Route: nursing
There is no government-to-government nursing programme with Vietnam that we could confirm. Vietnam is not a partner country of the German Triple Win programme (programme page); an earlier GIZ pilot project with Vietnam ran from 2016 to 2020 and has ended. If a current official programme exists, we did not find it; ask the Embassy. Anyone selling you a "state programme" should be able to name the German public body behind it.
Three ways into nursing
| Your situation | Route | German |
|---|---|---|
| No nursing qualification yet | Nursing training (Pflegefachfrau/-mann) in Germany, § 16a: 3 years with a training wage, see Ausbildung | B1, or lower with a German course |
| Nursing degree or diploma from Vietnam, recognition not started | Recognition partnership (§ 16d (3)): you work as an assistant and close the gaps in Germany | A2 |
| Deficit notice already received | Qualification measure (§ 16d (1)): adaptation course or knowledge exam | usually B1 |
Details and Embassy pages: Recognition. German B2 is required for the professional licence, whatever route you take.
Where recognition happens in Berlin
For nursing and the other health professions, the Berlin body is the Landesprüfungsamt für Gesundheitsberufe; for doctors it is LAGeSo. Berlin state fees and current processing times are not confirmed – ask the office directly. Find the office with the Recognition Finder.
What you earn before recognition
Until your qualification is recognised you work as an assistant, and you must be paid at least the nursing minimum wage for qualified assistants with one year of training: €17.80 an hour from 1 July 2026 (Federal ministries' press release, 25 November 2025; the regulation text itself was not found). It does not apply to hospitals. After recognition you are paid as a nurse under the collective agreement that applies to your employer.
Who pays the costs
- Look for the seal Faire Anwerbung Pflege Deutschland: employers and agencies with this seal pay recruitment and language-course costs themselves.
- A German placement agent may charge you at most €2,000, and only after a successful placement (§ 296 SGB III). See Avoiding scams.
- Vietnamese law also limits what a licensed company may charge you, see Vietnamese rules.
Never sign a contract that makes you repay large "training costs" if you change employer. Get it checked before you sign, for example at a free counselling centre, see Already in Berlin.
A question this page does not answer? Contact us. Free orientation only, no legal advice for individual cases.