City

Living In Brunei No Income Tax

• Filed Under Tax Havens

Facts About Brunei Darussalam

  • Brunei has no personal income tax. What you earn is all yours.
  • The cost of living is considerably lower than in the UK. Spacious houses are available at a reasonable cost. Here are some pictures of houses in Brunei rented to teachers from overseas.
  • There are no exchange controls. Your cash can be moved in and out of Brunei without restriction.
  • The Brunei Dollar has the same value as the Singapore Dollar.
  • Petrol is remarkably cheap - less than 20 pence per litre for unleaded.
  • Like the UK, driving is on the left side of the road.
  • Car ownership rates are high but driving standards are not. Fortunately, drivers in Brunei are not aggressive.
  • Most electrical goods from the UK work in Brunei, where the supply is 230 volts, 50 hertz.
  • Brunei became independent from Britain in 1984 and, owing to its oil and gas reserves, is a wealthy country. It is the fourth largest producer of liquefied natural gas in the world.
  • Malay is the official language, but English is very widely used and understood.
  • Brunei is located on the island of Borneo, bordered by Malaysia and the sea.
  • At 5,770 sq km Brunei is slightly larger than Lincolnshire, slightly smaller than Devon and about half the size of Yorkshire.
  • Brunei has tropical climate with a uniform, all year-round high temperature of about 32 degrees each day and minimum of around 24 degrees at night. High humidity and heavy rainfall are present all year round. There is no distinct wet season.
  • Annual sunshine in Brunei totals 2,380 hours - so the climate is sunny compared to the UK's. (London's annual sunshine total is around 1,500 hours.) The sunniest months are February to August, averaging over 7 hours per day. The remaining months average 6 to 7 hours sunshine per day.
  • Nearly all buildings are air-conditioned.
  • Three quarters of the country is covered in tropical rainforests. Eco-tourism is of growing importance.
  • The main religion is Islam - practised by around two thirds of the population. Although the government is relatively benign, some human rights concerns exist, including religious freedom.
  • Dress codes for overseas workers are not strict.
  • Brunei's legal system is based on English common law. Sharia law takes precedence in some civil matters but only where the parties involved are Muslims.
  • There are around 14 public holidays each year, one of which is Christmas day.
  • Brunei is more socially conservative than the UK. Alcohol is not sold and consumption of alcohol is prohibited in public. Small quantities may be brought in from overseas for private use. Like Singapore, drug trafficking carries a mandatory death penalty.
  • There is some petty crime and burglaries but violent crime is rare.
  • Brunei ranks 30th in the United Nations' Human Development Index. The HDI measures life expectancy, educational attainment and adjusted real income of nations. Brunei ranks higher than any other muslim country and is fifth in Asia, behind Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea. In the same index, the UK ranks 16th, Singapore ranks 25th, Cyprus ranks 28th and Malta ranks 34th.
  • Large numbers of British people live and work in Brunei. Foreign workers make-up about 40 percent of the work force.
  • Everyone who intends to work in Brunei must have a valid employment visa. These can be obtained at the Brunei Darussalam High Commission, 19-20 Belgrave Square, London SW1 8PG. (Tel:020 7581 0521)
  • The main employers of UK staff in Brunei are:
    • The Loan Service (British Army personnel on loan to the Sultan)
    • Brunei Shell
    • Royal Brunei Airlines
    • Teachers: CfBT and the International Schools JIS and ISB
    • Hospitals: Jerudong Park Medical Centre
    • Hotels: The Empire and The Sheraton etc
    • Government departments: BIFC etc
    • Banks: HSBC, Standard Chartered etc
    • Financial services: Insurance, Portfolio Management etc
    • Diplomatic services: British High Commission etc
    • The International Brunei Exchange (IBX)
    • Various Heavy Engineering & Construction companies

Brunei - Comments

Teachers employed at the International School Brunei commented:

"Our move from Europe to Brunei has been a very positive one. Our standard of living is better and the quality of the accommodation the school provides is excellent. It is easy to feel at home as most people speak at least some English and you find familiar brands at the supermarket. The lower cost of living means that we can afford to travel during the holidays. Brunei may not be the most exciting place to live but it is superbly placed to offer a variety of holiday travel experiences from the most adventurous to the most luxurious."
Head of Maths, International School Brunei

"Brunei is a pleasant country to live in. We have lived here for three years, and I think we have definitely seen everything and done everything in that time. It is quiet, very safe and to some boring. If you are looking for a 'party place' you might want to think again. Social entertainment is mainly among friends and centres around houses. It is, however, a great place to travel from and we have enjoyed some fantastic holidays. We have made some wonderful friends and we will look back positively on our time in Brunei."
Year 3 Group Leader, International School Brunei

Further Reading
Brunei Online
Brunei Government