235 / 276
233
VISITOR INFORMATION
It is compulsory for owners to declare
imported drinks (liquor) to customs
officers on duty at the points where
drinks are imported.
Cigarette and Tobacco
Under the Customs Import Duties
(Amendment) Order 2010 and Excise
Duties (Amendment) Order 2010,
cigarette/tobacco was excluded from
Passenger’s Concession (Personal
Effect). The new law was effective as
of November 1, 2010.
Owners are required to declare any
cigarette brought into the country,
with duty to be paid at BND0.50 per
stick. This is equivalent to BND10
per pack of 20 sticks of cigarettes,
and BND100 for one carton of 10
packs.
Smoking
Brunei imposed new laws pertaining
to public smoking on March 1, 2012.
Smoking is restricted in all enclosed
public and work places, as well as
sidewalks near business premises,
areas within a six-metre radius
of smoke-free buildings, public
staircases, hospitals and clinics and
within public transportations. This law
applies to vaping or the inhaling and
expelling of vapour from e-cigarettes
as it falls under the definition of
smoking according to the Tobacco
Order 2005.
Drugs
Drugs are strictly prohibited in Brunei.
The Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA) – the
main legislation for drug offences in
Brunei Darussalam, covering a range
of controlled drugs including narcotics
and psychotropic substances –
stipulates that all drug offences are
seizable and sentenceable offences.
Those caught in possession of certain
drugs higher than the amount stated
below face a mandatory death penalty:
• Methylamphetamine: 50 grammes
• Diamorphine (heroin): 15 grammes
• Morphine: 15 grammes
• Opium: 1,200 grammes
• Cannabis: 500 grammes
• Cocaine: 30 grammes
Inoculation
Passengers aged one year and above
arriving from affected countries are
requiredtoattainyellowfeverinoculations.
As Brunei is free frommalaria, cholera and
smallpox, inoculations for these diseases
are not required.
Local Time
Brunei time is eight hours ahead of
Greenwich Meantime (GMT +8:00).
Currency Exchange
Brunei’s currency, the Brunei dollar
(BND), came into being on Monday,
June 12, 1967 as issued by the Brunei
Currency Board. The Board circulated
notes in denominations of BND1,
BND5, BND10, BND50 and BND100
to banks and the public, while
withdrawing currency notes of the
Board of Commissioners of Currency,
reconstituted under the Malaya British
Borneo Currency Agreement in 1960.
On the sameday, Brunei andSingapore
signed theCurrency Interchangeability
Agreement, which resulted in the BND
being on par with the Singapore dollar
(SGD). The agreement continues to
serve both countries in facilitating
trade and economic relations and is
still in effect to this day.
The agreement results in both
countries being able to integrate
each other’s currency into their own
respective economies. Deposits from
the general public – including retailers
– using either currency are accepted at
banks. Thus, the Singapore currency is
widely accepted across businesses in
Brunei.
Currency exchange services are
available throughout Brunei at banks,
hotels, licensed money changers
and the Brunei International Airport.
Visitors who wish to cash or exchange
traveller cheques in dominations of
major currencies can do so at any
major international bank located in the
capital.