Is Alcohol legal in Brunei?
- Legal status
- Prohibited for sale / restricted personal import — alcohol (ethanol) has no legal public sale anywhere in Brunei; non-Muslim adults may import a small personal allowance under a 1991 restriction, and Muslims are barred entirely under Sharia.
- Consequences if caught
- No shops, bars or duty-free sell alcohol; Muslims consuming alcohol face Sharia penalties, and public consumption is prohibited. Personal import over the allowance is a customs offence.
- If prescribed or medical
- n/a — a beverage, not a medicine (medicinal/industrial ethanol separately controlled).
- Documentation
- Non-Muslim visitors aged 17+ may bring in 2 litres of spirits/wine and 12 cans of beer for private consumption (not within 48 hours of a prior import); no sale, no hotel bars, dry throughout.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Brunei’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
Verify current rules with the destination country’s official drug authority and your own country’s embassy before traveling. Find the destination’s U.S. embassy & official country guidance →
Non-U.S. travelers: check your own government’s travel advisory and embassy.
If you’re detained or arrested abroad
Contact your own country’s embassy or consulate in the destination immediately — not the destination’s authorities. U.S. citizens: contact the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate and the U.S. State Department at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad). If a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained abroad →