Austria CV format: how to write a Lebenslauf for Austrian employers
An Austrian CV is a tabular Lebenslauf of at most two pages, newest entries first with month and year, usually with a photo, closed with place, date and signature, and sent in one PDF with the letter and references.1
Written 13 October 2026. CitedCV. How we write our guides
Who sets the Austrian conventions
No Austrian law prescribes a CV layout. Three public bodies publish advice, and on 13 October 2026 we read all of them: the Public Employment Service (Arbeitsmarktservice, AMS), the federal citizens' portal oesterreich.gv.at, and WORK in AUSTRIA, the talent service of the Austrian Business Agency. Their advice overlaps closely, and where it differs this page says so.
The AMS sample folder is dated February 2017 and its page on signing a CV was updated on 23 September 2025. The oesterreich.gv.at checklist carries the date 1 January 2026. WORK in AUSTRIA quotes Austrian recruiters by name, which makes it the most direct view of what employers expect.
What the German guide already covers
Austria uses the same word, Lebenslauf, and the same two-column idea of dates on the left and content on the right. How to build that column with tab stops, why months matter and how German readers treat gaps are explained in the German CV guide, so this page only adds what is Austrian.
First step: gather your Dienstzeugnisse before you write
In Austria the employer's written reference is called a Dienstzeugnis, and it travels with the CV. The AMS sample application lists one under Anlagen (attachments), and WORK in AUSTRIA says references help employers check that a CV describes tasks and qualifications correctly. Collect the paper first, then write lines that match it.
- List every job, training and break since school, each with a start and end month.
- Ask each former employer for a written reference or a work certificate if you do not have one yet.
- Put the job title on the CV exactly as it appears on the reference, so the two documents agree.
- Get school, training and degree certificates ready; WORK in AUSTRIA notes some companies want certified copies from international applicants.
- Arrange a professional photo: the AMS calls one usual and WORK in AUSTRIA advises it.
- Plan one PDF: letter, then CV, then references and certificates.
How the Austrian Lebenslauf works
Two pages at most
The AMS sample says not more than two pages, and WORK in AUSTRIA gives the same maximum. For research jobs WORK in AUSTRIA adds that a list of publications does not count towards the two pages.
Tabular, newest first, exact months
WORK in AUSTRIA says CVs in German-speaking countries are almost always tabular. The AMS asks for stations in descending order, starting with the latest, and for exact months; its sample writes 11/2013 – 01/2017. For each job WORK in AUSTRIA wants title, company, period, main tasks and results, ideally with a number.
Photo: usual, not compulsory
The AMS calls a photo usual but not a must; oesterreich.gv.at calls it voluntary. WORK in AUSTRIA goes further: in many industries a professional photo is simply expected, placed at the top of the CV at about 4 x 5 cm, recent, with no selfies or holiday shots.
Personal details you may leave out
oesterreich.gv.at lists name with any academic titles and contact details as the core, and says citizenship, date and place of birth, marital status and children are voluntary. A recruiter quoted by WORK in AUSTRIA says Austrian companies put weight on details such as date of birth that are uncommon elsewhere, so many applicants include it.
Military or civilian service has its own line
The oesterreich.gv.at checklist names Präsenzdienst or Zivildienst as a CV item of its own. A Turkish applicant can list askerlik the same way, as a dated row; the guide to military service on a CV covers the wording.
Breaks are listed, not hidden
The AMS sample lists job seeking (seit 02/2017 Auf Arbeitsuche) and parental leave (Karenz, Kinderbetreuung) as ordinary rows and says unemployment should be listed like any other station. oesterreich.gv.at suggests filling a longer search with a course or a stay abroad you actually did.
Signature, place and date
The AMS answers its own question, whether to sign, with yes, while admitting it is not strictly required: signing confirms that the content is true and your own. Place comes before date, the signature carries your full first and last name, and on a multi-page CV the last page is enough. Blue ink is its first choice.
Sending it by email
For electronic applications the AMS accepts your name in block capitals instead of a signature, or a scanned one. It recommends one multi-page PDF holding the letter, the CV and any references, and suggests naming the file Lebenslauf_Vorname_Nachname.
