How safe is Brunei for travelers?

No travel advisory, and low crime

• The FCDO advises against travel to no part of Brunei. Crime levels are low, with occasional petty theft against tourists and house burglaries.
• Take normal care of the passport, avoid carrying valuables and do not leave things in an unattended car even out of sight.
• There is no recent history of terrorism in Brunei, though the FCDO notes attacks cannot be ruled out anywhere.

Alcohol: banned to sell, legal to import, illegal to get wrong

• The sale of alcohol and tobacco is illegal in Brunei. There are no bars and no off-licences.
• Non-Muslims aged 17 and over may import a limited amount. It must be declared to customs on arrival and drunk in private.
• Undeclared alcohol is a customs offence, so the duty-free bag is exactly the thing to declare rather than walk past.

Drugs

• There are severe penalties for drug offences, including in some cases the death penalty. Other offences can be punished by caning and long prison sentences. There is no visitor allowance and no leniency worth counting on.

Laws that surprise people

• Adultery, and private closeness between an unmarried man and woman, is illegal if one person is Muslim. Public displays of affection may cause offence generally.
• Possession of pornographic material is illegal.
• Public criticism of the Sultan or the Royal Family causes great offence and may result in legal action.
• Firearms, ammunition, explosives, fireworks and firecrackers are all strictly prohibited, including replicas.
• Smoking is illegal in many public places, including shopping and eating areas, bus stops and stations, car parks and near public buildings.

LGBT+ travellers

• Brunei criminalises same-sex sexual activity, with a maximum penalty of death by stoning, whipping, imprisonment and fines. There is currently a moratorium on the death penalty and the FCDO notes limited evidence of the same-sex laws being enforced in recent years.
• The gender expression of trans people is also criminalised, and that law is occasionally enforced with fines.
• This is not a country where the law can be treated as dormant. Read the FCDO's advice for LGBT+ travellers before deciding to go.

Ramadan

• It is against the law to be seen eating, drinking or smoking in public during fasting hours. Dress modestly, and do not wear shorts in government and public buildings such as health centres.

Wildlife and the outdoors

• Saltwater crocodiles have attacked and killed people on riverbanks around Bandar, and have been seen on beaches and in the ponds of the Panaga golf course. Stay back from the water's edge and read the warning signs.
• Police advise against hiking alone in the forest, even at well-known recreation areas. Use a recognised guide, stay on the trail, carry food, water, a whistle and a torch, and wear closed shoes.
• Venomous snakes are present. Indoors or in a confined space, call the fire service on 995. RIPAS hospital in Bandar Seri Begawan carries antivenom.

On the road

• Vehicles do not always stop at red lights or pedestrian crossings, seatbelts and child seats are often unused, surfaces are uneven and accidents are common. Monitor lizards, snakes and monkeys use the roads too.
• After an accident, do not leave the scene or move the vehicle until the police arrive. Call 993.
• A UK licence is valid for up to 90 days, after which you need a Bruneian one.