Brunei

Compared to other nations in Southeast Asia, Brunei's visa policy is a bit more restrictive. All foreign nationals must fill out an online arrival form prior to their arrival in Brunei. Foreign nationals of the following countries/territories can enter Brunei visa-free as long as they present a passport valid for at least 6 months:

The local currency is the Brunei dollar, denoted by the symbol "$" or "B$" (ISO code: BND). You might hear ringgit used to refer to the dollar but be sure that the speaker is not talking about the Malaysian Ringgit (MYR) which is valued at less than a third of a Brunei dollar. All prices in this guide are in Brunei dollars unless otherwise noted.

Use caution when asking locals for transportation information. People here are friendly and very helpful, but when asking about transportation, you'll get three different answers from three different people, even people whose job it is to help tourists.

The official language of Brunei is Malay (Bahasa Melayu), but due to its British colonial past, English is widely spoken and understood in urban areas, though sometimes with a thick accent. A little Malay will come in handy in rural areas, as English proficiency is limited there.

Brunei is a very safe country, with low crime rates and no major security concerns. Brunei has a strict legal system ― which combines British common law and Sharia law ― that punishes crime severely, adding a huge layer of deterrence. The full harshness of Brunei's laws is reserved for criminals and those actually looking for trouble.

Eating out is generally safe because of good food safety standards. But drink water only if it's been boiled, or bottled water. Protect yourself from mosquito bites. Dengue fever is a real risk. Malaria risk is low.

===By phone=== The international code for Brunei is 673. The telephone numbers in Brunei consist of 7 digits with no local codes, although the first digit of the number indicates the area such as 3 for the Belait District and 2 for Bandar Seri Begawan.

The Brunei Government is run as a Malay Islamic Monarchy (Melayu Islam Beraja) principle, which means that the Sultan of Brunei, apart from being one of the richest men in the world, effectively runs the country. You can expect the Sultan to appear on the front page of the two local daily newspapers almost every day, and occupy the first ten minutes of the local TV news bulletins.