Berlin, Germany, is engulfed in cold weather and snowstorms. Nguyen Van Hung, 60, a resident of the Lichterfelde district, stands quietly in front of the grocery section of a supermarket. A kilogram of apples has risen to nearly 4 EUR, and bread and milk have also increased in price. "I haven't even retired yet, and I'm already struggling. I don't know what it will be like living on my pension in a few years," Mr. Hung shared.
Expensive spending
Mr. Hung moved to Germany in the early 1990s, working in the mechanical engineering industry and paying social insurance regularly for three decades. His worries are not unique. In a world filled with bad news about conflict, climate change, energy crises, and rising inflation in Europe, people's lives are being eroded.
For the Vietnamese community in Germany, especially those entering their twilight years, this worry becomes even more apparent every day when they go to the market, pay for electricity, heating, or rent.
According to publicly available statistics, the average pension in Germany currently ranges from approximately 1,100 to 1,600 EUR per month before tax, depending on the length of social insurance contributions and the area of residence. This figure may seem substantial, but in large cities, rent can easily consume more than half of it.
Mr. Hung calculated: "If I retire, I'll receive about 1,300 EUR. After deducting over 600 EUR for rent, electricity, heating, health insurance… there's hardly anything left for food and transportation." Many elderly people in Germany therefore continue to work part-time. Many of Mr. Hung's friends take on part-time jobs at Asian shops, small garment factories, or familiar restaurants. It's not just for the income; they feel useful in a rapidly aging society.
In early 2026, sabotage of power lines in Berlin left tens of thousands of households without electricity in the middle of winter. In the Nikolassee, Zehlendorf, Wannsee, and Lichterfelde districts, many families had to live in apartments without heating or cooking facilities. Some were temporarily housed in campsites or hotels, but had to pay around 70 EUR per night themselves.
This event raised concerns in the community about safety and the ability to ensure welfare in emergency situations. Mr. Hung recalled: “That day, my house also lost power for almost two days. The weather was below 0 degrees Celsius, and I had to go to a friend's house for shelter. At that moment, I thought, if I were 80 years old, I don't know how I would manage.”
A desire to return to one's homeland.
As life becomes increasingly difficult in old age, the thought of returning to Vietnam becomes a strong desire in the minds of many people of Vietnamese origin. For them, their homeland is not only the place where they were born and raised, but also a warmer living space with pleasant weather, lower living costs, the opportunity to speak Vietnamese every day, eat their hometown food, and live close to relatives.
Mr. Hung's wife is German. Initially, she hesitated when her husband talked about "returning to Vietnam to retire." But after a few trips to Vietnam, she began to change her mind. "There, with our retirement savings, we can live much more comfortably. The important thing is the relaxed atmosphere and the friendly people," she said.
The biggest obstacle currently is the visa issue. EU passport holders are only allowed to stay in Vietnam for a maximum of 90 days under e-visa, after which they must leave the territory and then return. For the elderly, this "going in and out" is quite inconvenient. Vietnam currently does not have a long-term retirement visa specifically for foreigners or Vietnamese nationals who have acquired other citizenship.
Meanwhile, Thailand has been developing this model for decades. The neighboring country grants long-term visas to retirees or remote workers, requiring only proof of financial means and excluding employment within the country. Numerous retirement resorts have sprung up, offering comprehensive healthcare and living packages. Seniors have a place to settle down, and local communities gain a stable source of income.
Mr. Hung and many of his contemporaries still hope that Vietnam will soon have a similar policy, at least for people of Vietnamese origin and their relatives. If there is a suitable legal framework, these retirees could become a soft resource for localities, bringing with them knowledge, life experience, and a stable income from their pensions.
Untouched, pristine areas can become havens for relaxation, contributing to urban decentralization and the development of a "non-polluting" service economy . It's also a journey to find a new haven, where old age can be lived more slowly and peacefully in the embrace of loved ones.
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/nguoi-viet-huu-tri-o-duc-with-giac-mo-hoi-huong-post834037.html
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