Guidelines for the Entry of Citizens and Permanent Residents of Brunei Darussalam and the Entry of Foreigners to Brunei Darussalam

> Guidelines for the Entry of Citizens and Permanent Residents of Brunei Darussalam and the Entry of Foreigners to Brunei Darussalam

We are pleased to inform that with reference to the Circular from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) ref. JPM/PENT/nCov-19/35 PT:1 dated 30 September 2020 that we received on 22 October 2020 through a memorandum from the Permanent Secretary (Higher Education), Ministry of Education ref.  KPE/HE/G14 PT2 dated 13 October 2020, His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam has consented for the procedures and conditions for the entry of citizens and permanent residents of Brunei Darussalam and the entry of foreigners to Brunei Darussalam to be updated as below:

  1. Entry of Citizens and Permanent Residents to Brunei Darussalam
    1.1 Citizens and Permanent Residents of Brunei Darussalam who wish to return to Brunei are advised to declare their arrival for ease of logistics management during their arrival in the country. 

    1.2​
    ​ Respective Government Agency is required to fill in the Arrival Declaration form for citizens and permanent residents returning from official (government sponsored) and essential travel, after graduating abroad, after attending in-service training (including those returning for holiday on government passage), or after undergoing medical treatment on government expense

    ​1.3 Citizens and permanent residents in para 1.2 are still required to undergo mandatory self-isolation at selected hotel accommodation. Hotel booking for the self-isolation will be arranged by the respective government agency and the isolation cost will be borne by the Government.  

    1.4 Citizens and permanent residents​ in para 1.2 are encouraged to get a COVID-19 (RT-PCR) swab test within 72 hours prior to departure to Brunei Darussalam, and required to undergo a second COVID-19 swab test upon arrival in Brunei Darussalam and then undergo self-isolation for a period of 2 to 14 days according to the guidelines of Ministry of Health. For those who cannot get a COVID-19 (RT-PCR) swab test before departure to Brunei Darussalam will be required to undergo a COVID-19 (RT-PCR) ​swab test on Day 5 of arrival in Brunei Darussalam and then undergo self-isolation for a period of 7 to 14 days at the selected hotel accommodation. 

    1.5 The Arrival Declaration form with its detailed guidelines can be found on the PMO’s portal at www.pmo.gov.bn/travelportal.
  1. Entry of Foreigners to Brunei Darussalam

    2.1 ​Special consideration for foreigners who need to enter Brunei during the Level 1 De-escalation Plan movement in and out of Brunei Darussalam which is currently in force is updated in terms of only certain travel categories can be given special consideration subject to the certain conditions: 

    i) for the purpose of official duties and obligatory affairs only (essential travel);
    ii) foreign students studying in Brunei, either under government scholarship or self-funded;
    iii) foreigners undergoing medical treatment in Brunei Darussalam; and
    iv) any special consideration given on a case-by-case basis subject to the Government’s assessment of the reason for the entry.

    2.2 Foreigners in para 2.1 must be guaranteed or sponsored before entering Brunei Darussalam. Guarantors can be either from government agencies, private companies or certain individual guarantors only. 

    2.3 The guarantors in para 2.2 are required to submit an application to obtain an Entry Travel Pass for the foreigners in para 2.1 via the PMO’s portal at http://www.pmo.gov.bn/travelportal with the following procedures:

    i) Only the guarantor in para 2.2 can make application for the foreigner in para 2.1;
    ii) The guarantor must include supporting documents when submitting the application;
    iii) Entry application for the foreigner in para 2.1 will be further considered based on the category and requirements of travel to Brunei Darussalam as well as the risk assessment of the country in which the foreigner is located; and
    iv) If the application is granted permission, the guarantor is required to make advance payment for the COVID-19 (RT-PCR) swab test which will be done on the foreigner after arriving in Brunei Darussalam. Advance payment can be made through the online payment system at https://www.healthinfo.gov.bn/entry-payment#/user/login.

    2.4 For any application that has been granted permission,​ the foreigner who will be guaranteed entry to Brunei Darussalam is required to obtain a negative COVID-19 (RT-PCR) swab test result before traveling to Brunei Darussalam. The test must be taken within 72 hours prior to departure to Brunei Darussalam. The foreigner is required to undergo a second COVID-19 (RT-PCR) swab test and undergo mandatory self-isolation upon arrival in Brunei Darussalam, according to the guidelines and Ministry of Health’s risk assessment upon arrival in the country. 

    ​2.5 The guarantor is required to book hotel accommodation (selected hotel) for the foreigner to undergo mandatory self-isolation upon arrival in Brunei Darussalam for a period of between 2 to 14 days  depending on the Ministry of Health’s risk assessment upon arrival. The guarantor is also required to  confirm the invoices for payment of hotel accommodation upon end of the self-isolation notice. Confirmed hotel booking is among the supporting documents that needs to be uploaded to the PMO’s portal as stated in para 2.3.

    2.6 The guarantor is responsible for ensuring that the foreigner has resided in the country of departure for 14 days and is in good health before making the entry into Brunei Darussalam.

    2.7 The conditions and procedures for the entry of foreigners into the country as stated are effective for entry travel starting 15 September 2020.

    2.8 More detailed guidelines related to applications for the entry of foreigners into Brunei Darussalam can be found by browsing the portal of the Prime Minister’s Office at http://www.pmo.gov.bn/travelportal. 

 

Reference

Circular from the Prime Minister’s Office ref. JPM/PENT/nCov-19/35 PT:1 dated 30 September 2020

Memorandum from the Permanent Secretary (Higher Education), Ministry of Education ref: KPE/HE/G14 PT.2 dated 13 October 2020