BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN —
Brunei’s passport remains among the world’s strongest in 2026, with widely used mobility indices placing it inside the global top 20 and granting its citizens short‑stay, visa‑free or visa‑on‑arrival access to roughly the same number of destinations as last year. The Henley Passport Index’s January 2026 edition lists Brunei around 19th globally with visa‑free access to 162 destinations, keeping it Southeast Asia’s No. 3 travel document after Singapore and Malaysia. (timeout.com)
A trade‑press article circulating this week asserts Brunei now has visa‑free access to 163 countries and has inched up from a 2025 position of 20th; Henley’s 2026 tables instead show Brunei on 162 destinations (ranked 19th) and confirm Asia’s continued dominance at the top, with Singapore first on 192 destinations and Japan and South Korea tied second on 188. The variations reflect differing cut‑off dates and counting methods across compilers, but the bottom line is unchanged: Bruneian travelers enjoy broad, high‑value mobility across the world’s main economic regions. (timeout.com)
“Brunei’s new visa-free travel access to 168 countries as of Early 2026 is a game-changer for global tourism. As nations like Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand Japan, Italy France, Egypt, United States, Canada and Australia welcome Brunei tourists with open arms, we can expect an influx of travelers eager to explore new destinations. This move not only boosts tourism but also strengthens Brunei’s position as a key player in the global travel market. With access to iconic landmarks, rich cultural experiences, and natural wonders, travelers from Brunei are now in a prime position to embark on new adventures across the world, all while contributing to the growing cultural exchange and international tourism boom.”
How far Bruneians can go—and on what terms
Europe remains a marquee corridor. Brunei citizens are visa‑exempt for short stays across the Schengen Area (90 days in any 180), under the European Union’s common visa policy, which gives member states a shared baseline for who can enter, on what conditions, and for how long. The bloc has confirmed that its new European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) pre‑travel screening will start in the last quarter of 2026—meaning Bruneians will keep visa‑free access, but will need to apply online for an authorization before departure once ETIAS begins, similar in concept to the systems already used by the United States and Canada. (EU ETIAS regulation)
The United Kingdom has already moved to mandatory digital permission: from February 25, 2026, non‑visa nationals—including Bruneians—must secure an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before travel. The government’s live nationality list includes Brunei among those able to apply, effectively turning what used to be a purely “turn up at the border” visa‑waiver into a data‑rich, pre‑clearance step for carriers and border officials. (gov.uk)
In North America, Brunei is a participant in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program; travelers enter the United States without a visa for short visits by obtaining ESTA pre‑authorization, which is checked before boarding and again on arrival. Canada, meanwhile, is visa‑exempt for Bruneians arriving by air, who must hold an eTA to board flights, while land and sea arrivals follow separate entry rules. (travel.state.gov)
In Asia, Japan extended visa‑free stays for Bruneians from 14 to 30 days in December 2024, a move framed by Tokyo as part of a wider push to deepen ties with ASEAN visitors and stimulate regional tourism flows. South Korea allows 30‑day visa‑free entry for Brunei passport holders under its longstanding waiver regime, with periodic adjustments to its K‑ETA electronic authorization covering some nationalities but not currently Brunei. (mofa.go.jp)
Across Oceania, Australia uses an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) system or visitor visas for short stays; the policy effectively channels most short‑term leisure and business visitors through a low‑friction, fully digital permit ahead of travel. New Zealand is visa‑waiver for Bruneians but requires an NZeTA before travel, reinforcing the same pattern of advance vetting even where formal visas are not imposed. (immigration.govt.nz)
- Schengen: visa‑free 90/180 under the EU’s common visa policy; ETIAS pre‑travel authorization to begin in late 2026.
- United Kingdom: ETA required for non‑visa nationals, including Bruneians, from February 25, 2026.
- United States: Visa Waiver Program; ESTA required ahead of travel.
- Canada: visa‑exempt by air with eTA; other modes follow separate rules.
- Japan: visa‑free up to 30 days for Brunei nationals.
- South Korea: visa‑free up to 30 days; K‑ETA obligations vary by nationality.
- New Zealand: visa‑waiver with mandatory NZeTA.
Mobility as soft power—and the 2025 baseline
Brunei’s current standing follows a buoyant 2025, when Henley’s mid‑year updates still placed the sultanate around 18th globally with access to roughly 168 destinations. That figure softened modestly into 2026 as multiple countries adjusted their entry regimes and tightened data requirements at the frontier, but the passport’s relative position in ASEAN remained robust behind Singapore and Malaysia. For Brunei’s policymakers and diplomats, the ranking is more than vanity: it reflects a web of reciprocal waiver deals, security cooperation and information‑sharing arrangements that must be maintained if today’s access is to be preserved.
“Visa‑free” is getting more digital—and more conditional
The practical experience of visa‑exempt travel is shifting toward advance screening and risk scoring. The UK’s new ETA is now enforced; the EU’s ETIAS goes live later this year; and in the United States, ESTA remains the path for VWP nationals, with additional data‑collection proposals under discussion for VWP travelers as governments seek more information before a passenger ever reaches the check‑in desk. For Bruneians, the takeaway is operational rather than strategic: access remains broad, but pre‑travel checks—often paid for, and sometimes processed within minutes—are increasingly part of the journey.
For Brunei’s government, that trend raises a policy task at home as well: ensuring that citizens understand the new administrative layer, that airlines and travel agents apply the rules consistently, and that any future negotiations on visa waivers are aligned with rising global expectations on border security and information‑sharing.
Air links that sustain Brunei’s outbound travel
Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) connects the capital to key Asian hubs and to Europe via Dubai—operating Bandar Seri Begawan–Dubai–London services on Boeing 787s—and serves Australia through Melbourne alongside regional destinations in Northeast and Southeast Asia. Singapore Airlines also flies nonstop between Bandar Seri Begawan and Changi, reinforcing Brunei’s one‑stop access to major long‑haul markets. These routes effectively convert the passport’s abstract “162 destinations” into real itineraries for students, pilgrims, business travelers and families, and give Brunei’s authorities a tangible stake in how partner countries calibrate their border regimes.
As of February 26, 2026, Brunei’s passport is ranked around 19th on the Henley Passport Index with visa‑free or visa‑on‑arrival access to approximately 162 destinations. Schengen remains visa‑free pending the introduction of ETIAS in late 2026, the UK requires ETA, the U.S. requires ESTA under the Visa Waiver Program, and Canada requires an eTA for air arrivals—together underscoring that the strength of a passport is now measured not only by how many borders it crosses, but by how seamlessly its holders can clear the digital gateways that precede them. (timeout.com)
