Brunei Visa for Indians - Definitive Guide

There are certain formalities that are to be followed in order to enter the country. Whenever an outsider is willing to travel to the nation of Brunei Darussalam for any kind of purpose, be it business, visiting a friend or family, a visa for Brunei is mandated. It is a permit that legally allows you to enter the country. There are different kinds of visas that are categorized based on the cause of visit, the span of stay or the number of entries you will need on one visa. Normally, a short term visa for 90 days is provided to the Indians.

The process to apply for the visa to Brunei is mainly offline which is done by the Embassy of Brunei. The procedure for the visa application for Brunei is given as follows:

1. Download and print the visa application form from the official Brunei embassy website.
2. Fill the form thoroughly will all the proper details.
3. Attach one photograph to the visa application form.
4. Proof of accommodation - hotel bookings, invitation letter, etc
5. Submit the form to the embassy along with all the supporting documents.

The form and the documents can be submitted to the embassy personally, through an acquaintance or via a visa agency. After the submission of the documents and the visa application form is done, the Embassy will process the documents and the passport will be provided with the visa stamp for Brunei. The passport will be mailed back to you on your registered address if you opt for the delivery process. Else, you can collect the stamped passport yourself.

Also, take note that genuine documents must be provided as there are chances that with false documents or unverifiable information the visa may get rejected. The visa refusal may affect your future visa applications.

There are various kinds of visas that can be categorized based on various factors. The visa differ as per the purpose of visit, the period of stay, and other reasons. The important and the most common types of visa are given as follows:

• Tourist/Visitor: At times when you are visiting Brunei for tourism purposes, in order to tour the country you will require a permit which is termed as a tourist visa. A visitor visa acquired when you are visiting a family member or friend in the country. The validity for both the visas is generally the same.

• Business: A business person mandates a business visa in order to visit the country for business purposes. It is a short term visa with limited and normally non-extendable validity.

• Work: Whenever someone has a job in Brunei and require a permit to stay in the country for the same, a work or employment visa is issued.

• Transit: A transit visa is a temporary visa that is issued at the time when you are going to have to make a transit stop in the country and travel to another country later.

There are different kinds of documents that are required for the issuance of the Brunei visa. The Brunei Darussalam visa requirements are given as follows:

• Passport with a validity of at least six months
• Completely filled visa application form
• One/Two colored photographs as per the specifications
• Covering letter specifying all the important details
• Confirmed return and onward flight tickets
• Proof of accommodation - hotel reservation, invitation letter
• Copy of Income Tax Returns
• Identification proof - copy of Adhaar card, PAN card, etc.
• Other additional documents if requested by the consular.

• Coloured photos
• Brunei Darussalam visa photo size: 40mm x 50mm
• 70% to 80% face coverage
• White background
• Neutral expressions on the face
• Head must be square to the camera
• Any kind of glasses are not allowed
• Headgears are prohibited except for religious reasons
• Photographs shouldn’t be older than 3 months

In order to apply for the Brunei visa, you need to visit Brunei darussalam visa embassy website to download and fill out the Brunei Darussalam visa application form online. After this, the documents along with the passport are to be submitted to the embassy, either via mail or by personally visiting the embassy. 

At times, the process may seem complicated and the formalities involved can seem difficult to be carried out individually. In such cases, professional visa consultation can be considered from the visa agencies. This will allow you to have your documents handled professionally and the procedure may even be quicker than the normal process.

After the submission of the documents, the embassy or the consulate takes time to process and verify the documents to provide a visa stamp on the passport. The time taken for the Brunei Darussalam visa process is about 7 working days. This time span may vary depending on the verification time required for visa documents or if there are any complications in the process.

In order to check Brunei Darussalam visa status online, you can visit the website of the visa agency through which you have applied or the visa application centre website. You can even do it offline by calling the embassy with the visa application number and enquire about the status.