UAE licence 
BruneiCan you drive in Brunei with a UAE license?
Short answer: to drive in Brunei with a UAE license you need an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva format, carried together with your UAE license.
Yes — to drive in Brunei on a UAE licence you should carry an International Driving Permit together with your UAE licence. Brunei expects foreign drivers to hold an IDP.
UAE drivers should carry an International Driving Permit alongside their licence when driving abroad. Your International Driving Permit is a certified multilingual translation of your existing licence, prepared in the 1949 Geneva format and carried alongside your national licence.
What driving in Brunei is like
The coastal drive along the Tutong-Lumut highway and out to the Empire/Jerudong area offers easy, scenic South China Sea views. For most visitors the real draw is the freedom to reach places trains and tours don't, on your own schedule, with the open road generally capped around 100 km/h highways. Getting behind the wheel is the easy part: your International Driving Permit is a certified translation of your UAE licence, carried alongside it, so rental staff and officials in Brunei can read your credentials at a glance.
What applies to UAE licence holders in Brunei
| UAE licence in Brunei | |
|---|---|
| Do you need an IDP? | Yes — carry one alongside your licence |
| IDP format required | 1949 Geneva |
| Your UAE licence script | Roman (Latin) alphabet |
| United Arab Emirates is party to | 1968 Vienna |
| Drives on the | Left-hand side |
| Minimum driving age | 18 |
| Emergency number | 993 (police), 991 (ambulance) |
| Top speed limit | 100 km/h highways |
| Currency | BND |
Driving rules in Brunei you should know
- Drive on the left.
- Zero alcohol tolerance.
- Seatbelts mandatory.
- Fuel is cheap but resold to foreigners at higher rates.
Local driving facts in Brunei
Emergency number: 993 (police), 991 (ambulance) (112 also connects from most mobiles). Typical maximum for cars on the fastest road class: 100 km/h highways. Posted limits always take precedence.
Tolls & road charges in Brunei
Brunei has no toll roads or vignette system - the highways, including the Muara-Tutong and Telisai-Lumut links, are free to use.
Parking in Brunei
Bandar Seri Begawan uses coin/voucher metered parking bays in the city centre during business hours, with free parking common in suburban and tourist areas; observe the painted bay colours and pay-and-display rules to avoid a ticket.
Penalties & enforcement in Brunei
Seatbelts are compulsory, hand-held phone use is banned and speeding is camera- and patrol-enforced with fines; drink-driving is treated severely in this Muslim-majority sultanate. Rental firms pass camera fines back to the renter's card.
If you have an accident in Brunei
Call 993 for police; do not leave the scene of a road accident until officers attend, as a police report is mandatory for insurance and any injury claim. Ambulance is 991.
City driving in Brunei
Bandar Seri Begawan traffic is light and orderly by regional standards, but the city is car-dependent with limited public transport and roundabouts are common, so give way to the right when entering them.
Winter driving in Brunei
No winter-tyre rules - tropical climate.
Fuel in Brunei
Stations sell heavily subsidised petrol (RON 92/95) and diesel and are attendant-served; fuel is among the world's cheapest at roughly B$0.53 per litre for premium petrol, but foreign-plated vehicles face refuelling restrictions, and some rural pumps are cash-only.
Sources: tyremap.com, gov.uk, internationaldriversassociation.com, internationaldrivingpermit.org