Overview

• A German business letter follows DIN 5008 (Form B is most common). Elements appear in a fixed order from top to bottom. Our templates apply these margins and positions automatically.
• Use the templates in this studio once you know what each block is for — the guide below explains placement and wording.

Page layout (DIN 5008 Form B)

• Left margin 2.5 cm, right margin 2.0 cm, top margin 4.5 cm (first page).
• Sender address (small) sits above the recipient block, often within the envelope window zone.
• Recipient address starts about 5 cm from the top edge (window position).
• Date is right-aligned, roughly one line below the address block.
• Subject line is left-aligned, bold, often underlined — leave one blank line before the salutation.

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Max Mustermann · Musterstr. 1      │  ← sender (small)
│  12345 Musterstadt                  │
│                                     │
│  Firma Beispiel GmbH                │  ← recipient
│  z. Hd. Frau Schmidt                │  ← attention line
│  Beispielweg 10                     │
│  10115 Berlin                       │
│                          27.06.2026 │  ← date (right)
│                                     │
│  Betreff: Ihre Anfrage vom …        │  ← subject
│                                     │
│  Sehr geehrte Frau Schmidt,         │  ← salutation
│                                     │
│  … body text …                      │
│                                     │
│  Mit freundlichen Grüßen            │  ← closing
│                                     │
│  Max Mustermann                     │  ← signature
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

"Attention" line (Zu Händen)

• Place "z. Hd." (zu Händen) or "Attn." directly above the person's name, still inside the recipient address block — not in the subject or body.
• Use it when the letter is addressed to a company but meant for a specific contact (department head, clerk, HR).
• Common forms: "z. Hd. Herrn Müller", "z. Hd. Frau Dr. Weber", "Personalabteilung".
• If you write to a private person, omit the attention line.

Muster AG
Attn. Mr Thomas Klein
Industriestr. 5
80331 Munich

Tip: In our templates, add the attention line as the second line of the recipient address field.

Sender line

• One line: name, street, postcode and city — separated by middle dots or commas.
• Font size is smaller than the body (about 8 pt in DIN 5008).
• Required when using window envelopes so the recipient can reply without opening the letter.

Anna Example · Sample St. 1 · 12345 Sample City

Recipient address

• Company or full name on the first line, then street and house number, then postcode and city on separate lines.
• No country for domestic mail. Add the country only for international letters.
• Do not include your own address here.

Date

• Right-aligned in formal German letters (left-aligned is acceptable in simple/informal layouts).
• Format: "27 June 2026" (EN) or "27. Juni 2026" / "27.06.2026" (DE) — stay consistent.
• Place the date after the address block, with one blank line before the subject.

Subject line

• Prefix with "Subject:" / "Betreff:" when using DIN 5008 — our templates can add this automatically.
• Keep it short and specific; reference files, contract numbers or dates if helpful.
• Do not end with a period. One blank line after the subject before the salutation.

Subject: Termination of mobile contract no. 123456

Salutation

• Unknown recipient: "Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren," (DE) / "Dear Sir or Madam," (EN).
• Known name: "Sehr geehrter Herr …" / "Sehr geehrte Frau …" with comma at the end.
• After "Sehr geehrte/r" use the surname only, not first name (unless informal letter).
• One blank line after the salutation before the first paragraph.

Body text

• State purpose in the first sentence. Use short paragraphs with blank lines between them.
• Active voice and clear requests: what you want, by when, and how to reach you.
• For cancellations: name the contract, customer number, and desired end date explicitly.

Closing & signature

• Formal DE: "Mit freundlichen Grüßen" (no ß in Swiss: "Grüsse"). EN: "Yours sincerely" (known name) or "Yours faithfully" (unknown).
• Leave space for a handwritten signature between closing and typed name (about 3–4 lines).
• Typed name below the signature line; add job title or company only if relevant.

Envelope & posting

• Window envelope: fold so sender line appears in the upper window and recipient in the lower window.
• Franked mail: recipient address must not be obscured; use DIN C6/5 or DL for A4 letters.
• Keep a copy or PDF for your records — especially for terminations and applications.

Tip: For registered mail (Einschreiben), enable the footer note in our formal letter templates.