Study in Germany From Vietnam 2026: APS, Visa and Costs

Quick answer

To study in Germany from Vietnam in 2026 you need an APS certificate from the German Embassy in Hanoi, a university admission, a blocked account with €992 a month for the first year, health insurance that meets embassy rules, and a national student visa. Most public universities charge no tuition for Bachelor’s and most Master’s programmes, but you still need roughly €900–€1,600 a month to live, depending on the city.

• Compare cities and monthly costs on the Germany country guide.
• Work out your own total with the Odisea budget calculator.

The paperwork and the money

Germany is cheap on tuition and strict on paperwork. A missing APS certificate, or a visa filed too late, costs a semester far more often than the fees do. Here is what each step involves, according to the German Embassy in Hanoi, the DAAD and the Federal Foreign Office.

Step 1: the APS certificate

The APS (Akademische Prüfstelle) verifies the school and university results issued in Vietnam. Every Vietnamese student starting a German university needs it, and it is a condition of admission, not a visa extra. The embassy’s APS page says the procedure has applied to all students starting a German university since the 2007 winter semester.

How it works depends on your level:

1. Bachelor’s applicants without a Vietnamese university degree: document check, then the TestAS exam. You register for TestAS yourself at testas.de, in English or German. The embassy says it is offered three times a year.
2. Master’s or other postgraduate applicants with a Vietnamese degree: document check, then a short interview of about 15 minutes in German or English. Interviews are held twice a year, in May and November, in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Postal applications close at the end of February for the May session and at the end of August for the November one.
3. Fee and format: the regular undergraduate procedure costs USD 150, paid through Vietcombank before you apply and non-refundable. Since 1 November 2023 APS issues a digital certificate (DigZert), and the certificate has no expiry date.
4. Degrees from universities outside Vietnam go straight to the German university with no APS.

The embassy page does not state a processing time, so do not assume one. Start the APS process before you submit university applications, because the certificate must be in hand by the deadline. The uni-assist page for Vietnam asks for the APS certificate plus your school-leaving documents and the national exam results (NOP).

Direct admission or Studienkolleg?

Not every Vietnamese school certificate opens the door to a German degree on its own. The embassy’s APS page spells out who can enter a Studienkolleg, the one-year preparatory course that ends with an entrance exam. For the same field you studied in Vietnam, any one of these is enough:

• A Vietnamese high school diploma with set exam subjects (Literature, Mathematics, a foreign language and a science or social-science group), an average of at least 6.5 and no score below 4.0.
• At least one full year of full-time university study in Vietnam.
• A recognised full-time college diploma.

For a different field, you need two completed years of full-time university study in Vietnam, in the new field. Check your own case with the university and the APS office (ku-aps1@hano.auswaertiges-amt.de) before paying anything.

Step 2: the blocked account, insurance and visa

The Federal Foreign Office rate for a study visa is €992 a month, so €11,904 for a full year. Hanoi’s visa page also says that a university applicant who does not yet have an admission letter must show €1,091 a month. A formal sponsor declaration in Germany or a public scholarship, such as DAAD, can replace the account. Rates are reviewed, so confirm the figure on the embassy page before you transfer.

Health insurance must be valid from the planned departure date. The embassy accepts a German private policy, German statutory insurance plus travel cover for the first three weeks, or a foreign private policy, including a Vietnamese one, if it has no cap on illness cover, a deductible of at most €300 a year and covers pre-existing conditions. Compare policies against these criteria before you buy; the embassy rejects cover with age or residence-status cancellation clauses.

To apply for the visa:

1. Upload your documents to the Auslandsportal.
2. Submit the online application through VFS Global and pay its service fee.
3. Book a VFS appointment and attend with originals for fingerprints and photo.
4. VFS sends the file to the Embassy in Hanoi or the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City.

The embassy gives about 12 weeks as typical, and longer close to the semester start. It also asks you not to enquire about your status in the first three months. Language proof must be no more than 12 months old unless the university confirms your level in the admission letter.

What it costs to live in Germany

Public universities charge no tuition for Bachelor’s and most Master’s programmes. There are exceptions: Baden-Württemberg charges non-EU students €1,500 per semester, and the DAAD notes that Bavaria may charge several thousand euros per semester. Every student also pays a semester contribution of €70–€430, depending on the university. It is not tuition.

The DAAD puts monthly living costs at €900–€1,200 depending on where you study. Odisea’s city pages give wider ranges:

The €992 account release covers the cheaper end of that table, not Munich. Plan for the gap, and look at rooms early: student housing in a big city is the part that runs out first, and the renting guide for Germany lists the documents landlords ask for.

Programmes in English, and working while you study

The DAAD International Programmes database lists degree programmes by subject and has an “English only” filter. Use it before you pick a university, then confirm the admission rules on that programme’s page. For a wider view of studying in English, read studying abroad in English. Large technical and research universities such as TU Munich and RWTH Aachen have Odisea guides.

Non-EU students may work 140 full days or 280 half days a year, according to the DAAD. Academic assistant jobs have no day limit, but you must tell the foreigners’ office. Working more needs approval from the Federal Employment Agency and the foreigners’ office, and only in cases of special financial need. A part-time job helps, but it does not replace the blocked account.

Not sure which German city fits your budget and subject? Take the 3-minute Odisea test, then join the free student WhatsApp groups for the city you pick.

Where to go next

• Germany country guide
• Berlin and Munich, the two most requested cities
• Hamburg and Aachen, the lowest budgets in the table above
• Odisea budget calculator

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to study in Germany from Vietnam (du học Đức giá bao nhiêu)?

Tuition is free at most public universities, except Baden-Württemberg, where non-EU students pay €1,500 per semester. You still pay a semester contribution of €70–€430, the APS fee of USD 150, a €75 visa fee, and about €992 a month in living costs, which you prove with a blocked account of €11,904 for the first year.

Is the APS certificate compulsory?

Yes, for Vietnamese students entering a German university. Hanoi’s visa page lists it among the documents, and the certificate must be available by the university’s application deadline.

Can I study in Germany in English?

Yes. The DAAD International Programmes database lets you filter for programmes taught in English, covering Bachelor’s, Master’s and doctoral programmes. The university still sets its own language requirement, so read the admission page.

Are there scholarships for Vietnamese students?

Yes. The embassy accepts a scholarship commitment from a public German institution such as the DAAD in place of a blocked account. Check the DAAD scholarship pages early, since each scholarship sets its own conditions and deadlines.

Can I work while studying in Germany?

Yes, 140 full days or 280 half days a year for non-EU students, according to the DAAD. Academic assistant jobs have no day limit, but the foreigners’ office must be told.