Where Austria differs from the German Lebenslauf
The left column summarises our German guides; the right column comes from the Austrian sources read on 13 October 2026.
| Point | Germany (our German guides) | Austria (source read 13 October 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Name of the reference | Arbeitszeugnis | Dienstzeugnis; oesterreich.gv.at gives Arbeitszeugnis as a synonym |
| Right to a rated reference | A qualified reference rating performance can be demanded under § 109 GewO | The employer must issue one on request, but there is no legal claim to a qualified one (oesterreich.gv.at, Arbeiterkammer) |
| Coded praise | A graded phrase scale, explained in the Arbeitszeugnis guide | Content that makes a new job harder is banned, yet the Arbeiterkammer warns coded wording still occurs and reads stets zur vollsten Zufriedenheit as the top grade |
| Service in the armed forces | Treated as one more dated row in the timeline | Named by oesterreich.gv.at as its own checklist item: Präsenzdienst or Zivildienst |
| Signing a PDF | Place, date and signature at the end | Same ending; the AMS also accepts your name in block capitals on an emailed CV |
The grading code belongs to German-language references. No source we read applies it to a letter from a Turkish employer, so what matters is that your letter states title, dates and tasks plainly and that the CV line matches it. Austrian vocabulary shows up in the AMS sample too: Karenz for parental leave, Lehrabschlusszeugnis for the apprenticeship certificate.
Sample Lebenslauf for an applicant from Türkiye
The person is invented: Emre Doğan, a CNC milling machinist from Bursa with seven years in a machine-parts plant, applying in German to a machine builder in Upper Austria. Milling machinists (FräserInnen) are on the 2026 Austria-wide shortage list, which the Red-White-Red Card guide explains.
| Row (Austrian heading) | What goes in it | Sample line |
|---|---|---|
| Persönliche Daten | Name, address, phone, email; photo at the top, about 4 x 5 cm (WORK in AUSTRIA). Birth date and citizenship are optional (oesterreich.gv.at). | Emre Doğan · Nilüfer, 16110 Bursa, Türkei · +90 532 000 00 00 · emre.dogan@example.com · geboren 14.03.1993 in Bursa |
| Berufserfahrung | Newest first, exact months, title as on the reference, tasks and one result. | 04/2019 – heute CNC-Fräser, Örnek Makina A.Ş., Bursa (Türkei): Einrichten und Programmieren von 5-Achs-Fräsmaschinen; Ausschussquote von 3,1 % auf 1,4 % gesenkt |
| Präsenzdienst | Dates and where served, one line. | 10/2016 – 09/2017 Wehrdienst (askerlik), Türkei |
| Ausbildung | Highest first; add a short explanation for a qualification Austria does not know (WORK in AUSTRIA). | 09/2009 – 06/2013 Berufsbildende höhere Schule für Maschinentechnik (Mesleki ve Teknik Anadolu Lisesi), Bursa; vier Jahre mit Betriebspraktikum |
| Weiterbildung | Only courses the job can use. | 03/2024 SINUMERIK-Programmierkurs, 40 Stunden, Bursa |
| Sprachkenntnisse | Levels on the European framework, as WORK in AUSTRIA advises. | Türkisch Muttersprache · Deutsch A2 (ÖSD Zertifikat, 05/2026) · Englisch B1 |
| Weitere Kenntnisse | Licences and tools, as in the AMS sample. | Führerschein B · technisches Zeichnen lesen · Messmittel: Bügelmessschraube, Höhenmessgerät |
| Schluss | Place, date and signature, in the AMS order. | Bursa, am 13. Oktober 2026 [Unterschrift] |
Keep ğ, ş and ı in Turkish names and add Türkei after a Turkish town once. Write the Turkish school name in brackets after a short German description, so the reader sees both what it was and what it is called.
What each source says, read on 13 October 2026
| Point | AMS folder (Feb 2017) and signing page (Sep 2025) | oesterreich.gv.at (1 Jan 2026) | WORK in AUSTRIA (ABA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | Not more than two pages | Not stated | Two pages; publications extra |
| Photo | Usual, not a must | Voluntary | Not mandatory, highly advisable; top, about 4 x 5 cm |
| Order and dates | Latest first, exact months | Clear and logical | Reverse chronological, tabular |
| Personal data | Optional | Citizenship, birth date and place, marital status, children voluntary | Recruiters value birth date and photo |
| Signature | Sign it; scan or block capitals by email | Always sign a printout; scanned signature on a digital CV | Scanned handwritten signature on a digital CV (blog, July 2024) |
| File | One multi-page PDF with letter and references | Not stated | One PDF application folder (blog) |
Where this format stops
- Work permits: the CV does not decide them. The Red-White-Red Card guide covers the points tables and the documents the AMS checks.
