Skip to main content

German cover letter · DIN 5008 layout · One page maximum

How to Write a German Cover Letter (Anschreiben)

The Anschreiben is your only chance to turn career stations into a story. This guide shows the proven structure — subject line, opening, body, closing — with phrasing that makes recruiters keep reading.

Write your Anschreiben freeSee a complete Anschreiben example
  • Structure step by step
  • Opening lines to adapt
  • DIN 5008 layout rules
  • Free, no signup

The structure

The five parts of a German Anschreiben

An Anschreiben fits on one DIN A4 page — no exception. The proven layout follows DIN 5008, the German business-letter standard, and splits into five parts, each with its own job.

  • 1. Subject line Bold, without the word 'subject': 'Application as Registered Nurse — ref. 2026-118'. Always include the reference number from the posting so your letter is assigned instantly.
  • 2. Salutation 'Dear Dr Lorenz,' beats 'Dear Sir or Madam,' by a distance. Research the contact person — the job posting, the company website or a two-minute phone call is usually enough.
  • 3. Opening Two to three sentences with immediate substance: your current role, your strongest qualification, and why this specific company. Never 'herewith I apply'.
  • 4. Main body One or two paragraphs turning two or three CV stations into arguments: what did you achieve, and what does that mean for this role? Do not repeat everything — select and deepen.
  • 5. Closing and sign-off Confident but without pressure: 'I look forward to discussing the role in person.' Then 'Mit freundlichen Grüßen' (the standard sign-off) and your signature above the typed name.

The first sentence

Opening lines that work

The first sentence decides whether anyone reads on. Three patterns have proven themselves — all work because they put substance before politeness:

Three proven openings

The results opener: 'As sales lead I grew my region's revenue by 34% in two years — energy I want to bring to your team as regional manager.' Works whenever you have a hard number.

The connection opener: 'Your posting on sustainable supply chains matches exactly my focus of the last four years.' Ideal when the job advert itself is your strongest argument. And the referral opener: 'Ms Steiner from your development team pointed me to this position' — unimpeachable, because it documents internal trust.

What does not work

'I hereby apply for the advertised position as…' — the subject line already said that. 'I read your posting with great interest' appears, with variations, in the majority of all applications. Both sentences spend the most valuable line of the letter saying nothing.

Common mistakes

Five mistakes that ruin an Anschreiben

  • The CV retold in prose 'From 2018 to 2021 I worked as…, after that I moved to…' — the tabellarischer Lebenslauf already contains that. The letter deepens; it does not narrate.
  • Subjunctive hedging 'I would be pleased about an invitation' signals insecurity. Indicative and active: 'I look forward to your invitation to an interview.'
  • Claims without evidence Team player, motivated, resilient — three words everyone writes and nobody believes. Replace every trait with the situation that proves it.
  • Flattery instead of benefit 'Your company is a great employer' flatters. 'Your expansion into south-east Europe needs exactly my ten years of logistics experience in the region' argues.
  • More than one page Nobody structurally reads a two-page Anschreiben. Cut until every paragraph has a function — one page usually remains automatically.

Formalities

Layout, email applications and salary expectations

For the layout, DIN 5008 applies: left-aligned, a standard typeface at 10–12 pt, even margins, your address and the recipient's in the letterhead, the date right-aligned. For email applications the Anschreiben goes either into the mail body (then without address blocks) or as the first page of the PDF attachment — the second variant is now the portal standard.

Only name a salary expectation when the posting asks for one: a concrete figure rather than a range, for example '€55,000 gross annually'. Do not invent fantasy sums — but do not undercut your market value out of insecurity either.

Practical example

From boilerplate to substance: the main body

Before and after: the same paragraph from a registered nurse's application — once generic, once convincing.

Main body (registered nurse) — before / after

One paragraph, rewritten

BEFORE: I currently work as a registered nurse on a ward, where I care for patients. I administer medication regularly and keep the records digitally. I am a team player, resilient and enjoy working with people. AFTER: On my current ward (38 beds, internal medicine) I care for up to 12 patients per shift on my own responsibility — from medication rounds on physician orders to the digital patient charts. Since I helped redesign the handover routine, it runs ten minutes shorter on average. Exactly that combination of care quality and fast processes is what I want to bring to your geriatric ward.

Every claim in the 'after' paragraph can be evidenced in an interview. Resilience is not asserted but shown — shift work, 12 patients, 38 beds.

Keep reading

The rest of your German application

FAQ

Questions about the Anschreiben

How long can an Anschreiben be?

One DIN A4 page maximum — 250 to 350 words is ideal. Two pages signal an inability to select; with long letters, recruiters read only the first paragraphs.

Do I still need a cover letter in 2026?

When the posting asks for one or the portal offers a field: yes. For pure quick-apply processes without a letter field, the CV alone is sufficient. An unsolicited Anschreiben rarely hurts if it stays short.

Whom do I address the letter to?

The person named in the posting. If none is given, look for the HR team on the website or in the legal notice (Impressum) — if in doubt, 'Dear Recruiting Team' is acceptable in Germany.

Does the Anschreiben need a signature?

For classic and PDF applications: yes, as a scanned handwritten or digital signature above the typed name. In portal text fields it is simply omitted.

Write your Anschreiben now

Use this page's structure and create your German cover letter online — with a matching Lebenslauf, free and without registration.

Write your Anschreiben freeComplete letter example →