Brunei Darussalam Government Scholarship for Foreign Students (BDGS)

The Brunei Darussalam Government Scholarship (BDGS) is a fully funded award offered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brunei Darussalam to international students who wish to study for the first time in Brunei. Scholars can pursue a Diploma, an undergraduate Bachelor’s degree, or a postgraduate Master’s degree at one of five higher-education institutions: Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB), Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA), Kolej Universiti Perguruan Ugama Seri Begawan (KUPU SB), and Politeknik Brunei (PB).

No PhD programmes are offered under this scheme. The academic session commences in July/August.

Benefits & funding

Full exemption from tuition fees for the whole approved programme.
Monthly personal allowance of BND 500.
Monthly meals allowance of BND 150.
Annual book allowance of BND 600.
Return economy-class air ticket between the scholar’s home country and Brunei, at the start and end of the programme.
Free accommodation in a residential college / hostel.
Baggage allowance of BND 250 (to an ASEAN country) or BND 500 (outside ASEAN) on completion.
Comprehensive medical insurance for the full duration of the scholarship.

Eligibility

Open to citizens of all nationalities (applications are open to citizens of, but not limited to, ASEAN, Commonwealth and OIC member countries).
NOT open to Brunei Darussalam Permanent Residents.
Age 18–25 for Diploma and undergraduate programmes; must not exceed 35 for postgraduate Master’s programmes (measured on 31 July of the intake year).
Must meet the academic entry requirements of the chosen programme.
English requirement: a credit 6 in English at GCE ‘O’ Level, or grade ‘C’ in IGCSE English (second language), or IELTS 6.0, or TOEFL overall 550 (or an accepted equivalent).

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Education required
High School · Bachelor
Age requirement
18–35 yrs

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Application process

1
Choose a programme at one of the five institutions and note its programme code from that institution’s brochure (UBD and Politeknik Brunei need no code).
2
Complete the typed BDGS application form and have the endorsement pages signed by your country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Ministry of Education (or your embassy if abroad).
3
Attach the required documents: certified academic transcripts and certificates (certified English translations if not in English), a statement of purpose, certified birth certificate and passport copies, English-test results, a security-vetting/police clearance, and two typed references.
4
Email the completed application and documents to the Ministry’s BDGS address before the deadline (before 1600 hrs Brunei time, +8 GMT).
5
Shortlisted applicants are interviewed by the institution (e.g. by video call); awards are notified around the first week of June, and the academic session begins in July/August.

Program timeline

Application deadline for the 2026/2027 cycle
Feb 15, 2026
Award notifications to shortlisted applicants
June 2026
Academic session begins
July/August 2026