Tools / Cover letter for Germany

Cover letter for Germany: structure, length and a free language check

Set up your letter in German business letter layout (DIN 5008) right here. In the app, Joblumi reads the job ad, shows how much German and English it asks for and writes the letter text.

Set up your letter

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From you
To the company
The job
    Write the letter text

    The app writes the body to fit the job ad.

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    Write my cover letter

    The short answer

    A German cover letter, the Anschreiben, fits on one page. It explains why you want this job and why you fit it, with concrete examples, and it should not repeat your CV (KIT Career Service, LMU Career Service, retrieved 30 Oct 2026). Address a named person if you can, and write in the language of the job ad.

    Structure of a German cover letter

    Part What goes in Source
    Sender Your name and contact details LMU Jobline
    Recipient Company, name and title of the contact person, full address LMU Jobline
    Date Place and date DIN Media (dates in letters)
    Subject line In bold: the position, and the reference number if the ad has one LMU Jobline
    Salutation “Dear Ms …” with the surname; in German “Sehr geehrte Frau …”. Only if you can’t find a name: “Dear Sir or Madam”, in German “Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren” English forms: KIT, LMU Jobline. German forms: standard equivalents
    Introduction Which job you apply for and why it interests you KIT
    Main part The requirements of the job, matched with your skills and a concrete example for each KIT
    Closing Your earliest start date, your salary expectation only if the ad asks for it, and a request for an interview KIT
    Sign-off In English “Best regards”, in German “Mit freundlichen Grüßen”. Then your signature German form: standard closing formula (Duden, retrieved 31 Oct 2026)
    Enclosures “Enclosure: CV, certificates”; in German “Anlagen” English form: LMU Jobline. German form: standard equivalent

    LMU Jobline is LMU’s guide for applications written in English; we cite it for the English forms. It recommends a body of three to five short paragraphs (LMU Jobline). The signature can be digital (LMU).

    Length: one page

    KIT’s career service says to limit yourself to one page if possible. LMU recommends about one page, and the Welcome Center Rhineland-Palatinate says the letter shouldn’t be longer than one A4 page (Welcome Center RLP). If your letter runs onto a second page, shorten the main part first: one strong example per requirement is enough.

    Layout: DIN 5008

    DIN 5008 is the German standard for writing and layout rules. It covers business letters, including the address field and how dates are written (DIN Media, retrieved 30 Oct 2026). You don’t need to buy the standard: the Joblumi cover letter uses this layout for you, in the same design as your CV.

    See the layout in ten designs.

    German cover letter template

    German or English?

    Write in the language of the job ad (LMU). Whether the job itself needs German is a different question. That’s what the language check is for.

    Not sure about your own German?

    Find my German level

    The language check

    Many job ads say how much German or English they need, but not always in plain words. “Verhandlungssicher”, “gute Deutschkenntnisse” or “von Vorteil” all mean something different. The Joblumi language check reads the ad and shows:

    • which language the ad is written in,
    • what level of German and English it asks for (none, basic, good, fluent),
    • whether the language is required or only a plus, with the sentence from the ad marked,
    • how that compares with the levels you entered.

    The word list behind the check is open: each entry shows its meaning and its source. You get one check a day without an account. A free account includes the check for your free application, and a pass covers every job ad you add, within fair use.

    See the must-haves and key terms of an ad, too.

    Check a job ad

    What German recruiters check A cover letter should explain briefly and concisely why you fit the job, using the requirements from the ad and examples from your experience (KIT Career Service). It should not retell your CV, but add something to it (LMU Career Service). Applications usually go by email or through the company’s careers portal (Welcome Center RLP), with all documents in one PDF unless the ad asks otherwise (LMU).

    How the Joblumi cover letter works

    1. Paste the job ad. The language check runs first, so you know which language to write in.
    2. Let Joblumi match your CV with the ad. It takes the facts from your CV and the requirements from the ad.
    3. Get your letter. It fits on one page, follows the DIN 5008 layout and uses the same template as your CV, in German or English. Joblumi checks that it fits on one page. Download as PDF with a free account, or as Word with a pass.

    The letter only uses facts from your CV. Anything new that the AI adds is marked, so you can check it before you send the letter.

    What a chat can’t do here

    A general AI chat writes a letter, but you still have to put it into the right layout, check the length and match the design of your CV. Joblumi gives you the finished page and checks the job ad’s language level with an open word list, with AI for the rest. The job then sits on your application board with its status. The board is part of the pass.

    Limits

    The language check reads what the ad says. It can’t know what the team speaks every day. AI text can contain mistakes: read every line before you send it. Joblumi doesn’t guarantee interviews.

    Questions people ask

    How long should a cover letter be in Germany?

    One page. The career services at KIT and LMU and the Welcome Center Rhineland-Palatinate all name one page.

    Do I need a cover letter for every job in Germany?

    Not always. If the ad asks for one, send a letter written for this job, not a general letter. If it is optional, a short letter is still your chance to explain why you fit.

    Should I mention my salary expectations?

    Only if the job ad asks for them (KIT).

    Can I write my cover letter in English for a German company?

    Yes, if the job ad is in English. If the ad is in German, write in German if you can, or check with the language check how much German the job needs.

    Who do I address if there is no name in the ad?

    Look for the contact person on the company’s careers page or in the ad’s contact details. Only if you can’t find a name, use “Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren” or “Dear Sir or Madam”.

    Sources