Expand your organization into Brunei, with or without a Bruneian entity
The tiny Asian nation of Brunei has an exceptionally high GDP, high levels of education, and rapidly diversifying economy, all of which make it an excellent place to do business.
If your organization is planning a move to Brunei, then it’s important to understand that the expansion process can be complex and delays are possible. You may need to account for language barriers, complicated business and employment legislation, drawn-out administrative procedures, and more.
At Horizons, we specialize in helping organizations expand internationally, including into Brunei. Our professional employer organization (PEO), employer of record, and payroll outsourcing services provide everything necessary to expand your business into Brunei, whether or not you have registered an entity there already.
Our in-house recruitment team can also find, recruit, and onboard your local employees, and take care of any ongoing HR administration. Our team will provide everything you need to expand into Brunei more efficiently, potentially saving you thousands in expansion costs.
Our Brunei PEO simplifies your expansion
Horizons enables your business to expand its operations into Brunei– without setting up a legal subsidiary.
Rapid Market Entry
Horizons will enable you to source, hire, and onboard professionals across Brunei in as little as 48 hours.
Cost-Effective Expansion
Our PEO solution can help you benefit from cost savings of up to 82%, without the need to establish a Brunei entity.
Payroll Outsourcing
Simplified Brunei salary & payroll processing, including any tax, withholdings, and any other required contributions.
Employee Onboarding
Utilize the relevant provision for all types of Bruneian labor contracts, whether a fixed-term or open-ended contract.
Onsite Legal & HR Team
Full support for Brunei-specific contract renewals, terminations, annual leave management, HR, and strategic guidance.
Ensure Full Compliance
We ensure that employment contracts are fully compliant and adhere to Brunei’s labor laws and best practices.
Brunei
🇧🇳 Hiring in Brunei: Employment law overview
📝 Employment contracts in Brunei
Employers in Brunei are legally required to provide formal contracts of employment for all employees. These contracts should always cover the relevant details of the employment, such as termination and severance agreements, salary/wage, and so on. All contracts should be written in Malay and reference the local currency of the Brunei dollar.
⏰ Working hours in Brunei
The typical working week is up to 44 hours long, and days are generally eight hours. Work beyond this is paid at overtime rates of 1.5x normal pay, and a working day cannot exceed 12 hours in most circumstances.
📅 Public holidays in Brunei
Employees in Brunei are entitled to several public holidays each year:
- New Year’s Day
- Chinese New Year
- Anniversary of the Revelation of the Quran
- The Sultan’s Birthday
- Christmas Day
- Brunei’s National Day
- Al-Hijra
- Mawlid
- Eid al-Fitr
- Hari Raya Aidiladha
- First day of Ramadan
🏖 Brunei vacation leave
The mandatory minimum vacation leave allowance for employees in Brunei varies depending on their length of service. Employees with at least one year of service are entitled to seven days of paid leave, increasing by one day every year. After eight years of service, employees are entitled to 14 days.
😷 Brunei sick leave
After working for an employer for at least six months, employees in Brunei are entitled to a minimum of 14 days of sick leave as outpatients and 60 days of hospital leave.
👶 Parental leave in Brunei
The parental leave regulations in Brunei vary depending on whether workers are Bruneian citizens or foreign workers. For local Bruneians, the maternity allowance is 15 weeks (13 paid), with two weeks to be taken before the birth date and 13 after. The employer must cover the initial eight weeks of leave (some of which can be claimed back in many cases), after which the state pays any necessary compensation.
💰 Terminations in Brunei
For most types of terminations, the amount of mandatory notice depends on the employee’s length of service. For under six months of service, the notice period of one day. This rises to one week beyond six months of service, two weeks for between two and five years of service, and four weeks for five or more years of service.
🔖 Annual leave
For most types of terminations, the amount of mandatory notice depends on the employee’s length of service. For under six months of service, the notice period of one day. This rises to one week beyond six months of service, two weeks for between two and five years of service, and four weeks for five or more years of service.
🏦 Taxation in Brunei
There is no personal income tax in Brunei, so employers do not need to withhold anything from employee salaries. The corporate tax rate in Brunei is 18.5%.
🏥 Health coverage in Brunei
Brunei’s healthcare system is publicly funded, so employers do not need to offer private medical insurance to employees.
💳 Brunei compensations & benefits
Compensation laws in Brunei
There is no mandatory minimum wage in Brunei, so salaries/wages should always be negotiated on a case-by-case basis when hiring employees.
Benefit management in Brunei
Setting up your Bruneian benefits system can be a confusing process if you are not familiar with the complex labor laws, language, and cultural differences, so it is common to encounter delays.
Horizons can help you simplify this stage of your Brunei expansion by offering tailored benefit management outsourcing. Our experts will advise you on the best course of action and take care of your benefit setup and management, helping you focus on the important job of your Bruneian expansion.
Request a Proposal
Horizons will help you expand your business into Brunei faster
Horizons’ Bruneian PEO, employer of record, and payroll outsourcing services pro your business with everything you need to start trading in Brunei quickly and compliantly. Our dedicated team of experts will ensure that you are set up and trading in Brunei in as little as 48 hours, and could save you more than 80% in expenditure, even if you haven’t established an entity in Brunei.
We can manage all of your expenses, payroll setup, benefits, and legal compliance work in Brunei, as well as any ongoing HR. As the only global PEO with an in-house recruitment team, we can also find, recruit, and onboard your local workforce, using our Bruneian subsidiary to act as employer of record for your hires so you don’t need to register a Bruneian entity.Speak to our Brunei experts today to learn how Horizons can simplify and fast-track your Brunei expansion.
