Studying in Brunei as a Malaysian or Indonesian Student: Application Routes and Scholarships
By Muntasir • Published Sep 24, 2025 • Updated Sep 20, 2026 • Scholarships & Funding
Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) is Brunei's main option for Malaysian and Indonesian students, with published international tuition starting at B$16,500 a year for non-lab programs and B$18,500 for lab-based programs. Apply online through UBD's international admissions portal and expect an English requirement like IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 550.
🎓 UBD covers undergraduate through graduate study. Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB) focuses on engineering and computing. UNISSA focuses on Islamic studies and law.
💵 UBD's specialist programs cost more: Medicine B$54,000 a year, Dentistry B$60,000, Pharmacy and Engineering B$42,000.
📩 English requirements at UBD: IELTS 6.0, TOEFL 550, GCE O-Level English grade C6, or IGCSE English grade B.
🏠 The Brunei dollar trades 1:1 with the Singapore dollar, which keeps budgeting simple against a familiar reference currency.
The Brunei Darussalam Government Scholarship for Foreign Students (BDGS IS) is UBD's main international scholarship route.
Why Malaysian and Indonesian students look at Brunei
Brunei sits close enough to Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak, and Kalimantan for a short flight or a land and ferry route, which keeps travel home affordable during breaks. Instruction at UBD runs primarily in English, class sizes stay small relative to large public universities in Malaysia or Indonesia, and the country ranks among the safest in the region.
Brunei's currency, the Brunei dollar, trades at par with the Singapore dollar, a peg that has held for decades, so students familiar with SGD pricing estimate costs quickly.
Universities open to Malaysian and Indonesian applicants
Three public universities take the bulk of international enrollment.
Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), the country's flagship comprehensive research university, covering business, science, health science, engineering, arts, and Asian studies.
Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB), focused on engineering, computing, and applied technology programs.
Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA), focused on Islamic studies, Sharia law, and related humanities fields, with some general programs.
UBD publishes the most detailed international admissions information of the three. Confirm current admission requirements, intakes, and fee schedules directly with UTB and UNISSA's international offices, since their published details online update less frequently than UBD's.
UBD admission requirements
Apply through UBD's online portal at apply.ubd.edu.bn. English proficiency is a hard requirement across all programs, met through one of the qualifications below, per UBD's international admissions requirements .
| Qualification | Minimum result |
|---|---|
| IELTS | 6.0 overall |
| TOEFL | 550 overall |
| GCE O-Level English Language | Grade C6 |
| IGCSE English as a Second Language | Grade B |
| UBD English Proficiency Test (UBD-EPT) | Band B2 |
Malaysian applicants with SPM results and Indonesian applicants with an Ijazah SMA or equivalent submit these alongside their English qualification. Confirm subject-specific entry requirements for your intended program directly with UBD's admissions office, since science and health programs set additional prerequisites.
UBD tuition fees
UBD publishes separate annual tuition rates for international undergraduate students by program category.
| Program category | Annual tuition (B$) |
|---|---|
| Non-lab-based bachelor's degree | 16,500 |
| Lab-based bachelor's degree | 18,500 |
| Bachelor of Health Science (Nursing/Midwifery, 2-year entry) | 20,000 |
| Bachelor of Health Science (Nursing/Midwifery, 3-year entry) | 30,000 |
| Bachelor of Pharmacy / Bachelor of Engineering | 42,000 |
| Bachelor of Medicine | 54,000 |
| Bachelor of Dentistry | 60,000 |
Since the Brunei dollar trades 1:1 with the Singapore dollar, these figures translate directly for students used to SGD pricing. Add housing, meals, health insurance, and books on top of tuition when budgeting for a full academic year, since these figures cover tuition only.
Applying to UTB and UNISSA
UTB's programs suit applicants targeting engineering, computing, or applied science degrees, generally at a lower published cost than UBD's equivalent lab-based programs. UNISSA suits applicants specifically targeting Islamic studies, Sharia law, or Arabic language programs. Both universities run their own online application portals separate from UBD's, so start directly on each university's official site rather than assuming a shared application system.
The Brunei student pass
International students need a student pass to study in Brunei, arranged with your accepting university acting as your sponsor. The general steps involve your university submitting a sponsorship application to Brunei's Immigration and National Registration Department on your behalf, a medical examination, and a passport valid for the length of your intended study period. Processing timelines and exact document checklists change, so follow your university's international office instructions closely, since they file the application together with you.
Scholarships for ASEAN applicants
The Brunei Darussalam Government Scholarship for Foreign Students (BDGS IS) is UBD's main funding route for international applicants, covering study from undergraduate through graduate level. Eligibility, quota by nationality, and the application window change between cycles, so check UBD's scholarship page directly for the current intake before you plan your finances around it, rather than assuming last year's terms carry over.
Planning your application timeline
Start your English proficiency test and document collection at least six months before your intended intake, since IELTS or TOEFL results, notarized transcripts, and financial proof all take time to gather and submit together. Apply to UBD's scholarship at the same time as your program application where the intake allows it, rather than waiting for an admission offer first, since scholarship deadlines sometimes run ahead of the general admission deadline.