Your quick guide on talent and labor compliance norms in Brunei
Capital
Bandar Seri Begawan
Currency
Brunei Dollar (BND)
Languages
Brunei Malay
Payroll Frequency
Monthly
GDP per Capita
$35,998.73
Employer Tax
8.5%
Talent Overview
Brunei is a developed industrialized nation with wealth generated from petroleum and natural gas fields. The country ranks second in the human development index among Southeast Asian countries, after Singapore.
Major economic hubs:
Bandar Seri Begawan, Kuala Belait, Seria, Tutong
Skills in demand:
Oil and gas industry skills, digital technology skills
Local Universities
The top local universities in Brunei are as follows:
Local: 1
World: 2681
Local: 2
World: 7740
Local: 3
World: 8141
Local: 4
World: 8838
Salary Data
Below are the average monthly salaries for the following job positions:
Job Title | Average Monthly Salary (BND) | Average Monthly Salary (USD) |
Customer Service Representative | 1,160 | 877.12 |
Software Engineer | 3,130 | 2,367 |
Developer/ Programmer | 2,950 | 2,231 |
Data Scientist | 5,290 | 4,000 |
UX Designer | 2,780 | 2,102 |
Product Manager | 4,420 | 3,342 |
Sales Representative | 5,700 | 4,310 |
Talent Sourcing Tips
JobsBrunei.com, JobsCentre Brunei, JobRank
112,200
Nor & Allan Employment Agency, Roze Rohaya Employment Agency
Employments are highly concentrated in the service sector, focusing on wholesale and retail trade. Get to know more about employment in Brunei.
Employment contracts are mandatory in Brunei and are written in English.
The usual probationary period followed in Brunei is from 1 – 90 days.
Date | Name | Type |
1 Jan | New Year’s Day | Public Holiday |
7 Feb | Isra and Mi’raj (Tentative Date) | Public Holiday |
10 Feb | Lunar New Year | Public Holiday |
23 Feb | National Day | Public Holiday |
24 Feb | National Day observed | Public Holiday |
11 Mar | Ramadan Start (Tentative Date) | Public Holiday |
27 Mar | Nuzul Al-Qur’an (Tentative Date) | Public Holiday |
10 Apr | Eid ul Fitr (Tentative Date) | Public Holiday |
11 Apr | Eid Al Fitr Holiday (Tentative Date) | Public Holiday |
12 Apr | Eid Al Fitr Holiday (Tentative Date) | Public Holiday |
13 Apr | Eid Al Fitr Holiday observed (Tentative Date) | Public Holiday |
31 May | Royal Brunei Armed Forces Day | Public Holiday |
1 Jun | Royal Brunei Armed Forces Day observed | Public Holiday |
17 Jun | Eid al-Adha (Tentative Date) | Public Holiday |
8 Jul | Muharram/Islamic New Year (Tentative Date) | Public Holiday |
15 Jul | Sultan’s Birthday | Public Holiday |
16 Sep | Milad un Nabi (Mawlid) (Tentative Date) | Public Holiday |
25 Dec | Christmas Day | Public Holiday |
Type of leave | Time Period | Mandatory |
Annual leave/Earned Leave | 7 days | Yes |
Sick Leave | 60 days | Yes |
Maternity Leave | 9 weeks | Yes |
Payroll
Payroll Cycle
An employee must be paid at least once a month. All salaries other than overtime payment must be paid within 7 days after the end of the salary period.
Minimum Wage
No minimum wage is followed in Brunei.
Overtime Pay
The various instances of overtime work and their respective pays are as follows:
Bonus
It is not mandatory to provide 13th-month pay in Brunei.
Taxes
Type of Tax | Tax contribution |
Supplemental Contributory Pension Scheme (SCP) | 3.5% |
Employees Trust Fund (TAP) ( for local employees) | 5% |
Total cost on Employer | 8.5% |
Type of Tax | Tax contribution% |
Supplemental Contributory Pension Scheme (SCP) | 3.5% |
State-managed provident fund (Tabung Amanah Perkerja (TAP)) | 5% |
Total cost of employee | 8.5% |
Brunei does not impose income tax on individual persons.
There is no VAT in Brunei Darussalam.
Offboarding & Termination
Termination of contract may occur when:
The notice period for employees on probation and permanent employees is between one to four weeks.
If the employer terminates the employee, he is entitled to receive his total salary due.
If the employee resigns, there are two instances:
Visa and Immigration
A foreign worker license or Lesen Pekeria Asing (LPA) is needed to employ foreign workers.
If an employee works up to half-day work – payment: basic salary of 1 full working day
In case an employee works more than half a day – payment: basic salary of 2 full working day
Hourly rate of overtime pay = (12 x the employee’s monthly basic rate of salary) divided by (52 weeks x 44 hours)
Hourly rate of overtime pay = (Daily pay at the basic salary) Divided By (Working hours per day)
Hourly rate of overtime pay = (Hourly basic rate of pay * 1.5* no. of hours overtime worked)
Salary for overtime must be paid within 14 days after the end of the salary period.