Brunei digital nomad visa: requirements (2026)

Legal framework

Immigration Act (Cap. 17), administered by the Department of Immigration and National Registration (JIPK) under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Brunei Darussalam

Key points: digital nomad & residency in Brunei

1. 01No dedicated digital-nomad visa

   Brunei has not established any visa or pass specifically for remote workers or digital nomads, and the government has not announced plans to create one as of mid-2026. Visa categories listed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are: Social Visit, Business Visit, Professional Visit, Employment, Student, and Transit.

   mfa.gov.bn immigration.gov.bn

2. 02Work permits require local employer sponsorship

   All standard work authorisations, Employment Pass (up to 2 years), Foreign Workers Licence, and Special Authorisation Work Pass (up to 6 months), must be applied for by a registered Brunei entity on behalf of the foreign national. Self-sponsorship and foreign-employer arrangements have no dedicated route.

   mfa.gov.bn agc.gov.bn

3. 03Long-Term Pass introduced 31 December 2024

   A new Long-Term Pass (valid up to 5 years, multiple-entry) was launched with three categories: (1) Family ties to citizens/PRs; (2) Company owners and investors demonstrating socio-economic contribution (local job creation, tax compliance, Sendirian Berhad-registered companies only); (3) Foreign experts and professionals in fields assessed as lacking local talent. None of these categories accommodate remote workers employed by overseas entities.

   immigration.gov.bn councils.gov.bn

4. 04No golden visa or residency-by-investment

   Brunei offers no formal golden visa or residency-by-investment programme. The Long-Term Business Visit Pass for investors requires active company ownership and economic contribution in Brunei, not passive capital investment.

   immigration.gov.bn councils.gov.bn

5. 05Social Visit Pass: work not permitted

   Many nationalities receive a visa-free Social Visit Pass of 14-90 days on arrival, but this category explicitly prohibits remunerated activity. Working remotely while on a social visit is not legally authorised under Brunei immigration law.

   mfa.gov.bn immigration.gov.bn

6. 06Permanent residency: 15-year continuous residence

   Permanent residency requires a minimum of 15 years of continuous lawful residence on valid temporary permits (10 years if married to a Brunei citizen). There is no accelerated or investment-based route to permanent residency.

   immigration.gov.bn expatfocus.com

Timeline of decisions

1. 6 Mar 2025Guidance · official
   Government formally announces Long-Term Pass to attract investment and skilled workforce

   The Department of Councils of State issued an official public statement highlighting the LTP programme, confirming the three-category structure and health-insurance minimums (BND 100,000 coverage for professional pass-holders; BND 10,000 for social-visit holders). The announcement signals Brunei's deliberate policy shift toward attracting foreign talent and investors under Wawasan 2035 economic-diversification goals.

   Department of Councils of State, Brunei Darussalam

2. 31 Dec 2024Law · official
   Long-Term Pass takes effect, first multi-year quasi-residency instrument for foreign nationals

   Brunei's Immigration Department brought into force the Long-Term Pass (LTP), offering up to five years' stay with multiple-entry rights across three tracks: Social Visit Pass (for family ties to citizens or permanent residents), Business Visit Pass (investors who create local jobs and pay taxes), and Professional Visit Pass (foreign experts in sectors assessed as having skill shortages). This is the closest instrument Brunei has ever created to a talent or investor residency permit, and it represents the primary pathway for a skilled remote professional to reside long-term without employer sponsorship under a traditional work permit.

   Brunei Immigration Department

3. 1 Jan 2009Law · official
   Employment Order 2009 enacted, codifying employer-sponsorship work-permit system

   The Employment Order 2009 replaced earlier labour legislation and codified the Foreign Worker Licence (Lesen Pekerja Asing, LPA) system, requiring every employer to obtain a licence before a foreign national can legally work in Brunei. No self-sponsored or freelance work authorisation category exists under this framework, meaning independent remote workers have no direct pathway to work legally without a local sponsor.

   Department of Labour, Brunei Darussalam

4. 1 Jan 1984Law · official
   Immigration Act Chapter 17, 1984 revised edition consolidates residency and permit architecture

   The 1984 revised edition of the Immigration Act (Chapter 17) consolidated all amendments since 1956 and established the Entry Permit (permanent residency) pathway requiring a minimum of 12 years of continuous lawful residence, a threshold that remains in force today. It also entrenched the Minister's broad discretion on visa refusals without appeal, a feature that distinguishes Brunei's immigration framework from most ASEAN peers.

   Attorney General's Chambers, Brunei Darussalam

5. 1 Jan 1956Law · official
   Immigration Act (Enactment No. 23 of 1956) enacted, foundational law governing all entry and residency

   Brunei's first comprehensive Immigration Act established the legal basis for all entry, stay, and removal decisions, creating the visa and permit categories, including the Professional Visit Visa, Business Visit Visa, and Employment Visa, that have evolved into the current framework. Its grant of wide ministerial discretion without statutory appeal rights has been a defining and unchanged characteristic of Brunei's immigration system for nearly seven decades.

   Attorney General's Chambers, Brunei Darussalam

Sources

1. 1.immigration.gov.bn/en/long-term-pass/
2. 2.immigration.gov.bn/en/visa-lawatan-diplomatik/
3. 3.mfa.gov.bn/pages/Types-of-visa.aspx
4. 4.mfa.gov.bn/australia-canberra/SitePages/workinginbrunei.aspx
5. 5.councils.gov.bn/06-03-25-brunei-introduces-long-term-pass-to-boost-investment-and-ski
6. 6.thescoop.co/2025/03/06/brunei-introduces-long-term-pass-for-foreigners/
7. 7.agc.gov.bn/AGC%20Images/LAWS/ACT_PDF/Cap017,%20Rg1.pdf
8. 8.expatfocus.com/brunei/guide/brunei-residency