'Job Application Documents in Germany: Lebenslauf, Anschreiben, and

When applying for a job in Germany, you usually need more than a single file. You need a neatly assembled package of documents called Bewerbungsunterlagen. It includes a Lebenslauf, a cover letter called Anschreiben, diplomas, certificates, and other proof of qualifications. The clearer and more accurately this package is put together, the easier it is for a recruiter to quickly understand whether you are a good fit for the vacancy.

What is included in Bewerbungsunterlagen

The basic application package usually looks like this:

Lebenslauf / CV - a resume with your experience, education, skills, and contact details.
Anschreiben - a cover letter tailored to a specific vacancy.
Diplomas and transcripts - education documents, if they are relevant to the position.
Certificates - language, professional, IT, and continuing education certificates.
Arbeitszeugnisse or references - if you have German work references or letters from previous employers.
Portfolio - for designers, developers, marketers, architects, and other professions where work samples matter.

Not every employer asks for all documents right away. But if a vacancy specifies vollständige Bewerbungsunterlagen, that usually means the employer expects not only a resume but also additional supporting materials.

Lebenslauf: the German resume

Lebenslauf is a short professional biography. Its purpose is not to retell your whole life, but to show why your experience fits a specific position.

A good resume for Germany usually includes:

your name, contact details, city, and a link to your professional profile or portfolio, if appropriate;
a short profile or summary of 2-4 lines;
work experience in reverse chronological order;
education and relevant courses;
languages and your level of proficiency;
professional skills, tools, and technologies;
additional information, if it supports your application.

The main principle is tailoring the resume to the position. If you send the same resume for different roles, some of your strongest details may get lost. Shift the emphasis: for one vacancy, project management may matter most; for another, specific tools; for a third, client-facing experience or knowledge of the German market.

Anschreiben: why a cover letter matters

Anschreiben is not an expanded version of your resume and not a list of recommendations. It is a short letter in which you explain three things to the employer:

Which position you are applying for.
Why you are interested in this specific role and company.
Which 2-3 arguments make you a suitable candidate.

In Germany, the cover letter often keeps a formal structure: header, salutation, introduction, main part, closing, and signature. Even if the company does not explicitly ask for an Anschreiben, it may still be expected when a full set of Bewerbungsunterlagen is required.

The letter should not copy your Lebenslauf. It is better to choose a few facts from your resume and connect them to the tasks in the vacancy: your experience, results, industry, language skills, tools, and motivation.

Why a generic letter works worse

The phrase “I am communicative and responsible” tells a recruiter almost nothing. Specific examples are much stronger:

what similar experience you already have;
what task you solved;
what result you achieved;
why you want to work specifically for this company or in this industry.

Before sending the letter, review the vacancy and the employer’s website. If the company is looking for someone to support customers in German and English, show your language skills and customer communication experience. If it is a technical role, bring your tech stack, projects, and measurable results to the forefront.

Diplomas, certificates, and translations

You do not need to attach your entire archive of documents to every application. Choose only what helps confirm the vacancy requirements:

a diploma in a relevant field;
German or English language certificates;
professional certificates;
course certificates, if they are recent and relevant;
references or Arbeitszeugnisse, if you have them.

If a document is in Russian, Ukrainian, or another language, think about whether a translation is needed. For a standard job application, it may be enough to mention your education in the resume and provide the documents later. For regulated professions, studies, or official recognition of qualifications, the requirements are stricter, and it is better to prepare translations according to the rules of the specific procedure.

How to name and send files

It should be easy for a recruiter to open and understand your documents. Use clear file names:

Lebenslauf_Ivan_Ivanov.pdf
Anschreiben_Ivan_Ivanov.pdf
Zeugnisse_Ivan_Ivanov.pdf
Portfolio_Ivan_Ivanov.pdf

It is better to send PDFs unless the employer asks for another format. Check that the files open correctly, are not too large, and do not contain any accidental old comments or edits.

Checklist before applying

Before sending your application, go through this short checklist:

The resume includes your current position, contact details, and city.
Experience is listed in reverse chronological order.
Skills match the wording of the vacancy, but without mechanical copy-pasting.
The Anschreiben is written for a specific company.
The letter includes a salutation, a logical structure, and a neat closing.
Diplomas and certificates are attached only if they are needed or strengthen the application.
All files are clearly named and saved as PDF.
The text contains no mistakes in the company name, job title, or the name of the contact person.

Common mistakes

The most common problems in applications for German vacancies are not about experience, but about presentation:

sending one resume to every position without adapting it;
using the Anschreiben to retell the resume instead of showing motivation and arguments;
overloading the documents with too many courses and irrelevant details;
giving files chaotic names;
failing to connect your experience with the tasks in the vacancy;
promising too much without showing examples.

A good document package does not guarantee a job offer, but it improves your chances of passing the first filter. Its goal is to show the employer quickly and convincingly that your experience, language skills, and motivation match the requirements of the vacancy.