Recruit
Brunei has a small, tightly regulated labour market with a significant public sector and energy industry. Screening is straightforward in practice, and much of it is bound up with the employment licence and immigration process for foreign workers.
What employers can check
Identity, employment history, and academic qualifications are the standard verifications. Foreign qualifications commonly need attestation, so allow time for legalisation through the issuing country. References from previous employers are informative in a market where employers tend to know one another.
Criminal record checks
The relevant document is a certificate of no criminal conviction issued by the Royal Brunei Police Force. Candidates apply in person with identification, and the certificate is issued to the individual, who then presents it to the employer. Anyone who has lived abroad is generally asked for an equivalent certificate from that country. Screening is expected in banking and finance, the oil and gas sector, private security, education, healthcare, and roles involving children.
Foreign workers
Employing a foreign national requires a labour licence and the correct employment pass, and the process includes medical examination and character requirements. These checks are conditions of the permit rather than employer discretion, and they run alongside any screening you carry out yourself.
Data protection and consent
Brunei does not currently have a comprehensive data protection statute of the European kind, so employer practice sets the standard. Take written consent before screening, tell the candidate what you are collecting and why, keep it proportionate to the role, store results securely, and dispose of them once they are no longer needed.
Practical guidance
Sequence screening with the permit timetable rather than treating them separately, apply consistent checks across candidates for a role, and keep evidence of consent. An employer of record can manage licensing, screening, and payroll if you have no Brunei entity.