- Regulated professions: migration.gv.at says formal recognition is needed only for regulated professions, for example all health professions and teaching at a public school, and points to Berufsanerkennung.at.
- Academic posts: universities usually say in the advert what they want, and a publication list sits outside the two pages.
- Online forms: many employers take applications through their own portal; paste the same dated lines and upload the PDF where the form allows.
- Switzerland: the Swiss dossier follows different habits, such as no signature, and has its own guide.
Next steps and other ways to build it
- The AMS interactive application portal, linked from oesterreich.gv.at, with application training, sample applications and an online editor.
- The WORK in AUSTRIA Talent Hub, which builds a profile in a classic, modern or Europass design.
- A Europass CV, which oesterreich.gv.at also links; the Europass guide explains when it helps.
- CitedCV, if you want the Lebenslauf written in German from facts you confirm. It applies German or EU conventions (photo allowed), not a separate Austrian profile, so check Austrian words such as Karenz yourself.
Then check how your language level reads on the CEFR scale and, if you need a permit, work through the points tables.
Questions people ask
What is the Austrian CV format?
A tabular Lebenslauf of up to two pages: personal details, experience, education, training, service, languages and other skills, newest first with months, ending with place, date and signature.
Do you need a photo on a CV in Austria?
No, it is not compulsory, but it is expected in many industries. The AMS calls it usual, and WORK in AUSTRIA advises a professional photo of about 4 x 5 cm at the top.
Should I sign my CV in Austria?
Yes, the AMS recommends it, although it is not strictly required. Write place, then date, then sign with your full name; on an emailed CV use a scan.
How long should a CV be in Austria?
Two pages at most. Both the AMS sample and WORK in AUSTRIA set that limit; a list of publications for research jobs does not count towards it.
Is an Austrian CV the same as a German one?
Mostly, in layout. The differences are in the references (Dienstzeugnis, with no legal claim to a rated one), in vocabulary such as Karenz, and in naming military service as its own row.
What is a Dienstzeugnis in Austria?
It is the written reference an employer must issue on request when a job ends, stating at least the duration and type of work. A rated, qualified version has to be asked for and is not a legal right.
Do I put my date of birth on an Austrian CV?
You may; it is voluntary under the oesterreich.gv.at checklist. A recruiter quoted by WORK in AUSTRIA says Austrian companies value it, so many applicants include it.
Should I list unemployment on my Austrian CV?
Yes, as an ordinary dated row. The AMS sample writes Auf Arbeitsuche for job seeking and Karenz for parental leave, the same way as any other station.
Sources
- AMS Österreich, Bewerbungsunterlagen: Anleitung zu Ihrer Bewerbung, mit Muster (Stand Februar 2017)www.ams.at/_docs/001_bewerbungsunterlagen.pdf
- AMS, Lebenslauf unterschreiben (updated 23 September 2025)www.ams.at/arbeitsuchende/topicliste/lebenslauf-unterschreiben
- oesterreich.gv.at, Lebenslauf (updated 1 January 2026)www.oesterreich.gv.at/de/themen/arbeit_beruf_und_pension/jobsuche/bewerbungstipps/Seite.171020
- oesterreich.gv.at, Lexikon: Dienstzeugniswww.oesterreich.gv.at/de/lexicon/D/Seite.991591
- Arbeiterkammer, Dienstzeugniswww.arbeiterkammer.at/dienstzeugnis
- WORK in AUSTRIA (Austrian Business Agency), Applicationwww.workinaustria.com/en/employees/your-personal-guide/working-in-austria/application
- WORK in AUSTRIA, Application tips when searching for a job in Austria (10 July 2024)www.workinaustria.com/en/about-us/blog/application-tips-when-searching-for-a-job-in-austria
- migration.gv.at, Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupationswww.migration.gv.at/en/types-of-immigration/permanent-immigration/skilled-workers-in-shortage-occupations/