Can an Indian Drive in Brunei? — IDP Recommended, No Side Switch, Zero Alcohol

Brunei is one of the gentlest places an Indian driver can take the wheel abroad, and that is mostly down to one thing the paperwork does not mention: you will not have to relearn which side of the road you are on. Here is what actually matters.

The verdict for Indian licence holders

You can drive in Brunei on your Indian licence with an International Driving Permit carried alongside it. The IDP translates your licence for local authorities and rental desks, so keep the IDP, your Indian licence and your passport together. Sort the IDP in India before you fly — it cannot be issued locally. Confirm the combination with the Driving Permit Checker.

The easy part: no side switch

This is the genuinely good news. India drives on the left, and so does Brunei — there is no change of road side, no reversed roundabouts, no reflex to retrain. For an Indian licence holder, that removes the single biggest hazard of driving in most of the rest of the world. Roads in and around Bandar Seri Begawan are well surfaced and lightly trafficked compared with an Indian city, so the driving itself is calm. Sabah and Sarawak (Malaysia) lie either side, and the same left-hand rule continues across those borders if your trip extends.

The strict bit: zero alcohol, and a dry country

The drink-drive limit is 0.0 BAC — effectively a total ban. This is not a formality: Brunei heavily restricts the sale of alcohol, and the legal and social environment around drink is strict. There is no “one with dinner” margin to weigh up; if you are driving, you do not drink, full stop. Penalties are severe.

Speeds and the rest

Town limit is 50 km/h, rural roads 80, and the highways run to 100 km/h — modest and easy to keep to on quiet roads. Enforcement exists but the roads are not the chaos you may be used to. Work out any over-limit penalty with the Speeding Fine Calculator. The emergency number is 112. Read the full Brunei driving guide before you collect the car.