The Cover Letter Header in Germany: DIN 5008 Layout
The header is the first thing recruiters see on a German cover letter — and the most common source of formal errors. Here is what goes where under DIN 5008: sender, recipient and date, with a complete example and the rules for modern designs.
By Redaktion ·
Key takeaways
- The header of a German cover letter has three blocks in a fixed order: your own details at the top, the recipient below, then the date aligned right.
- DIN 5008 is not legally binding, but it is the recognised standard for business letters in Germany — following it looks professional and avoids needless formal errors.
- The sender block needs your name, address, phone number and a professional email address; the recipient block needs the company, a named contact with title and the full address.
- The old abbreviation “z. Hd.” (for the attention of) is outdated and no longer used — the contact's name simply gets its own line below the company name.
- Modern cover letter designs may place your details in a styled header bar — as long as the recipient block and the date remain as classic letter elements.
Before anyone reads the first line of your text, they have already seen the header — and quite possibly already judged. The cover letter header in a German application is pure formality, and that is exactly what makes it treacherous: mistakes here don't look creative, they look careless. The good news: DIN 5008 provides a clear template to follow. This article deliberately covers only the head of the letter — for the body text, see our separate guide to cover letter structure.
What belongs in the header?
Three blocks, fixed order, top to bottom:
- Your sender details — first and last name, street and number, postcode and city, phone number, email address. Optional: a LinkedIn or portfolio address as a plain text line.
- The recipient — company name, contact person with title, department if known, street, postcode and city.
- The date — aligned right, with the city: “Berlin, 12 July 2026”.
Then come the subject line (bold, without the word “Betreff”/“Subject”) and the salutation — and only then does the actual letter begin.
DIN 5008 explained simply
DIN 5008 is the German norm for formatting business letters. It is not mandatory for job applications, but it is the standard German recruiters know and expect. The key rules for the header:
| Element | Placement under DIN 5008 |
|---|---|
| Sender | at the top, left-aligned or as a styled header bar |
| Recipient | left-aligned, below the sender |
| Date | aligned right, with the city |
| Subject line | bold, two blank lines after the date |
| Salutation | two blank lines after the subject |
Leave at least one blank line between the sender and recipient blocks, and generous space before the subject line. A well-readable standard font at 10 to 12 points is enough. Margins are roughly 2.5 cm on the left and at least 2 cm on the right.
A complete header example
This is what the classic header looks like, with placeholders:
[First name Last name] [Street and number] [Postcode City] [Phone number] [Email address]
[Company name] [Ms/Mr Title First name Last name] [Department, if known] [Street and number] [Postcode City]
[City], [Date]
Application for [position], reference number [XY-123]
Dear Ms [Last name],
You can adopt this structure one to one — just replace the placeholders and make sure the reference number from the job ad is included.
Modern layouts: header bars and contact lines
Cover letters built from current design templates often place the sender details not as a block but as a styled header bar: your name large, with phone, email and city in one line below, often colour-accented and matching the CV design. That is fully accepted and looks contemporary — under two conditions:
- ✅ The recipient block and the date remain as classic letter elements.
- ✅ All contact details are complete: dropping the phone number because the header bar looks crowded is saving in the wrong place.
Consistency counts: the header of your cover letter and the header of your CV should look like one system.
Addressing the recipient correctly
The recipient block decides whether your letter reads as individual or as a mass mailing:
- Name a contact person — the name gets its own line below the company name. It can almost always be found in the ad, on the careers page or via a short phone call.
- Titles are part of the name — “Frau Dr. Meier” instead of “Frau Meier” if the title is known.
- Add the department if the ad mentions it — this helps the mail room of larger companies.
- No name available: address the department (“Personalabteilung”) and switch the salutation to “Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren” — but only after research has genuinely come up empty.
Common header mistakes
- Using “z. Hd.” — this German abbreviation for “for the attention of” has been outdated for years; the name simply gets its own line.
- Forgetting the email address or phone number — the most common gap, of all things in your reply channel.
- An unprofessional email address — sunnygirl93@… has no place in an application; firstname.lastname is the standard.
- A stale date — a two-week-old date reveals that the letter has already been through several inboxes.
- Errors in the recipient details — a misspelt company or contact name is the fastest route to rejection.
- Mixing in old DIN rules — 1990s spacing schemes and “z. Hd.” look like they came from a template book of that era.
Checklist: header before sending
- Sender complete: name, address, phone, professional email?
- Recipient with company name, contact person (incl. title) and correct address?
- No “z. Hd.” used?
- Date current, aligned right, with city?
- Subject line bold, without the word “Subject”, with the reference number from the ad?
- Company and contact names checked letter by letter?
Once the header stands, the letter below it still needs writing. Our AI cover letter generator handles both: it places your contact details and the recipient into a clean, DIN-compliant layout and drafts the text to go with it — you only verify names and details.
Frequently asked questions
- What goes into the header of a German cover letter?
- Three blocks: your sender details (name, address, phone, email), the recipient below it (company, contact person, address) and the date, aligned right. Then come the subject line and the salutation. This order follows DIN 5008 and is the standard for applications in Germany.
- Is DIN 5008 mandatory for job applications?
- No — it is a norm for business letters, not a law. But German recruiters know it as the standard, so a cover letter that broadly follows it looks tidy and professional. Designed templates may deviate, as long as all details are present and easy to find.
- How do I write the date on a German cover letter?
- Aligned right, with the city: for example “Berlin, 12 July 2026” — in German “Berlin, 12. Juli 2026”. Writing the month out looks more polished than the numeric form. The date should match the day you send the application; a weeks-old date betrays a mass mailing.
- What if I don't have a named contact person?
- Research first: the job ad, the company website, LinkedIn or a short phone call usually turn up the name quickly. If nobody can be found, address the department, for example “Personalabteilung” (HR department), and use “Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren” as the salutation. The outdated “z. Hd.” is never used.
- Can the header look different in a modern design?
- Yes. Many templates set your name and contact details as a styled header bar or side column. That is fully accepted, as long as the recipient block and the date remain as classic letter elements and all contact details are complete — including phone number and email address.