Engineer CV for Germany: the protected title, what to show, and project lines
On a German engineering CV, use the protected title Ingenieur only after your state has approved your foreign degree, and write each project with the standard, tools, scope and your own share of the work.1
Written 13 October 2026. CitedCV. How we write our guides
Before anything else: choose the job title you may use
In Germany the word Ingenieur is protected by the engineering law of each federal state, not by one federal law. North Rhine-Westphalia's Ingenieurgesetz is typical: it lets you use the title 'Ingenieur/Ingenieurin', alone or in a word combination, after at least three years of technical or scientific study at a German university, or with an approval (Genehmigung) granted on the basis of a foreign degree. Using it without that right is an administrative offence that can be fined.
The work itself is a different matter. Berlin's service portal says you can work without recognition, for example as an employee in an engineering office, but you may not use the title or any word combination with it. So the first decision on your CV is what to put in the headline and the job titles.
| Your situation | Headline and job titles on a German CV |
|---|---|
| Approval granted by your state | You may write Ingenieurin or Ingenieur, e.g. Ingenieur (Maschinenbau), and name the approving body in the education section |
| Approval applied for, not yet granted | Use your degree as earned (Lisans in Makine Mühendisliği) and function titles without the word, such as Konstrukteur or Projektleiter Elektroplanung; you may add "Genehmigung zur Führung der Berufsbezeichnung beantragt" with the month |
| No approval and no plan to apply | Function titles only; keep the protected word out of compounds such as Bauingenieur or Projektingenieur |
| English-language CV | The state laws we read name the German words only and say nothing about the English word engineer; we found no official guidance on it, so ask the competent body if your CV goes to a German reader |
How approval of the title works
The federal recognition portal, Anerkennung in Deutschland, lists engineer as a profession for which a holder of a foreign engineering qualification can apply for recognition. The procedure belongs to the state where you live or will work, and the competent body differs: in Berlin it is the Baukammer Berlin, in Baden-Württemberg the Ingenieurkammer Baden-Württemberg, and in North Rhine-Westphalia the Bezirksregierung (district government).
- Apply to the competent body of your state; Berlin and Baden-Württemberg accept applications from abroad.
- Berlin confirms receipt within one month at the latest and starts once the file is complete.
- The body compares your training with the German one: content, length, professional experience and further qualifications.
- You receive a notice. If it finds substantial differences, it names them.
- You can close the gaps with a compensation measure: an adaptation period under supervision (Anpassungslehrgang) or an aptitude test (Eignungsprüfung) limited to the differences.
What Berlin asks for
- A tabular CV, signed and dated (Tabellarischer Lebenslauf mit Unterschrift und Datum).
- Degree certificate with transcript of subjects and grades, or Diploma Supplement.
- Proof of professional experience, such as employer references.
- A ZAB Statement of Comparability, if you have one.
- A police certificate from your home country, not older than three months.
- German at level B2 for the title; the certificate is not needed when you apply.
- Translations by a publicly appointed and sworn translator in Germany; outside Germany only translations from German embassies or consulates are accepted.
- Fee €200; average processing 1 to 3 months once the file is complete.
What Baden-Württemberg asks for
The Karlsruhe service page, written with the competent authorities, sets the German benchmark: a technical or scientific programme of at least six semesters (180 ECTS) shaped mainly by mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and engineering. You apply if you live or have your business in the state; from abroad you must explain why you chose Baden-Württemberg. The fee is usually €300 and processing averages three to four weeks.
This is not the Blue Card check
Approval to use the title and the comparability of your degree for a residence permit are separate procedures. The Blue Card page covers anabin and the ZAB.
What to show a German engineering employer
We found no survey of what German engineering recruiters read first, so this section does not claim one. It rests on the documents German engineering work is organised by: the fee regulation HOAI for planning work, and DIN, EN and VDE standards for design rules. Naming them tells a German reader exactly which part of a project you did and to which rules.
