforce and reduce unemployment by growing the banking and tourism sectors. Royal Brunei Airline is also trying to develop the country as a modest hub for international travel between Europe and Oceania, so it is hoped that in the next few years there will be a rise in tourism.
Many expats are likely to find work in Brunei in one of the many international industries that have sprung up there over the last few decades. Indeed, thanks to its booming economy there are few places in the world where anyone is likely to find a more international business hub. Its placement as a bridge between Europe and Oceania, too, means that Brunei is perfect for anybody looking to spread their business and business experiences across continents.
Taxation in Brunei
There is no personal tax on individuals living in Brunei, and the same is true for both residents and non-residents. There are also no social security taxes as such, however, all citizens and permanent residents, including expatriates, must contribute 5% of their annual salary to a state managed provident fund – Tabung Amanah Perkerja (TAP). The employer also has to contribute the same amount to the provident fund.
In addition to paying money toward TAP, all citizens and permanent Brunei residents must contribute 3.5% of their salary to a Supplemental Contributory Pension Scheme (SCP); as with TAP, the employer also has to contribute the same amount although both amounts are capped up to a salary of 2,800 BND a month.
Relocating to Brunei
For many expats, moving to Brunei stands first and foremost for exploring a rich and unique culture. But with amazing scenery and a thriving economy, there’s more to this petite country than meets the eye.
The Land and Its People
Brunei is a largely international, sovereign state on the north coast of Borneo in Southeast Asia. With a population of just over 400,000, Brunei is far less populated than many countries, although it is fairly densely populated with around 72 people per square kilometer. Gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1984, Brunei has quickly become a financial powerhouse, with Forbes magazine ranking it as the 5th richest nation of the 182 that they surveyed. The population enjoys a quite diverse demographic with around 66% being Malay, 11% Chinese, 3% indigenous and with the remaining 20% being from various locations across the world.
Located on the island of Borneo, Brunei is a south-eastern Asian country made up of two unconnected parts. The country is over 2,000 square miles and shares borders with Malaysia. About 97% of the 400,000 people that make up Brunei’s population live in the Western half of the country, with only about 10,000 people living in the Temburong District. Around 150,000 people live in Bandar Seri Begawan, the country’s capital, and the majority of the rest of the population are centred around the other important towns and districts.
Brunei’s official language is Malay, although, English is primarily used in the business world. This allows for a diverse range of internationals and expats living and working in the country – English is also used as the educational language from primary through to tertiary education.
Brunei is home to a relatively large expatriate community made up largely of businessmen and women brought to the country by the successful and highly profitable economy, as well as expats that have retired to the nation to enjoy the more Eastern culture as well as the tropical environment. Many of these expatriates can be found in the Belait District, which hosts the Royal Dutch Shell headquarters and parts of the British Army.
Brunei is a sharia nation and practices Islam as its main faith. However, given the diversity of its population it is generally very accepting of all faiths. Sharia law bans the sale and consumption of alcohol, though, the Bruneian government allows non-Muslims to bring in a limited supply from their point of embarkation overseas for their own private use.
Life in Brunei
As a calm “darussalam” (Arabic for “abode of peace”), Brunei offers expats the rare advantage of a quiet and serene lifestyle. Remarkably though, it also features all the conveniences of a modern lifestyle. Read on to find out more about healthcare, education and transportation in Brunei.
Healthcare in Brunei
Expats can feel confident about their health whilst living in Brunei knowing that there is a hospital in every district, along with 10 health clinics and 16 health centers dotted about the capital and largest city, Bandar Seri Begawan. The number of beds works out just under 3 per 1,000 members of the population, and measures are in place to send patients abroad in the event of an illness or condition that cannot be treated without extra medical facilities – between 2011 and 2012, the government spent around 12 million Brunei dollars on the treatment of citizens in Malaysia and Singapore. Healthcare is charged at a rate of just 1 BND (approx.. 0.75 USD) per consultation for citizens of Brunei.
Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Hospital is the largest in Brunei, holding 538 beds, and it is located in the country’s capital city, Bandar Seri Begawan. There are also two privately run medical centers, Gleneagles JPMC Sdn Bhd and Jerudong Medial Centre.
In general, studies have shown that life in Brunei is healthier in terms of weight and obesity than it is in most Western nations. For example, only 7.5% of the population suffer from obesity compared to the roughly one in four people who suffer with the condition in the UK – however, the number has risen in the young population with around 20% of children being overweight or obese today.
Education in Brunei
Formal education first appeared in Brunei in the early 1900s, and given the nations’ former ties to the UK, many of them run similarly to English schools. By 1959, it was normal for the population to be enrolled in school and in 1984 a bilingual education policy was introduced to make sure that pupils could maintain a high proficiency in English – the country’s working language – and Malay.
In a system that will be familiar to British expats, the formal Brunei school system adopts a pattern of 7 years of primary education, three years of lower secondary, two years of upper secondary, two years of upper secondary or vocational education, and then two years of pre-tertiary education. Brunei houses several universities, but the oldest and most well-know is Universiti Brunei Darussalam.
There are several international schools in Brunei that offer the Cambridge IGCSE qualification, and the national equivalent is the Cambridge O Level. International School Brunei (ISB) is the oldest in the country and was also the first to offer the IB diploma, an internationally recognized 16-19 qualification.
Given the availability of different schools, both national and international, as well as the British influence on the educational system, it is more than likely that expats’ kids from around the world will be able to easily adapt to the local education system. And with the country operating with English as its working language, there is space for expatriates to be able to communicate in this widely spoken lingua franca while they get fully settled into their new life abroad.
Transportation in Brunei
The Bruneian population centres are linked by a network of roads stretching to about 1700 miles, and currently the 84 mile highway that connects Muara Town, the nation’s only deep seaport, to Kuala Belait, the nation’s main administrative town, is being upgraded to a dual carriageway to ease the flow of traffic between these two important financial points.
With one private car for every 2.09 members of the population, Brunei has one of the higher car ownership rates in the world. This has been linked to the lack of a significant public transport system, but also to the low import tax and low unleaded petrol price of around 0.53 BND per litre.
The main highway that that runs across all of Brunei is the Tutong-Muara Highway, and the country’s road network is generally well developed with road upkeep being a key part of maintaining the transportation of oil that is at the heart of Brunei’s successful economy. A new 19 mile roadway connecting the Muara, Brunei’s smallest but most populace district, and Temburong, an exclave that is separated from mainland Brunei by the Brunei Bay, over which 9 miles of the new roadway will be built.
