No longer. The 2024 citizenship law reform PERMITS dual citizenship — previously Germany required renouncing your original nationality. This is a major shift for Vietnamese citizens: you can now hold Vietnamese citizenship and German citizenship simultaneously.

After the 2024 reform: 5 years of legal residence (previously 8 years), or 3 years if you demonstrate exceptional integration with German language at C1 level and outstanding academic or professional achievement. Requirements include German B1 language proficiency, financial self-sufficiency, passing a naturalization test, and no criminal record.

No. Germany has no golden visa or citizenship-by-investment program. The closest option is the self-employment visa under §21 of the Residence Act, but applications are assessed on the substantive merit of your business plan — your project must demonstrate economic benefit to the local area, and the licensing authority consults the local chamber of commerce.

Essentially yes. Public universities in Germany charge no tuition — even for international students — with only a few hundred euros in semester fees. This is something almost no other developed country offers. Germany's technical universities, such as TU Munich and RWTH Aachen, rank among the world's best. For families with children studying engineering or natural sciences, this is a very strong reason to choose Germany.

Very difficult for long-term settlement. Unlike the Netherlands or Scandinavia, English is not sufficient for daily life in Germany: government procedures, contracts, healthcare, and schools all operate in German. Berlin and the tech sector are more English-friendly, but learning German is essentially mandatory.

A new category introduced in 2024, based on a points system considering qualifications, work experience, age, and language skills. It permits you to come to Germany to job-search for up to one year and work part-time while searching. This is a significant opening for skilled Vietnamese professionals without a formal job offer.

Approximately 200,000 people — the largest on continental Europe. It has two sources: in the 1980s, East Germany accepted around 60,000 contract workers from Vietnam, most of whom remained after reunification; simultaneously, West Germany admitted Vietnamese boat refugees from the late 1970s. The community is concentrated in Berlin, with Dong Xuan Market serving as the largest Vietnamese commercial hub on the continent.

Significantly better in terms of wait times. The healthcare system uses mandatory insurance for all residents, with premiums calculated on income; quality ranks among the world's best. Wait times for specialist consultations are notably shorter than the NHS in the UK and Canada's public system.