How to get Brunei citizenship: grounds, timelines and the exam

A Brunei passport comes through family or many years of living in the country: 12 years out of 15 for those born in Brunei, 20 out of 25 for everyone else. We cover who can apply, how to get permanent residence and what the exam involves.

In detail

Brunei citizenship comes through family or through many years of living in the country. Brunei's nationality law (Chapter 15) has three grounds: citizenship by operation of law for indigenous peoples, by registration and by naturalisation. The law has no separate investment route.

On almost every route the key condition is permanent resident status: the years to a passport are counted from it. Below are all the grounds, timelines, the exam and how to apply, under the rules of Brunei's immigration department.

Who can get Brunei citizenship?

An adult born abroad who is not the wife of a citizen takes the naturalisation route. The years are counted from the date the permanent resident card (Entry Permit or Resident Permit) was issued, so the first step is that status itself.

Registration by birth and naturalisation share the same requirements: age 18 or over, good conduct and 2 years of continuous living in Brunei right before applying.

How many years do you need to live in Brunei before citizenship?

A person born in Brunei needs 12 years with a permanent resident card and 12 years of living in the country out of the last 15 years before applying. A person born abroad needs 20 years with the card and 20 years of living in the country out of the last 25.

For the wife of a citizen the time is counted from the wedding and from the date the permanent resident card was issued. Children of citizens are registered on a parent's application, usually up to age 18.

How do you get permanent residence in Brunei?

Since 31 December 2024 permanent residence has been granted under 14 categories, and all of them are tied to family or descent. These are the categories for foreigners:

Foreigners in every category need a valid passport and medical insurance. For a spouse, the citizen files the application personally and must be alive on the day the department accepts it.

Once approved, the permanent resident card costs $40 (50 Brunei dollars) for citizens of Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Australia and countries outside the Commonwealth of Nations. For citizens of the UK, Singapore, Malaysia, India and other Commonwealth countries it costs $5 (5 Brunei dollars).

The list has no work or investment categories: a work pass gives the right to live and work in Brunei, and the years to a passport start counting from the permanent resident card.

Does Brunei grant citizenship by marriage?

Yes, to the wife of a Brunei citizen (section 5(6)). The couple lives together in Brunei, the wife holds a permanent resident card, and the timeline depends on which marriage it is for the husband or the wife.

If the marriage took place abroad, Muslims need confirmation from Brunei's Syariah Court and everyone else needs confirmation from Brunei's Attorney General's Chambers. The application includes a letter from the husband about the marriage and a letter from the village or neighbourhood head confirming the couple's marriage.

Under the 2024 rules a citizen's foreign wife gets the permanent resident card after 15 years of marriage, so without another ground the route to a passport takes at least 18 years of marriage. A citizen's foreign husband gets permanent residence after 15 years of marriage and then takes the naturalisation route. Timelines in other countries are in the overview of citizenship by marriage.

What exam do you take for Brunei citizenship?

Registration by birth and naturalisation both require a written Malay language exam. An official textbook for it was launched on 1 April 2004. An oral exam instead of the written one is taken by people born before 1955 and by those who prove they never attended school.

Applicants who are not ethnically Malay and not Muslim need to know the taboos of Malay and Islamic tradition, so that harmony in society is maintained. The department expects a citizen to take part in village or neighbourhood life, help those in need, get to know their neighbours and use Malay in everyday speech.

What documents do you need and how do you apply?

The forms are downloaded from the immigration department's website: form BI for registration by birth, form EI for naturalisation, form C for the wife of a citizen. They are printed double-sided on white A4 paper, filled in completely and accompanied by an application letter addressed to the citizenship section. Incomplete forms are not considered.

• application letter and birth certificate;
• permanent resident card (Entry Permit or Resident Permit) and the purple identity card;
• passport, foreign identity card and 2 passport-size photos;
• if available: school certificates, a letter from the employer, a marriage or divorce certificate, a certificate of conversion to Islam;
• documents of the husband or wife, children and parents.

Copies are made single-sided on A4 sheets, and the originals are brought along. The envelope with the file goes into the document drop box at the department's head office in Bandar Seri Begawan or is handed in at the district offices in Kuala Belait, Tutong and Temburong, according to the address on the identity card.

The application is assessed within 7 working days, then the department contacts the applicant about the next step. The citizenship section counter is open Monday to Thursday and on Saturday, from 8:00 to 11:45 and from 13:30 to 15:45, and that is also where you check the status of an application.

Can you keep your current citizenship?

No: a Brunei citizen loses the status by voluntarily acquiring the citizenship of another country (section 9(5)(a)). Using the rights of another nationality is a ground for depriving a person of Brunei status (section 11(3)(b)).

Citizenship is also lost after 5 years of continuous living abroad if the person cannot show they kept a connection with Brunei. Someone who got a passport by registration or naturalisation can be deprived of the status if it was obtained by fraud, or if in the first 5 years they were sentenced abroad to more than 12 months.

How do you get a second passport if you have no relatives in Brunei?

The route to a Brunei passport is built around family and years of permanent residence, so it opens fastest for those with a husband, parents or indigenous roots in Brunei. Those who need a second passport sooner look at countries with citizenship by investment: the comparison is in the overview of the best countries for citizenship. For living in the region, people also choose neighbouring Malaysia with its residence by investment.

Money for living in Brunei arrives by transfer in Brunei dollars, and how that works is covered in the article on sending money to Brunei. A Murblz manager will help you choose a route for your family and timeline: check the permanent residence category, gather the documents and prepare the application.

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