No-worker-fee cost ledger for Vietnamese nurses going to Germany
A practical distinction between official charges, normal personal costs, and fees a fair recruitment programme must not shift to a candidate. Last verified 7 July 2026.
For a Vietnamese nurse, no-worker-fee means no recruiter, agency, employer, or subcontractor charges a recruitment, placement, introduction, or hidden programme fee. It does not mean every official government charge disappears. A fair programme shows each cost in writing, names who pays it, and never creates debt through vague packages, payroll deductions, deposits, or penalties for leaving a job.
Cost ledger
| Cost item | What it is | Public reference | Fair-programme rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| National visa | German national-visa application fee | €75 | An official charge, not an agency fee. State the payer and reimbursement policy in writing. |
| ZAB statement | Visa-supporting Statement of Comparability or vocational-qualification statement | €208 / €150 | Official documentation charge. It must never be relabelled as a recruiter processing fee. |
| Recognition authority | Professional-recognition procedure in the relevant German Land | Varies by authority; Berlin nursing example €164 | There is no national flat fee. Name the authority, the actual fee, and who pays before a candidate commits. |
| German exam | Recognised language examination | Goethe Vietnam examples: about 4.5m VND for B1 and 5.0m VND for B2 | Confirm the current provider price. An exam fee is distinct from a recruitment fee. |
| Fast-track procedure | Optional employer-led skilled-worker procedure | €411 | This is an employer-side option, not a cost to pass to a candidate. |
| Translation, legalisation, travel, language course, first-arrival support | Variable preparation or programme costs | Not a single official national price | Itemise them. A fair employer-funded programme says who bears each cost and forbids surprise deductions. |
| Recruitment, placement, introduction, “package”, deposit, or job guarantee | Charge for access to employment or a promised visa/job | Not an official fee | Do not pay it. Treat a large up-front charge, debt agreement, or unexplained deduction as a warning sign. |
Questions to ask before agreeing to anything
- Can you give me a written cost table showing the amount, currency, payer, and refund rule for every item?
- Which amounts are paid directly to a government authority, school, or exam provider - and which are paid to your company?
- Does my contract say there are no recruitment, placement, introduction, or payroll-deduction fees for me?
- What happens to each payment if recognition, visa, or employment does not proceed?
- May I see the German employer and a translated contract before any payment is due?
What Namur means by fair recruitment
Namur treats the employer-pays principle as the baseline: candidates should not finance their access to work through a recruiter. This page is a public anti-scam reference, not a promise that Namur pays any cost or provides a job. If a programme cannot explain a charge clearly and in writing, pause and seek independent advice.