Quick answer
Important
1. What a German application contains
The expected package is larger than in most English-speaking countries. Sending only a CV and cover letter reads as incomplete, and applicant tracking systems at larger employers often ask for the attachments explicitly.
- Anschreiben: a one-page covering letter, addressed to a named person where possible
- Lebenslauf: a tabular CV, one to two pages
- Degree and qualification certificates, scanned
- Arbeitszeugnisse: written references from previous German employers, where you have them
- School-leaving certificate, expected for trainees and early-career applicants and often omitted later
- Language and training certificates where relevant to the role
The German words you will see
- Lebenslauf
- The CV. Literally "course of life", and expected in a tabular rather than narrative form.
- Anschreiben
- The covering letter. One page, specific to the role, formal in tone.
- Bewerbungsunterlagen
- The full set of application documents, including certificates and references.
- Arbeitszeugnis
- A written reference from a former employer. German employees are legally entitled to one.
- Tabellarischer Lebenslauf
- The standard tabular CV format: dates in one column, content in the other.
2. Writing the Lebenslauf
The German CV is a record rather than a pitch. It is laid out as a table, reverse-chronological, with dates that account for your time without unexplained gaps. Fluent self-promotion of the kind that works in a US résumé tends to read as unserious.
Keep it to one or two pages. Include month and year for each position, since a bare year looks evasive to a German reader.
- Contact details at the top: name, address, phone, email
- Professional experience, reverse-chronological, with month and year, employer, role and a few factual bullet points
- Education, reverse-chronological, with the qualification and grade where it is good
- Language skills, stated by CEFR level rather than as "fluent" or "good"
- Relevant technical skills and certifications
- Place, date and signature at the foot: still conventional, and its absence is noticed
What to leave out
Personal details that used to be standard are now generally omitted, and there is no obligation to provide them: date of birth, marital status, nationality, religion, and the number of children. Anti-discrimination law means an employer cannot require them.
Some applicants still include date of birth and nationality because older German conventions did. It is your choice, and leaving them out is entirely normal now.
The photo
A professional photograph remains common in Germany, particularly outside tech and outside international employers. It is not legally required and cannot lawfully be demanded, since requiring one creates discrimination risk for the employer.
In practice: for a traditional Mittelstand employer a photo is expected and its absence may be noticed; at an international tech company it is unnecessary and can look dated. If you include one, use a professional headshot rather than a cropped snapshot.
3. Writing the Anschreiben
One page, and it should be about the fit between this role and your specific experience rather than about your enthusiasm. German covering letters are factual: they state what you can do, evidenced, and why this employer.
Address a named person if the advert gives one. Where it does not, "Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren" is correct and not impersonal in German. Reference the job title and any reference number in the subject line.
- Subject line naming the role and any reference number
- A first paragraph saying which role and why this employer specifically
- Two or three paragraphs matching your evidenced experience to the requirements in the advert
- A sentence on availability, and a salary expectation if the advert asks for one
- A closing line stating you would welcome an interview
- Formal sign-off: "Mit freundlichen Grüßen"
Important
4. Which language, and practicalities
Apply in the language of the advert. A German-language advert answered in English is usually rejected regardless of the candidate, because it suggests the working language will be a problem. Where the advert is in English, English is expected.
If your German is not strong enough to write a clean Anschreiben, that is worth knowing about the role rather than working around: a role advertised in German will be performed in German.
- One combined PDF is preferred over many attachments, unless the portal specifies otherwise
- Name the file usefully: your name and the role, not "CV_final_v3"
- Keep the total attachment size modest; some employer systems reject large files
- Have a German native speaker check the Anschreiben if you can
- Follow the advert’s instructions exactly, including any reference number
5. Frequently asked questions
One or two pages, tabular and reverse-chronological, with month and year for each position. A bare year without a month reads as evasive to a German reader.
Not legally, and an employer cannot lawfully demand one. It remains common at traditional and Mittelstand employers and unnecessary at international tech companies. If you include one, use a professional headshot.
Not required, and increasingly omitted. Anti-discrimination law means an employer cannot require them. Older German conventions included them, so you will see both; leaving them out is entirely normal now.
In the language of the advert. A German advert answered in English is usually rejected, because it suggests the working language will be a problem. If you cannot write a clean German letter, that tells you something useful about the role.
A written reference from a former employer, which German employees are legally entitled to. Include any you have from German employers. Applicants whose experience is all abroad are not disadvantaged by not having them.
If the advert asks, yes, with a figure or a narrow range. Omitting it when asked is often read as failing to follow instructions. If the advert does not ask, leave it for the interview.
Official information
Rules and amounts change. Always verify current requirements using official sources.
Related guides
Amounts and legal requirements can change. We verify this information against official sources and show when each figure was last checked, but always confirm important requirements with the responsible authority before you apply.
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