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Translate your CV to German – free

Upload your English CV. We translate it into German, convert it to German CV conventions (Lebenslauf headings, date format, language levels) and show it in our designs.

  • Free to view, no account. The PDF download needs a free account.
  • PDF, Word or photo up to 10 MB. Servers in Switzerland, deleted after 24 hours without an account.
English version
Same facts · new language · German conventions

A German CV is more than a translation. We translate the language and convert the conventions a German recruiter expects.

  • Translated and converted to German format
  • Names, employers, dates and numbers kept
  • Free to view, no account

After the translation

  1. Upload

    Upload your English CV. Free, no account.

  2. Translate and compare

    We translate and convert the conventions. You see the result in any of our eleven templates and switch between original and translation. You can edit every line once you tailor it to a job ad, or after a free sign-up.

  3. Tailor it to a German job ad

    Paste a job ad and we tailor your German CV to that role. Your first application is free.

What changes in a German CV

A general translator swaps words. A German CV also needs the conventions a German reader knows. These are the ones we convert:

Names, employers, schools, dates and numbers are carried over unchanged. Your job titles and degrees stay as you wrote them; English ones are normal on a German CV.

Full guide: the German CV format
In your English CVIn your German CV
Professional Experience · Education · SkillsBerufserfahrung · Ausbildung · Kenntnisse
Mar 2021 – PresentMärz 2021 – heute
NativeMuttersprache
Business fluent (C1)Verhandlungssicher (C1)
Upper intermediate (B2)Gute Kenntnisse (B2)
Basic (A2)Grundkenntnisse (A2)
Warehouse Operations Managerunchanged: English job titles are normal on a German CV
Photooptional: pick a layout with a photo slot, as many German CVs have one

A general translator or Resume Copilot

Both translate the language. What happens to your CV after that differs.

General translator

  • Translates the text sentence by sentence.
  • Dates, headings and language levels keep the original's format.
  • Job titles are translated freely.
  • You get text, or a file in the old layout.

Resume Copilot

  • Translates your CV section by section.
  • Converts dates, headings and language levels to the target country's conventions.
  • Translates your job title to the accurate equivalent at the same level; English titles stay as written.
  • Shows the result in our templates, as a PDF with a free account.

Should your CV be in German at all?

Not always. Apply in the language of the job ad, and only claim the German you could use in an interview.

The ad is in German

Send a German CV and cover letter. It shows you read the ad and can work in the language it was written in.

The ad is in English

An English CV is fine, ideally in German format: tabular, newest role first, month and year for every entry.

Your German is still basic

Don't send a polished German CV you couldn't interview in. State your real level on the CEFR scale, A1 to C2, so the recruiter knows what to expect.

Keep your English original as well. You translate once and send whichever version the ad calls for.

In every one of our templates, in German

Your German CV fits every template. Switch with one click, and download it as a PDF once you have a free account.

See all templates
  • Preview of the Classic layoutClassic
  • Preview of the Modern layoutModern
  • Preview of the Editorial layoutEditorial
  • Preview of the Banker layoutBanker
  • Preview of the Engineering layoutEngineering
  • Preview of the Narrative layoutNarrative
  • Preview of the Compact Dense layoutCompact Dense
  • Preview of the Icon Accent layoutIcon Accent
  • Preview of the Ring layoutRing
  • Preview of the Rail layoutRail
  • Preview of the Sidebar layoutSidebar

Translated for your job application

For a job application, a plain translation is normally all you need, and that is what we make. Certified (sworn) translations are for degrees and certificates when an authority or university asks for them, for example to recognise a foreign qualification. In Germany they are made by court-authorised or sworn translators, listed in the justice administrations' database.

Find a sworn translator (justice database, in German)

Questions about translating your CV to German.

Is translating my CV free?

Yes. Uploading, translating and viewing cost nothing and need no account. One translation per browser is free. You can edit every line in the free tailoring to a job ad, or in a free account. To download the PDF you create a free account; no card needed.

Do you translate word for word or convert to German format?

We convert. Headings, date formats and language levels follow German conventions, so your CV reads like a German Lebenslauf. The facts don't change: names, employers, dates and numbers stay exactly as you wrote them.

What happens to my job titles?

They stay as you wrote them. English job titles and degree names are normal on a German CV, and they match your references. We don't translate them and don't add a German version in brackets.

Does my translated CV need a photo?

No. A photo is common on German CVs but not required. If you want one, pick one of our layouts with a photo slot; if not, leave it out.

Should I include my date of birth and nationality?

You can, and many German CVs do, but you don't have to. We carry over what your CV already states and never add personal details it doesn't have.

How long should a German CV be?

One to two pages for most people: a tabular list of your roles, newest first, with month and year for every entry.

Should I apply in German or English?

In the language of the job ad. A German ad usually means German documents; for an English ad, an English CV is fine. If your German is basic, say so and give your CEFR level.

How do I state my German level?

Use the CEFR scale from A1 to C2, which German employers know, for example “Deutsch: Gute Kenntnisse (B2)”. If you hold a language certificate, name it.

Do I need a certified (sworn) translation?

Not for a normal job application. Certified translations are for degrees and certificates when an authority or university asks for them, for example to recognise a foreign qualification. We don't make certified translations.

Can I use it for a visa or university application?

It produces a CV for job applications. If an embassy, an authority or a university asks for a certified translation of your documents, this isn't one, so check what they require first.

How is this different from a general translator?

A general translator converts text. We translate a CV: we convert the German conventions, keep job titles, names and numbers as they are and show the result in a finished design you can download as a PDF.

What happens to the CV I upload?

We store your CV on servers in Switzerland, process it in the EU and never use it to train AI. Without an account it is deleted after 24 hours. Our privacy policy has the details.

Your CV, in German.

Upload it and see your German Lebenslauf in our designs. Free, no account.

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