How Long Should Your German Cover Letter Be

One page. About 250 to 300 words, in three short paragraphs.

That is the whole answer. Most foreign doctors write twice that.

Why one page is the rule

The person reading your letter is a head of department (Chefarzt) or a senior doctor (Oberarzt). They read applications between patients, often at the end of a shift.

A second page is a page they do not read. Your CV already lists your rotations and your surgeries.

The letter only has to answer one question: can you start, and why this hospital.

What goes in each paragraph

1. Paragraph 1: your licence status (Approbation or temporary permit), the job title, and where you saw it.
2. Paragraph 2: one real reason you want this hospital, not three generic ones.
3. Paragraph 3: when you can start and that you want an interview.

What to cut

• The story of why you chose medicine as a child.
• Every line from your CV written out again as sentences.
• Long sentences about your passion, your dedication, or your calling.

What a head of department actually reads

Most read the first 2 sentences and the last one. If your specialty and the hospital name are not in sentence 1, they move to the next application.

Before you send it

• Count the words. Cut until you are under 300.
• Check it fits on one page with normal margins, not shrunk text.
• Read the first sentence alone. Does it name the job and the hospital?
• Remove any sentence that only repeats a line already on your CV.

Stand: 2026-10-26. This is a guide, not legal advice. Every German state has its own rules, and rules change. Check with your state's [medical chamber (Landesärztekammer)](https://www.bundesaerztekammer.de/aerztekammern) before you act.