From Vietnam to Berlin: study, train or work

APS, visa routes, nursing, documents and legalisation, recognition of your qualification and how to avoid agents who sell what is free or charge more than the law allows. Every statement is tied to an official source. Free, independent, no agency.

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Guide

🧭Which route fits me?Study, skilled work, Opportunity Card, Ausbildung, nursing or a language course: a short decision guide. 📜The APS certificateWhy almost every study visa from Vietnam starts with APS Hanoi: procedures, fees, interview dates, deadlines. 🎓Route: studying in BerlinVisa (§ 16b), the steps in order, timing and what to prepare in Vietnam. 📄Admission with Vietnamese certificatesTHPT and the national exam, Studienkolleg, direct access after university years, Master applications, Berlin deadlines. 💶Costs of studying in BerlinBlocked account, semester fee, health insurance and the real cost of living. 🗣️Learning GermanWhere to learn in Vietnam, which certificates count for the visa, and the level each route needs. 💼Route: skilled worker and EU Blue CardBlue Card, skilled-worker permits, the experience route, salary thresholds 2026 and the fast-track procedure. 🃏Route: Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte)Points system, money, work rights and what the card does not do (§§ 20a, 20b AufenthG). 🛠️Route: vocational training (Ausbildung)Dual training in a company with a training wage, the requirements of the Embassy Hanoi and the search visa. 🩺Route: nursingNursing training or recognition of a Vietnamese nursing qualification, with the Berlin authorities and the costs you should not pay. 📚Route: language course (§ 16f)A visa just to learn German – and why it is usually the wrong first step towards studying. 🧭Other routes: specialty cooks, IT and moreRoutes the Embassy Hanoi describes on its own pages, and what they require. 📜Recognition of qualificationsanabin, ZAB, recognition notices, the recognition partnership and qualification measures (§ 16d AufenthG). 🏛️Visa application: where and howOnline portal, VFS Global centres, consular districts, fees, processing times, refusal. 📄Documents from VietnamWhy the apostille does not work between Vietnam and Germany, legalisation, document checks, translations. ⚖️Vietnamese rules you should knowService fees under Vietnamese law, licensed companies, debt, and your Vietnamese nationality. 🛬After arrival in BerlinAddress registration, bank account, health insurance, residence permit – in that order. 🤝Find your communityWhere Vietnamese speakers in Berlin get advice, meet people, find work and find Vietnamese for their children. 🏠Already in BerlinChanging status, permanent residence, naturalisation, and free help – also in Vietnamese. 💶Costs at a glanceFees, salary thresholds and money you must show, by route (2026). ⚠️Avoiding scams and debtWhat the German Embassy says about agencies, what fees the law allows, and how to check an offer before you borrow or pay.