Cover letter for jobs in Germany 2026/27: do you still need one, and how to write it

Many people tell me nobody reads cover letters anymore. Some recruiters do skip them. But when a hiring manager has two similar CVs, the letter is often what decides who gets the call. For international applicants it does one more job: it answers the questions a recruiter has about your visa, your location and your start date before they even ask.

When you need one

• The job ad lists it ("Anschreiben", "motivation letter" or "cover letter"). Then it is not optional.
• The upload field is optional. Send a short one if you have something specific to say about the company or the role.
• You are changing country or field. The letter is where you connect your past experience to this job.

Official guidance says the same thing: introduce yourself, explain your interest in this specific job and company, and show your strengths with examples (Make it in Germany).

The five paragraph structure

1. Why this role. Name the position and one real reason you want to work at this company. Something you found on their website, a product, a project or a value. Not "your esteemed organisation".
2. Your best proof. One result from your experience that matches the main requirement in the ad, with a number if you have one.
3. Your fit. Two or three more skills from the ad, each tied to where you used it.
4. Practical details. Where you are now, your residence status or the permit you are eligible for, your notice period and earliest start date, and your German level. Be accurate. If you need a visa, say which route fits, for example the EU Blue Card.
5. Close. One sentence asking for a conversation, then your name.

Below your name, add a short footer with clickable links to your LinkedIn profile and, if relevant, your portfolio or GitHub.

How to address it

Look for the recruiter or hiring manager in the job ad or on LinkedIn. "Dear Ms Weber" is far better than "Dear Sir or Madam". In German letters, use "Sehr geehrte Frau Weber" or "Sehr geehrter Herr Weber". If you cannot find a name, "Dear Hiring Team" is fine.

Write in the language of the job ad. If the ad is in German and your German is not yet at B2, an English letter is acceptable for many tech and international roles, but mention your German level and that you are learning.

A short example opening

Dear Ms Weber,
I am applying for the Data Analyst role in your Munich team. Your move to real time pricing caught my attention, because I built a similar pricing dashboard at my current company that cut weekly reporting work from two days to three hours.

Notice what it does: the role, one specific reason, and proof in the first three lines.

Mistakes to avoid

• Repeating your CV line by line.
• A template that could be sent to any company. Recruiters see hundreds of these.
• Text that sounds machine written: "I am thrilled to apply", "dynamic environment", "unlock my potential". Write like you speak at work.
• The wrong company name. Check it twice before you send.
• More than one page.

Good letters take time, so do not write one for every job. Write strong ones for the roles that really fit you, and pair them with direct outreach to people at the company. I explain how in this networking guide.