German job application glossary for internationals

In short: German job applications and contracts come with a wall of terms that locals take for granted — Lebenslauf, Anschreiben, Arbeitszeugnis, Brutto/Netto, Kündigungsfrist, Blaue Karte. This glossary explains the ones you’ll actually meet, in plain English, and why each matters to you as an international.

Most of these words never get explained to newcomers — Germans assume you know them. Here they are, grouped by where you’ll run into them. Terms with a deeper guide are linked.

The application documents

Bewerbung — your job application as a whole. Not a résumé plus a note, but a structured document package.
Bewerbungsmappe / Bewerbungsunterlagen — the full set of application documents, in a set order: cover letter → CV → certificates.
Anschreiben — the cover letter. Exactly one page, formal, and weighted as heavily as the CV.
Motivationsschreiben — a “letter of motivation.” Often used interchangeably with the Anschreiben (and more common in Austria/Switzerland); sometimes an additional essay for academic or scholarship applications.
Deckblatt — an optional cover sheet (title page) that can hold your photo and a contents list.
Anlagen — the enclosures/attachments: your certificates and references, ordered by relevance.

Your CV and references

Lebenslauf — the CV (“curriculum vitae,” literally “life course”). Tabular and reverse-chronological — not a US-style narrative résumé.
tabellarischer Lebenslauf — the standard tabular CV: dates in a left column, content on the right, in bullet points.
Kurzprofil — a short profile summary sometimes placed at the top of the CV. Optional, not a required element.
Bewerbungsfoto — the application photo. Legally optional but customary; professional, top-right, classic size 4.5 × 6 cm.
Zeugnis — a certificate/reference in general. Context decides which kind (see below).
Arbeitszeugnis — an employer reference letter, written in a coded language where praise hides criticism. You’re legally entitled to one when you leave a job.
Zwischenzeugnis — an interim reference, issued while you’re still employed (e.g. when your manager changes).
Abschlusszeugnis — a final/graduation certificate — your degree or diploma document (different from an Arbeitszeugnis).
Führungszeugnis — a police clearance certificate (certificate of good conduct). Some employers — especially in finance, childcare, healthcare — ask for one.

Reading the job ad

Stellenanzeige — the job advert/posting.
(m/w/d) — appears after job titles: männlich / weiblich / divers (male / female / diverse). A legal gender-inclusivity marker, not part of the actual job title. Variants: (m/w/x), (w/m/d), (all genders) — same meaning.
Vollzeit / Teilzeit — full-time / part-time.
befristet / unbefristet — a fixed-term contract (with an end date) vs. a permanent one.
Festanstellung — permanent employment (a regular staff contract, as opposed to freelance or temp).
Eintrittstermin — your start date / availability. Often asked for in the ad; driven by your notice period.
“zum nächstmöglichen Zeitpunkt” — “as soon as possible.” A common phrasing for start date when there’s no fixed one.
Gehaltsvorstellung — your salary expectation. State it only if the ad asks, as a gross annual figure, in the cover letter’s closing — never in the CV.
“gerne per E-Mail” / Bewerberportal — how to apply: the ad’s preferred channel is either email (one PDF) or the company’s online applicant portal. Follow it exactly.

The interview and process

Vorstellungsgespräch — the job interview.
Assessment Center — a multi-day/multi-exercise selection process used by larger employers (group tasks, presentations, role-plays).
Probearbeit / Probetag — a trial day/period of actual work, sometimes part of hiring.
Sie vs. Du — the formal (“Sie”) vs. informal (“Du”) “you.” Default to Sie in applications and with new colleagues — unless the company (often startups, creative firms) clearly uses Du, then mirror it.

Employment and contract

Probezeit — the probation period, up to 6 months, during which the notice period is a short two weeks.
Kündigungsfrist — the notice period for ending employment. The statutory default is four weeks to the 15th or the end of a calendar month; contracts often set longer (3–6 months), especially for senior roles.
Mindestlohn — the statutory minimum wage — €13.90 per hour in 2026 (up from €12.82).
Minijob (“520-/556-Euro-Job”) — a marginal, low-tax job capped at €603 gross per month in 2026 (the cap rises with the minimum wage). Popular for students and side income (handbookgermany).
Werkstudent — a working-student contract: a student working alongside studies, generally up to 20 hours/week during the semester, with reduced social-contribution rules.
Tarifvertrag — a collective bargaining agreement between unions and employers that sets pay and conditions for a whole sector or company.
Betriebsrat — the works council: elected employee representatives with real say over workplace matters (a very German institution).

Brutto / Netto — gross / net pay. The gap is large in Germany: from your Brutto come income tax plus four social-insurance contributions before you see Netto — often ~35–45% less. Salaries are always discussed and stated as Brutto (gross).
Sozialversicherung — the mandatory social-insurance system, split into four branches: health (Krankenversicherung), pension (Rentenversicherung), unemployment (Arbeitslosenversicherung) and long-term care (Pflegeversicherung). Roughly split between you and your employer.
13. Gehalt / Weihnachtsgeld / Urlaubsgeld — a 13th-month salary, Christmas bonus or holiday bonus. Common but not automatic — only owed if your contract, a Tarifvertrag or company practice provides it.
Steuer-ID (Steueridentifikationsnummer) — your lifelong tax ID. Your employer needs it to run payroll; you get one automatically when you register your address (Anmeldung).
Sozialversicherungsnummer — your social-security number, separate from the tax ID, used for pension and insurance contributions.
Steuerklasse — your tax class (1–6), based mainly on marital status. It changes how much tax is withheld from each paycheck (not your total tax bill).

Visas and work authorization

(For non-EU internationals. EU/EEA citizens can work in Germany without a permit.)

Aufenthaltstitel — a residence permit/title. The umbrella for the various permits that let you live in Germany.
Arbeitserlaubnis — work authorization — permission to take up employment, usually tied to your residence permit.
Blaue Karte EU (EU Blue Card) — the main work-and-residence permit for university-qualified professionals. In 2026 the minimum gross salary is €50,700/year, or €45,934.20/year for shortage occupations (IT, engineering, health, sciences) and recent graduates (make-it-in-germany).
Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card) — a points-based, one-year job-seeker permit: come to Germany to look for skilled work if you hold a recognized qualification or score ≥6 points (qualifications, language, experience, age, ties). Lets you work part-time (up to 20 h/week) and do short trial jobs while you search (make-it-in-germany).
Fachkräfteeinwanderungsgesetz — the Skilled Immigration Act, the law that governs and (since 2023–24) widened these routes for skilled workers.
anabin / ZAB Zeugnisbewertung — the tools for degree recognition: anabin is the free database that rates foreign institutions and degrees; a ZAB Statement of Comparability (€208) officially maps your degree to a German level. More in the CV guide.

Ready to apply?

Now that the vocabulary makes sense, JACVault turns it into an actual application — a German-standard CV and cover letter tailored to each job, following exactly these conventions. Your first application is free.

Start for free → · Back to: the full application process

General information, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Figures are for 2026 and can change — check the official sources linked above. Last reviewed: see the date at the top.