A German CV for an English-speaking tech job is a short, tabular CV (Lebenslauf): one to two pages, newest job first, with the month and year for every entry. It is close to a UK or international CV, with a few German habits on top: no unexplained gaps, a clear skills section with levels, and copies of your references when the employer asks. A photo, date of birth and nationality are optional, and for most English-speaking tech teams you can leave them out.
This guide shows how to write a German CV in English, what to include and what to drop, how the cover letter and references work, and a template you can copy. It is based on the Federal Employment Agency’s own application guide and on the career services of German universities.
German CV or international CV: which one do you need?
Most companies on this board work in English. Their job ads are written in English and their recruiters read CVs from many countries. A clean international CV in English works for them. What helps is adjusting it to a few German expectations.
The Federal Employment Agency describes a good Lebenslauf as “tabellarisch, logisch aufgebaut, übersichtlich und lückenlos”: tabular, logically structured, easy to scan and without gaps (Bundesagentur für Arbeit, Bewerbung leicht gemacht). It says it is now normal to start with your current job.
The University of Bremen’s career centre puts it the same way: German CVs are typically one to two pages, use short bullet points rather than paragraphs, and “even if you’re writing a resume in English, it should still fit the German style” (Universität Bremen).
Which language? LMU Munich’s career service advises applying in English for English-language job ads and in German for German-language ones (LMU Munich). If the ad is in English, write your CV in English. A German CV in German only makes sense when the ad is in German, and those jobs usually need German anyway.
German CV format: the structure
The Federal Employment Agency recommends two columns: dates on the left, details on the right. The first part holds your personal details, the second lists jobs, education and skills, each with month and year (Bundesagentur für Arbeit). Austria’s Public Employment Service describes the same tabular CV in reverse chronological order (AMS).
A typical order for a software developer:
- Header: your full name, city, phone number, email, LinkedIn and GitHub (or portfolio).
- Profile: two to four sentences on who you are and what you are looking for. LMU suggests a short personal summary tailored to the position for English CVs (LMU Munich).
- Work experience: newest first, with job title, company, city, and dates as
MM/YYYY – MM/YYYY. Add two to four bullet points with results, not duties. - Education: degree, university, country, dates. Add your thesis title if it is relevant.
- Skills: languages, frameworks, cloud and tools, each with a level.
- Languages: each language with a level, ideally the CEFR level (A1 to C2).
- Optional: projects, open source, publications, talks, certifications.
LMU Munich recommends consistent dates such as mm/yyyy, two or three bullet points under each job, and a text-based PDF rather than an image (LMU Munich). A text PDF matters for tech jobs in particular, because most employers use an applicant tracking system (Greenhouse, Lever, Personio and similar) that reads the text of your CV.
How long should a German CV be?
One page if you have less than about five years of experience, two pages at most for most people. The Federal Employment Agency says to tailor the CV to the job ad and to leave out skills that are not relevant (Bundesagentur für Arbeit). If you have 15 years of experience, summarise the oldest jobs in one line each.
Gaps in your CV
German recruiters notice gaps. The Federal Employment Agency’s guide says gaps between two jobs that are shorter than three months no longer need to be explained (Bundesagentur für Arbeit). For longer gaps, add a line: “Relocation to Germany and German course”, “Parental leave”, “Freelance projects” or “Career break, travel”. One honest line is better than an empty space.
What to leave out of a German CV
Photo
A photo used to be standard on a German CV. It is no longer required. The Federal Employment Agency writes that employers may no longer demand application photos, although they are still common (Bundesagentur für Arbeit). The University of Bremen links this to the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) (Universität Bremen). The AGG aims to prevent discrimination on grounds of race or ethnic origin, sex, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual identity (§ 1 AGG), and jobs may not be advertised in a way that breaks this rule (§ 11 AGG).
For an English CV, LMU Munich goes further and advises no photo at all (LMU Munich). Our suggestion for English-speaking tech teams: leave it out. If you do add one, use a recent, professional head-and-shoulders photo, not a selfie or a passport photo.
Date of birth, nationality, marital status, religion
The Federal Employment Agency lists date and place of birth, nationality, marital status and children, parents and religion as “not mandatory, if in doubt leave out” (Bundesagentur für Arbeit). LMU Munich advises leaving gender, date of birth, marital status, religion and nationality out of an English CV (LMU Munich). Some German templates, and the University of Bremen’s list, still show a birthdate and nationality (Universität Bremen), so you will see both styles.
