Home to magnificent architecture and untouched tropical rainforests
This tiny nation on the island of Borneo is home to magnificent architecture and untouched tropical rainforests. With a population of just 450,000, Brunei’s small economy is mostly supported by its oil and gas production.
Brunei is a safe country and provides a range of benefits from expats looking to relocate to it. Individuals travelling to Brunei can expect good transport links, education, clean air, and business opportunities.
While expanding a business into Brunei can pose some challenges, partnering with a Brunei PEO partner such as Procorre Global can significantly simplify the process.
Working in Brunei
Brunei’s unemployment rate was measured at approximately 8.37% in 2020, indicating that the country has a workforce for foreign businesses to utilize. This nation also has around 100,000 foreign workers already operating within its borders.
Employment Information
- Brunei’s working hours are generally 8 hours a day throughout Monday to Friday. Some employees may work on Saturdays, however this depends on the business and industry
- On Friday there is a mandatory 2-hour break from 12:00 till 14:00 for Friday prayer
- Actual working hours may vary depending on employment contracts and specific industries
- Employees are usually granted 7 days of paid sick leave per year
- The Government of Brunei will announce the nation’s Public Holidays each year, employees are generally not permitted to work on these dates
- Employees are entitled to 3 months of Maternity Leave, however no Paternity Leave is provided
- Individuals in Brunei are not subject to any taxes. There is only a withholding tax for companies remitting for overseas payments
- All expatriates must secure a Visa in order to work in Brunei
Cultural Information
The official language of Brunei is Standard Malay; however the Brunei Malay variety is more common and is spoken by around two thirds of the population. English is widely used as a language of business in Brunei and most of the population have some grasp of the English language.
Islam is the primary religion of Brunei, however Christian and Buddhist groups can be found throughout the country.
Impacts from COVID-19
As a small nation, Brunei managed to navigate the pandemic without too much of an impact. Brunei entered a lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on March 16th, 2020, and curfews were imposed between midnight until 04:00am.
Most of Brunei’s business sectors implemented remote working and flexible patterns because of the pandemic, and this is likely to continue among many businesses.
The Bruneian Market – Did you know?
- Despite its small size, Brunei is the fifth-leading oil producer in Southeast Asia and maintains its wealthy status because of this.
- Brunei spent half of a century under British rule. It has been an independent sovereign state since 1 January 1984
- Almost 80% of Brunei is untouched rainforest, more than any other nation in Asia
- The sale of alcohol is banned in Brunei, however non-Muslim visitors can bring their own alcohol into Brunei for personal consumption
Brunei PEO Services
Brunei PEO Services
This tiny nation on the island of Borneo is home to magnificent architecture and untouched tropical rainforests. With a population of just 450,000, Brunei’s small economy is mostly supported by its oil and gas production.
Brunei is a safe country and provides a range of benefits from expats looking to relocate to it. Individuals travelling to Brunei can expect good transport links, education, clean air, and business opportunities.
While expanding a business into Brunei can pose some challenges, partnering with a Brunei PEO partner such as Procorre Global can significantly simplify the process.
Working in Brunei
Brunei’s unemployment rate was measured at approximately 8.37% in 2020, indicating that the country has a workforce for foreign businesses to utilize. This nation also has around 100,000 foreign workers already operating within its borders.
Employment Information
- Brunei’s working hours are generally 8 hours a day throughout Monday to Friday. Some employees may work on Saturdays, however this depends on the business and industry
- On Friday there is a mandatory 2-hour break from 12:00 till 14:00 for Friday prayer
- Actual working hours may vary depending on employment contracts and specific industries
- Employees are usually granted 7 days of paid sick leave per year
- The Government of Brunei will announce the nation’s Public Holidays each year, employees are generally not permitted to work on these dates
- Employees are entitled to 3 months of Maternity Leave, however no Paternity Leave is provided
- Individuals in Brunei are not subject to any taxes. There is only a withholding tax for companies remitting for overseas payments
- All expatriates must secure a Visa in order to work in Brunei
Cultural Information
The official language of Brunei is Standard Malay; however the Brunei Malay variety is more common and is spoken by around two thirds of the population. English is widely used as a language of business in Brunei and most of the population have some grasp of the English language.
Islam is the primary religion of Brunei, however Christian and Buddhist groups can be found throughout the country.
Impacts from COVID-19
As a small nation, Brunei managed to navigate the pandemic without too much of an impact. Brunei entered a lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on March 16th, 2020, and curfews were imposed between midnight until 04:00am.
Most of Brunei’s business sectors implemented remote working and flexible patterns because of the pandemic, and this is likely to continue among many businesses.
The Brunei Market - Did you know?
- Despite its small size, Brunei is the fifth-leading oil producer in Southeast Asia and maintains its wealthy status because of this.
- Brunei spent half of a century under British rule. It has been an independent sovereign state since 1 January 1984
- Almost 80% of Brunei is untouched rainforest, more than any other nation in Asia
- The sale of alcohol is banned in Brunei, however non-Muslim visitors can bring their own alcohol into Brunei for personal consumption
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