Asia and Oceania

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Local laws and customs
• Entry requirements

• Health
• General
 

Travel Summary

• The World Health Organisation (WHO) Pandemic Threat Alert Phase remains at Level 6. The WHO website at http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html has further details and local information is available on the Brunei Ministry of Health's website www.moh.gov.bn.
  
  
• Brunei is now in a ‘protect and treat’ phase and has stopped reporting H1N1 cases to WHO daily. The Ministry of Health report that Brunei’s efficient screening procedures and small population allow sufficient resources to be applied in detecting cases.
  
  
• There is currently no thermal screening in place at the airport for transit passengers but arrivals are still being screened. Those with elevated temperatures are being swabbed and advised to self-quarantine at home if H1N1 is confirmed.
  
  
• You should monitor media reports for any developments and advice. There is a dedicated “Swine Flu” page on the FCO Website: www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/swine-flu. Guidance on Pandemic Flu can be obtained on the UK Department of Health website: www.dh.gov.uk. 
  
  
• Around 13,000 British nationals visit Brunei every year (source: Brunei Immigration). Most visits to Brunei are trouble free.  Six British nationals required consular assistance in Brunei in the period 01 April 2008 – 31 March 2009 for the following types of incident; deaths (2 cases); hospitalisations (1 cases); and arrests, for a variety of offences (0 cases). During this period assistance was also requested with regard to lost or stolen passports (1 cases). 
  
  
• You should not become involved with drugs of any kind: possession of even very small quantities can lead to imprisonment or the death penalty.
  
  
• There is a low threat from terrorism in Brunei.  But you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks which could be in public areas, including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
  
  
• If you plan to travel to the Malaysian State of Sabah, you should be aware that foreign nationals have been kidnapped in the past in East Malaysia and we believe that this threat remains. Boats travelling to and from offshore islands and dive sites are possible targets.  If you wish to visit resorts on, and islands off, Eastern Sabah, you should exercise extreme caution. See the Terrorism section of this advice and the travel advice for Malaysia for more details.
  
  
• We recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling.  You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake.  See the General (Insurance) section of this advice and the “Travel Insurance” page of the FCO website for more details.