German Lebenslauf Maker — Free German CV Builder
Build a Lebenslauf in the German format — photo and date of birth included, signed and dated — and export it as a PDF.
Professional summary — AI draft
AI is used for this one field and nothing else. It reads your job title and the roles you have listed, drafts two or three sentences, and puts them in the summary box for you to edit. The rest of the form never leaves your device.
Download opens your browser’s print dialog — choose Save as PDF as the destination. That keeps a real text layer, which is what lets an applicant tracking system read your Lebenslauf. Builders that export an image instead produce a file that looks correct and parses as blank.
How to use this tool
- Fill in the form on the left. The fields shown are the ones Germany employers expect — fields that would hurt you there are not offered at all.
- Add your roles and education with the Add buttons. The preview updates as you type.
- Optionally click Draft my summary to have AI write the professional summary, then edit it. AI touches nothing else.
- Pick a template — Classic, Modern or Compact — and check the preview on the right.
- Click Download PDF and choose Save as PDF in the print dialog.
The German Lebenslauf is more formal than an English CV. A professional photograph and date of birth are conventional, the layout is strictly reverse-chronological, and the document is traditionally signed and dated at the bottom.
The specification
| Photo | Expected — professional, not casual |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | Usual |
| Length | 1–2 pages |
| Called | Lebenslauf |
| Signature | Traditionally signed and dated at the end |
| Structure | Strictly reverse-chronological |
Why uploads get rejected
Meeting the size is only part of it. These are the failures that actually come up:
- No photo. Unusual in Germany, where a professional portrait is part of a complete Bewerbung.
- A casual or cropped holiday photo. German applications expect a proper studio-style portrait.
- Gaps in the timeline left unexplained. German employers expect a continuous, accounted-for history.
How it works
The form is built from a country rule set, not a single template with a different heading. Choosing a country changes which fields exist: the Gulf and German builders ask for a photo, date of birth and visa status, while the US, UK, Canadian and Australian builders do not offer those fields at all — because supplying them there does measurable harm.
The preview beside the form is the actual document. It renders as you type, and the download is your browser printing that same HTML to PDF. That matters more than it sounds: the alternative approach — drawing the resume to a canvas and wrapping the image in a PDF — produces a file that looks perfect and contains no text at all. An applicant tracking system reads it as an empty page. Printing keeps a real text layer, so the resume parses.
Your data is held in your browser's local storage so you can come back to it. It is never sent to us. The one exception is the AI summary draft, which sends only your job title and role list to generate two or three sentences.
Who uses this
Anyone applying for jobs in Germany, Austria or German-speaking Switzerland.
Other names for this tool
People look for this under several different names. If you arrived searching for any of the following, this is the right page — they all describe the same thing:
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Frequently asked questions
Does a Lebenslauf need a photo?
It is conventional. Anti-discrimination law (AGG) means employers cannot require one, but a complete German application traditionally includes a professional portrait and its absence is noticed.
Should I sign it?
Traditionally yes — place and date, then your signature at the bottom. This is less universal than it was, but it is still expected in more formal sectors.
What is a Bewerbung?
The complete application package: cover letter (Anschreiben), CV (Lebenslauf) and certificates (Zeugnisse). The Lebenslauf is one part of it.
Will the PDF pass an applicant tracking system?
It should. The export is your browser printing real HTML, which produces a genuine text layer that a parser can read. Builders that export an image instead produce a file that looks correct and parses as blank. Run the result through the ATS Resume Checker on this site if you want it confirmed.
Is my lebenslauf data sent anywhere?
No. Everything you type stays in your browser and is saved to your own device's local storage so you can come back to it. The only exception is the optional AI summary, which sends your job title and role list to draft two or three sentences — and nothing else from the form.
How do I download it as a PDF?
Click Download PDF. Your browser's print dialog opens — choose "Save as PDF" as the destination. This is deliberate: printing produces a real text layer, which is what makes the file readable by recruitment software.
Is this really free?
Yes — no account, no trial, no watermark and no cap on usage. It runs on your own device rather than our servers, so there is no cost for us to pass on.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. The interface adapts to phone and tablet screens and everything runs in the browser, so there is no app to install.
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Your files stay on your device. This tool runs entirely in your browser. No file is uploaded, transmitted, or stored. You can verify this by opening your browser's Network tab while using the tool.
Disclaimer. Specifications published by exam boards, governments and platforms change without notice. We verify and date every specification on this site, but you should always confirm against the official source before submitting an application. See our full disclaimer.