HOAI work phases for civil and building engineers
The HOAI splits planning for buildings (Section 34) and for civil engineering structures (Section 43) into nine work phases, the Leistungsphasen. Writing 'LPH 5' on a project line is shorter and more exact than 'design and site work'.
| Phase | German name | In English |
|---|---|---|
| LPH 1 | Grundlagenermittlung | Establishing the basis |
| LPH 2 | Vorplanung | Preliminary design |
| LPH 3 | Entwurfsplanung | Final design |
| LPH 4 | Genehmigungsplanung | Permit planning |
| LPH 5 | Ausführungsplanung | Detailed construction design |
| LPH 6 | Vorbereitung der Vergabe | Preparing the tender |
| LPH 7 | Mitwirkung bei der Vergabe | Taking part in contract award |
| LPH 8 | Objektüberwachung (buildings) / Bauoberleitung (civil structures) | Site supervision |
| LPH 9 | Objektbetreuung | Post-completion support |
Standards, with their numbers
Write the standard you actually worked to, with its number: for example DIN VDE 0100-410 for protection against electric shock in low-voltage installations (current edition 2018-10, per DIN Media), DIN EN ISO 12100 for risk assessment in machine design, or DIN EN 1992-1-1 with its German National Annex for concrete structures. If you worked to a Turkish or other national standard, give its number and the European equivalent only if you know it.
Tools, scope and certificates
- Software by name, used for what: FEM, CAD or electrical design tools, and the task you did in each.
- Scope a reader can picture: building area, length, capacity, budget, number of drawings or units.
- Your share: what you did yourself and what the team did; give the team size.
- Certificates with issuer and year, original name kept and translated.
Three project lines, before and after
Each "before" line is the kind of sentence many CVs carry. Each "after" line is written in German for a German employer, with the standard or phase, the tool, the scope and the result. All numbers are placeholders to show the form: write only figures you can prove.
| Discipline | Before | After (German CV) |
|---|---|---|
| Civil | Worked as site engineer on infrastructure projects. | Ausführungsplanung (LPH 5) und Bauoberleitung (LPH 8) für ein Regenrückhaltebecken mit 4.500 m³, Bausumme 2,1 Mio. EUR; Mengenermittlung und Abrechnung mit 3 Nachunternehmern; Übergabe 2 Wochen vor Termin. |
| Mechanical | Responsible for the design of production machines. | Konstruktion einer Montagevorrichtung für Achsträger in Creo, inkl. Risikobeurteilung nach DIN EN ISO 12100; Taktzeit von 94 s auf 71 s gesenkt; 2 Konstrukteure, Projektdauer 8 Monate. |
| Electrical | Did electrical projects for factories. | Elektroplanung der Niederspannungsanlage einer Produktionshalle (2.400 m²): Schutzmaßnahmen nach DIN VDE 0100-410, Kabeldimensionierung und Selektivitätsnachweis in EPLAN; Abnahme durch den Prüfsachverständigen ohne Mängel. |
The same lines in English
- Civil: Detailed design (HOAI phase 5) and site supervision (phase 8) for a 4,500 m³ stormwater retention basin, construction cost €2.1m; quantities and billing with 3 subcontractors; handed over 2 weeks early.
- Mechanical: Designed an assembly fixture for axle carriers in Creo, including risk assessment to DIN EN ISO 12100; cut cycle time from 94 s to 71 s; team of 2 designers, 8 months.
- Electrical: Electrical design of the low-voltage installation for a 2,400 m² production hall: protective measures to DIN VDE 0100-410, cable sizing and selectivity proof in EPLAN; accepted by the inspector without defects.
What changed in each line
The verb names the task (Ausführungsplanung, Konstruktion, Elektroplanung) instead of a role. The rule set is named. The scope has a unit. The result is a fact someone could check. Note that none of the after lines uses the word Ingenieur, so they work before your title approval comes through.