One exception: your right to work. If you are not an EU citizen, recruiters want to know quickly whether you need a visa. Instead of your nationality, add one line under your contact details, for example:
- “Work authorisation: EU Blue Card holder, can change employer”
- “Work authorisation: requires visa sponsorship (eligible for the EU Blue Card)”
- “Work authorisation: EU citizen”
This answers the real question without listing personal data. Our EU Blue Card guide explains who qualifies.
Signature and date
The Federal Employment Agency still lists place, date and signature at the end of the CV (Bundesagentur für Arbeit), and LMU Munich mentions it for German CVs too. For an English CV sent through an online form, most international tech companies do not expect it. Adding “Berlin, October 2026” and a scanned signature does no harm if you want to follow the German custom.
Skills and languages: be specific
Tech recruiters scan for stack keywords first. Group your skills so they are easy to find:
| Group | Example |
|---|---|
| Languages | Go (5 years), Python (4 years), TypeScript (3 years) |
| Backend and data | PostgreSQL, Kafka, gRPC, REST |
| Cloud and ops | AWS (ECS, Lambda), Terraform, Kubernetes, GitHub Actions |
| Practices | Code review, on-call, TDD, incident reviews |
Use the same words as the job ad when they are true for you. If the ad says “Kubernetes”, write “Kubernetes”, not only “container orchestration”.
For spoken languages, the University of Bremen recommends levels such as basic, conversational, fluent, business fluent and mother tongue (Universität Bremen), and LMU recommends CEFR levels (LMU Munich). Write both when you can: “German: A2 (learning, course at B1 level since 09/2026)”. Be honest. If you claim B2, expect part of the interview to switch to German.
Education and degree recognition
List your degree with the official name and the university’s name in its own language, plus an English translation if needed. If you have a German grade, LMU suggests converting it for international readers; if you have a foreign grade, a German employer may want to know how it compares (LMU Munich).
For visa purposes, what matters is whether your degree is recognised in Germany. Check your university and degree in the anabin database. If it is not listed, you can request a Statement of Comparability from the ZAB. Adding “Degree listed as H+ in anabin” or “ZAB Statement of Comparability available” to your CV tells the employer that the visa step will be simple.
German CV example (template you can copy)
Here is a plain-text template for a mid-level backend developer. Paste it into your editor and keep the layout simple: one font, 10 to 12 point, as the Federal Employment Agency suggests (Bundesagentur für Arbeit).
ALEX EXAMPLE
Backend Developer · Berlin, Germany
+49 151 0000000 · alex@example.com · linkedin.com/in/alexexample · github.com/alexexample
Work authorisation: EU Blue Card holder
PROFILE
Backend developer with 5 years of experience building payment APIs in Go and
Python. Looking for a product team in Berlin or remote in Germany.
WORK EXPERIENCE
04/2023 – today Backend Developer, ExamplePay GmbH, Berlin
- Cut checkout API p95 latency from 420 ms to 180 ms
- Led the move from a monolith to 6 Go services on Kubernetes
- On-call rotation, wrote 12 incident reviews
08/2020 – 03/2023 Software Engineer, Example Tech Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru, India
- Built a reconciliation service handling 2 million records a day
- Introduced contract tests between 4 teams
EDUCATION
08/2016 – 05/2020 B.Tech Computer Science, Example University, India
Degree listed as H+ in anabin
SKILLS
Languages Go, Python, SQL, TypeScript (basic)
Infrastructure AWS, Kubernetes, Terraform, PostgreSQL, Kafka
Practices Code review, TDD, observability (Prometheus, Grafana)
LANGUAGES
English C1 (working language)
Hindi Native
German A2 (B1 course since 09/2026)If you prefer a builder, the EU’s free Europass CV tool is widely recognised in Europe and lets you save several versions (Europass). Many tech recruiters find the Europass layout long, so trim it to two pages. Overleaf (LaTeX), Word and Google Docs templates all work as long as the result is a clean, text-based PDF.
The cover letter (Anschreiben)
Many online application forms for tech jobs make the cover letter optional. When it is optional, a short one still helps if you are applying from abroad, changing fields or need a visa, because it lets you explain these points before the recruiter asks.
