Software Engineer Moving to Germany from Vietnam

Get your university degree and academic transcripts legalised by the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Bộ Ngoại giao). The legalisation process takes 3–4 weeks via their Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City offices. This is required before the German embassy will process your work visa — start it while you are in the interview stage.

Obtain a police clearance certificate (Phiếu lý lịch tư pháp) from the Ministry of Public Security (Bộ Công an) — this moved from the Ministry of Justice in March 2025. Valid for 6 months from issue. Book early: provincial police department offices in Hanoi and HCMC have long waiting times during busy periods.

Get your degree certificate recognised by NARIC Germany or have it assessed via the anabin database. Many Vietnamese universities are listed; if yours is not, apply to the Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen (ZAB) early — assessments take up to 6 months and are required for some visa categories.

Prepare a certified English translation of your birth certificate. German authorities require it for registration (Anmeldung) and for some social security filings. Get it notarised by a certified Vietnamese–English translator and legalised at the same time as your degree.

Ensure your Vietnamese passport is valid for at least 3 months beyond your planned departure from Germany when applying for your German visa — this is the standard Schengen requirement. If your visa is issued for 1–2 years, plan ahead: renew your passport before it expires mid-stay to avoid complications.

Notify the Vietnamese Social Insurance Authority (BHXH) of your departure. You can apply for a one-time social insurance benefit (hưởng bảo hiểm xã hội một lần) if you are leaving permanently — this pays out your accumulated contributions. However, if you plan to return to work in Vietnam, keep the BHXH account active; the contribution history is not transferable and losing it means starting from zero on your Vietnamese pension entitlement.

File a final personal income tax (PIT) return with the General Department of Taxation using your MST tax code before departure, or authorise a local tax agent to file on your behalf. Once you are abroad, German banks may ask for proof that you have no outstanding foreign tax liabilities (particularly if you apply for a German mortgage later).

Contact Vietcombank, BIDV, or whichever bank holds your accounts and explicitly notify them of your NRI (non-resident) status. Vietnamese banks are not legally required to freeze accounts of non-residents, but failing to notify them can lead to compliance flags under Vietnam's anti-money-laundering rules when large transfers arrive from Germany.

Keep at least one Vietnamese bank account open. You will need it for sending remittances, paying Vietnamese taxes if you retain property, and managing family financial obligations. Vietcombank has the most reliable international incoming transfer infrastructure for EUR.

If you hold Vietnamese real estate, register with the local tax authority for rental income tax — the rate is 5% for individuals. German–Vietnamese tax information exchange agreements mean undeclared Vietnamese income creates exposure under German law as well.

Do not close your Vietnamese health insurance (BHYT) if family members are covered under your policy — dependants lose coverage if the policy holder cancels. If it's an individual policy with no dependants, cancel after confirming your German statutory GKV coverage is active.

Keep your Vietnamese driving licence valid. Germany requires a certified German translation and an official exchange process for Vietnamese licences — you will need the original Vietnamese licence in good standing. The exchange requires a practical test; the theory test is typically waived for licences over 3 years old.

Maintain one bank account in Vietnam with internet banking enabled. Vietcombank's online platform is the most reliable for managing account from abroad. Use this account for receiving Vietnamese rental income, paying Vietnamese bills, and managing family transfers.

If you have outstanding Vietnamese consumer credit or hire purchase agreements, settle them before departure or set up standing payment authorisations. Unpaid Vietnamese credit obligations can be reported to the Credit Information Centre (CIC) and may affect future Vietnamese credit applications.

Cancel utility contracts, gym memberships, and subscriptions in your Vietnamese name before departure. Leaving these active creates ongoing billing that can lead to debt collection notices to your Vietnamese address — which creates administrative complications if you need a clean address record for Vietnamese government filings.

Use Wise or Remitly for sending money to Vietnam — both support the VND corridor reliably and at significantly lower cost than Vietnamese bank SWIFT transfers. For amounts over €5,000, compare Wise vs Vietcombank's international transfer service on the day.

Register with the Vietnamese Embassy in Berlin (Đại sứ quán Việt Nam tại Đức). Consular registration helps with emergency document support, and the embassy also processes passport renewals and civil status documents (birth certificates, marriage certificates) for Vietnamese nationals abroad.

Keep a Vietnamese phone number active (Viettel or Mobifone both support international roaming). You will need it for Vietnamese banking OTPs, tax portal logins, and government service notifications. A SIM left with a trusted family member works well.

The Vietnamese community in Germany is one of the largest in Europe, particularly in Berlin (former East Germany). Community organisations, Facebook groups, and WeChat circles provide practical first-year settlement support and can recommend Vietnamese-speaking doctors, tax advisors, and legal services.