Proof: sources and the date we read them
All pages below were read on 12 October 2026. Links are under Sources.
| Claim | Source |
|---|---|
| Title protected alone or in a word combination; three years of study; approval for foreign degrees; fine; Bezirksregierung decides | Ingenieurgesetz NRW, sections 1, 2, 5 and 8 |
| Work without recognition allowed, title not; documents incl. signed tabular CV; B2; translations; €200; 1 to 3 months | Service-Portal Berlin, recognition as engineer |
| Six semesters or 180 ECTS; usually €300; 3 to 4 weeks | Stadt Karlsruhe, service page for Baden-Württemberg |
| Engineer recognition offered for foreign qualifications | Anerkennung in Deutschland, Engineer |
| Nine work phases and their names | HOAI sections 34 and 43 |
| Standard titles and editions | DIN Media entries for DIN VDE 0100-410, DIN EN ISO 12100 and DIN EN 1992-1-1/NA |
Each state sets its own rules and fees, and they change. Check the page of the state where you will work before you apply.
Limits of this page
- We read the rules of three states. The other states have their own laws and bodies; the recognition finder names yours.
- Separate titles such as Beratender Ingenieur (consulting engineer) have extra conditions that this page does not cover.
- Salary thresholds and residence permits are on the Blue Card page; software roles without a degree are on the developer CV page.
- Technicians and craftspeople with a vocational qualification follow chamber recognition, covered on the skilled trades page.
Next steps
- Find the competent body for your target state and read its document list.
- Rewrite your three strongest projects in the after form, in German.
- Decide your headline according to the title table above.
- Put the CV into the German tabular format and add a cover letter for each application.
CitedCV can write the CV in German with German conventions from the projects, tools and figures you give it, and leaves out any line it cannot trace to what you entered. It does not decide whether you may use the title; that is your state’s decision.
Questions people ask
Is engineer a regulated profession in Germany?
The title is: state engineering laws protect the word Ingenieur. Berlin says you can still work, for example employed in an engineering office, without recognition, but not under that title.
Can I call myself Ingenieur on my CV with a Turkish degree?
Only after the competent body of your state has approved it. Until then, use your original degree name and function titles that do not contain the word.
How do I get my engineering degree recognised in Germany?
Apply to the competent body of the state where you will work, for example the Baukammer Berlin, with a signed tabular CV, degree, transcript and proof of experience.
How much does engineer title recognition cost?
It depends on the state: Berlin charges €200 and Baden-Württemberg usually €300, read on 12 October 2026, plus translation costs.
Do I need German for the engineer title?
In Berlin, yes: level B2 is required for the title, though the certificate is not needed at the time of application. Other states set their own rules.
Should I list standards on an engineering CV for Germany?
Yes, name the ones you actually worked to with their numbers, such as DIN VDE 0100-410 or DIN EN ISO 12100, so the reader knows your rule set.
What are Leistungsphasen on a civil engineer CV?
They are the nine HOAI work phases, from Grundlagenermittlung to Objektbetreuung; writing LPH 5 or LPH 8 shows exactly which part of a project you did.
Is Bauingenieur a protected title?
Yes, by the wording of the state laws: they protect Ingenieur alone or in a word combination, and Bauingenieur is such a combination.
Sources
- Ingenieurgesetz Nordrhein-Westfalen (recht.nrw.de)recht.nrw.de/system/files/BH/4374-21315.htm
- Service-Portal Berlin, Anerkennung ausländischer Berufsqualifikationen als Ingenieur/-inservice.berlin.de/dienstleistung/350441/
- Stadt Karlsruhe, Führen der Berufsbezeichnung Ingenieurin oder Ingenieur (Baden-Württemberg)web1.karlsruhe.de/service/Buergerdienste/leistung.php?id=6001989
- Anerkennung in Deutschland, Engineer or Consulting Civil Engineerwww.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de/html/en/2722.php
- HOAI § 34, Leistungsbild Gebäude und Innenräumewww.gesetze-im-internet.de/hoai_2013/__34.html
- HOAI § 43, Leistungsbild Ingenieurbauwerkewww.gesetze-im-internet.de/hoai_2013/__43.html
- DIN Media, DIN VDE 0100-410www.dinmedia.de/de/norm/din-vde-0100-410/98297356
- DIN Media, DIN EN ISO 12100www.dinmedia.de/de/norm/din-en-iso-12100/128264334
- DIN Media, DIN EN 1992-1-1/NAwww.dinmedia.de/de/norm/din-en-1992-1-1-na/171217477