(Bandar Seri Begawan, 30th) Minister of Home Affairs Dato Seri Paduka Awang Ahmaddin stated that as long as the specified conditions are met, applications for citizenship will not be regarded as unsuccessful.
The minister pointed out that these conditions include: fulfilling the required length of residency; meeting the specific marriage duration requirement for certain categories; fulfilling the period of permanent resident status; passing the Malay language written and oral tests; and passing security screening.
"As long as the requirements are met, applications will continue to be processed in accordance with the established procedures. Praise be to Allah, from 2022 to March 2026, a total of 7,477 citizenship applications have been approved by His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei, and the applicants have become Bruneian citizens through registration and enrollment."
The minister made these remarks while answering questions from members of parliament during the first session of the 22nd meeting season of the Legislative Council (MMN) yesterday.
The minister added that among all applications, the highest number was in 2025, reaching 2,979, surpassing the average for the same period.
The minister also stated that among all categories, Chapter 61 (the citizen mother category) had the most applications, with 3,356, and Chapters 51 and 81 (which require a written test) also had a considerable number, reaching 2,973.
"As for the current process, some applications are still under assessment, including interviews, oral tests, security review, and document verification. For example, among Chapter 61 and Chapter 56 (involving kinship applications), there are currently 655 applications being evaluated by the Department, which includes interviews, screening, and document verification."
"Meanwhile, for Chapter 51 and Chapter 81 (involving written and oral examinations) applications, a total of 1,836 applications are still awaiting test and related screening results."
Overall, the assessment process for citizenship applications is carried out in stages and in strict accordance with legal provisions, namely the current Chapter 15 of the ‘Brunei Nationality Act’, to ensure every application receives fair treatment and meets all established requirements.
The minister was pleased to note that, since all clauses and requirements are clearly specified, there are, in principle, no major challenges in the assessment process for citizenship applications, which is clear, transparent, and based on current laws and regulations.
The minister pointed out that these conditions include: fulfilling the required length of residency; meeting the specific marriage duration requirement for certain categories; fulfilling the period of permanent resident status; passing the Malay language written and oral tests; and passing security screening.
"As long as the requirements are met, applications will continue to be processed in accordance with the established procedures. Praise be to Allah, from 2022 to March 2026, a total of 7,477 citizenship applications have been approved by His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei, and the applicants have become Bruneian citizens through registration and enrollment."
The minister added that among all applications, the highest number was in 2025, reaching 2,979, surpassing the average for the same period.
The minister also stated that among all categories, Chapter 61 (the citizen mother category) had the most applications, with 3,356, and Chapters 51 and 81 (which require a written test) also had a considerable number, reaching 2,973.
"As for the current process, some applications are still under assessment, including interviews, oral tests, security review, and document verification. For example, among Chapter 61 and Chapter 56 (involving kinship applications), there are currently 655 applications being evaluated by the Department, which includes interviews, screening, and document verification."
"Meanwhile, for Chapter 51 and Chapter 81 (involving written and oral examinations) applications, a total of 1,836 applications are still awaiting test and related screening results."
Overall, the assessment process for citizenship applications is carried out in stages and in strict accordance with legal provisions, namely the current Chapter 15 of the ‘Brunei Nationality Act’, to ensure every application receives fair treatment and meets all established requirements.
The minister was pleased to note that, since all clauses and requirements are clearly specified, there are, in principle, no major challenges in the assessment process for citizenship applications, which is clear, transparent, and based on current laws and regulations.