What LMU Munich recommends (LMU Munich):
- about one page, with the same layout as your CV
- a subject line with the job title and reference number
- no retelling of your CV; pick the two or three experiences that match the ad best and give concrete examples
- why this company and this role
- if relevant, your notice period, earliest start date and salary expectations
The Federal Employment Agency adds two practical tips: get the company’s name and legal form right (for example GmbH or AG), and address a named person when you can find one (Bundesagentur für Arbeit).
Salary expectations: German application forms often ask for your “Gehaltsvorstellung”. Give a gross annual figure in euros, for example “€72,000 gross per year”. See our guide to negotiating a tech offer and the software engineer salary guide before you pick a number. If you need a Blue Card, make sure the figure is at least the 2026 threshold.
References (Arbeitszeugnis) and certificates
In Germany, employees have a legal right to a written reference (Arbeitszeugnis) when they leave a job. It must at least state the type and length of the work, and you can ask for a “qualified” reference that also covers performance and conduct (§ 109 GewO).
German employers in traditional sectors often expect copies of these references and your degree certificate with the application. The Federal Employment Agency’s guide says to send copies, never originals, to include your most recent references without gaps, and that certified copies are now usually only asked for by some public authorities (Bundesagentur für Arbeit).
International tech companies rarely ask for references at the first step. Keep a PDF ready with:
- your degree certificate and transcript (with an English translation if they are in another language)
- reference letters or experience letters from past employers
- language certificates, if any
- relevant certifications (AWS, Kubernetes and similar)
If you come from a country where employers don’t write reference letters, that is fine. Names of former managers who agree to talk to the employer work as well.
Sending your application
- One PDF for the CV, and one for the cover letter if needed, unless the form asks for something else (LMU Munich).
- File names like
Alex-Example-CV.pdf, notcv_final_v3.pdf. - A cover sheet (Deckblatt) is not needed for online applications, according to the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit).
- Save the job ad. The University of Bremen suggests a screenshot or copy, because ads disappear and you will want it for the interview (Universität Bremen).
Where to send it
On Germany Dev Jobs on 16 October 2026 there were 3,574 English-speaking tech jobs in Germany and Austria, at 661 companies where English is the working language. 559 of them said you can apply from anywhere, and 117 mentioned visa sponsorship in the ad.
- All jobs, filtered to leave out ads that need business-level or fluent German
- Jobs you can apply for from abroad
- Visa sponsorship jobs
- Remote jobs and our remote and hybrid guide
- Companies that hire in English, and the guide to companies hiring English speakers
New graduates should also read junior and graduate developer jobs for international grads, and if you are not sure whether German is needed, how to get a tech job in Germany without German.
Hiring customs and the law can change. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Check the official links above and the instructions in each job ad.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write a German CV in English?
Use a tabular layout: dates on the left, details on the right, newest job first, month and year for every entry. Keep it to one or two pages, add a short profile, results-focused bullet points, a skills section with levels and your languages with CEFR levels. Explain gaps longer than three months in one line, and send a text-based PDF.
What is the German CV format?
A German CV (Lebenslauf) is a tabular, reverse chronological CV. The Federal Employment Agency recommends two columns, personal details first, then jobs, education, further training and skills with month and year. Place, date and signature at the end are traditional. Date of birth, nationality and marital status are optional.
Do I need a photo on my German CV?
No. Employers may no longer require an application photo, although photos are still common in traditional German companies. For English-speaking tech teams, a CV without a photo is normal. If you add one, use a recent professional photo, not a selfie or passport photo.
Should I put my date of birth on a German CV?
You don’t have to. The Federal Employment Agency lists date of birth and nationality as optional and suggests leaving them out if in doubt. If you need a visa, add a short line on your work authorisation instead of your nationality.
Is there a free German CV template?
Yes. You can copy the plain-text template in this guide into Word, Google Docs or Overleaf, or use the EU’s free Europass CV builder. Whatever you use, export a clean, text-based PDF so applicant tracking systems can read it.
What is a Lebenslauf?
Lebenslauf is the German word for CV, literally “course of life”. In practice it means a short, tabular CV in reverse chronological order. For English-language job ads in Germany, an English CV in this style is what recruiters expect.
Do I need a cover letter for tech jobs in Germany?
Often it is optional for tech roles at international companies. A short one helps if you are applying from abroad, need a visa or are changing fields. Keep it to one page and mention your notice period, earliest start date and salary expectations if the ad asks for them.