The German CV (Lebenslauf) for people from abroad

A German CV is a short, dated list of your jobs and training, newest first. Here is what goes in, what is your choice, and what to check.

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Contents
  1. Step by step
  2. What employers in Germany expect
  3. Photo, date of birth and other personal details
  4. Your CV and your cover letter work as a pair
  5. Recognition of your qualification, in plain words
  6. Common mistakes
  7. Your home CV and your German CV
  8. How cvscored helps
  9. Daniela Rojas turns her home CV into a German one
  10. Checklist
  11. One honest limit
  12. Sources
  13. Key takeaways
  14. Frequently asked questions
  15. Related guides

Step by step

  1. Pick the language from the job ad

    If the ad is in German, send a German CV. If it is in English, English is fine. Ask a native speaker to read a German CV first.

  2. Put your contact details first

    Start with your name, address, phone and email. The Federal Employment Agency asks people abroad to write the phone number with the country code.

  3. List your jobs, newest first

    Give each job a start and an end date, with month and year. Add the employer, your title and three to five lines on what you did.

  4. Add your education and training

    Name your highest qualification and the training that fits the job. If your profession needs recognition in Germany, say where you stand.

  5. Add languages and skills

    Name each language with its level on the A1 to C2 scale. Add the software and tools you use. Claim only levels you can show.

  6. Close with place, date and signature

    End with the place, the date and your signature. For an email, paste in a scan of your signature. Use the date of your letter.

  7. Save it as a PDF of two pages or less

    Keep the layout plain and the font easy to read. Name the file with your name and the word Lebenslauf.

What employers in Germany expect

The Federal Employment Agency says a CV should have two pages at most. It should be split into clear sections.

Inside each section, the newest entry comes first. Give the start and end of each entry as month and year.

Gaps are not hidden. The agency advises you to explain a gap in the cover letter or in the interview.

Hobbies belong on the CV only if they relate to the job. Volunteering and club roles are welcome.

Marital status and religion are not needed on a CV in Germany.

Photo, date of birth and other personal details

A photo is not required. The agency adds that most employers still expect one, at the top of the CV or on a cover page.

Some employers ask for anonymous CVs. Those leave out the photo and anything that shows gender or origin.

The General Equal Treatment Act bans unequal treatment because of origin, gender, religion, disability, age or sexual identity. That is one reason the photo stays your choice.

If you add a photo, use a plain, professional one. Do not use a selfie or a holiday picture.

The agency's sample CV gives the date and place of birth. Many applicants include them; the choice is yours.

If you need a work permit, say so once, in the cover letter.

Your CV and your cover letter work as a pair

A full application usually has a CV, a cover letter and copies of your certificates.

The CV holds the facts. The letter says why you fit this job. Soft skills are better placed in the letter.

Keep both documents in step: the same name, dates and job titles.

Recognition of your qualification, in plain words

Germany has more than 400 regulated professions, such as doctor, nurse, educator, architect and teacher. You need recognition before you work in one.

Citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland need no recognition for other jobs. People from other countries may need it for a visa.

The Recognition Finder on the official portal tells you whether your job is regulated and which office decides.

A decision should usually come within three months of complete documents. You usually pay the fees yourself.

Language levels depend on the job and the state. Baden-Württemberg asks doctors for B2 German and medical German at about C1.

Bavaria asks nurses for a B2 certificate before it issues the licence. You can apply for recognition there from abroad.

Common mistakes

  • Three or more pages.
  • Jobs with a year but no month, or no end date.
  • A gap that is explained nowhere.
  • A different date on the CV and the letter.
  • Marital status, religion or a long list of hobbies.
  • A phone number without the country code.

Your home CV and your German CV

Your CV at home may be longer, may skip the photo, or may start with a summary. The German CV is plainer.

Most people who apply in Germany keep two versions of one CV. Both must say the same things.

The Europass editor of the EU builds a CV in 31 languages, if you want a ready template.

How cvscored helps

cvscored writes your CV and cover letter in six languages: English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Dutch.

You keep one CV per language. Edit one, and cvscored marks the others out of date.

Score your CV against a German job ad. You see each requirement next to the line of your CV that answers it.

You build the CV as a PDF in one of five layouts. Read the German version before you send it.

Daniela Rojas turns her home CV into a German one

Daniela Rojas is a made-up physiotherapist from Chile who applies to a clinic in Hamburg. First she checks the Recognition Finder.

TopicWhat the official guides sayWhat Daniela changes
LengthTwo pages at most.She cuts three pages to two.
OrderNewest entry first in each section.Her jobs now run from the latest to the first.
DatesMonth and year for the start and end.She adds the month to every job.
PhotoNot required; most employers expect one.She adds a plain, professional photo.
ContactPhone with the country code.She adds +56 to her number.
GapsExplain them in the letter or interview.A year of family care gets one line in the letter.
EndingPlace, date and signature.She signs and pastes a scan.

A made-up example. The middle column is from the sources below.

Good points

  • The format is plain and quick to check.
  • Dates show your path at a glance.

Not so good

  • It is stricter than a CV in many countries.
  • Many employers still expect a photo.

Checklist

  • The CV has two pages or fewer.
  • Every job has a month and year at the start and the end.
  • The newest entry is first in each section.
  • The phone number has the country code.
  • Any gap has one honest line, in the letter or on the CV.
  • The date on the CV matches the date on the letter.
  • The CV is signed, or has a scanned signature.
  • You have checked whether your profession needs recognition.

One honest limit

This guide is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Employers differ, and a good CV does not promise an interview.

Sources

Checked on .

Key takeaways

  • Two pages, newest first, month and year for every entry.
  • A photo and a date of birth are your choice.
  • End with place, date and signature.
  • Regulated jobs need recognition; most others do not.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a photo on a German CV?
No, it is not required. The Federal Employment Agency says most employers still expect one. If the ad asks for an anonymous CV, send none.
How long should a German CV be?
Two pages at most. Many people with a few years of work fit on one.
Should I write my CV in German or English?
Follow the ad. A German ad means a German CV. International employers often accept English.
Do I put my date of birth on the CV?
Many applicants do, and the agency's sample CV does. It is not required.
Does my foreign degree need recognition?
Only for a regulated profession, such as doctor, nurse or teacher. People from outside the EU may also need it for a visa.
Can cvscored keep a German and an English CV?
Yes. You keep one CV per language, and when you edit one, the others are marked out of date.

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