Read the application requirements first
Preparing a job application: step by step
Choose what the job ad, email or application portal says about the format of your documents. You'll then see the relevant notes and can tick off the steps yourself.
There's no general rule for file size, page count or required documents. What the employer specifies for this particular application is what applies. Your choice only changes the notes shown.
You don't know yet what's required
First read the job ad, the company's email or the application portal. If you find nothing there about formats and limits, ask the employer. A missing detail doesn't mean there's no limit.
Find the requirements
Look for allowed formats, whether a single PDF or separate fields are expected, the order, and any limits per file, on the total size, on the number of files and on the number of pages.
Note them with units
Write down every limit with its unit, such as MB or MiB. Several limits can apply at the same time.
Clarify gaps
If a detail is missing, clarify it with the employer before you merge or compress files.
Only once you know all the requirements can you tell whether you need to merge, compress or do both.
All documents in one file
Only merge your documents into one PDF if the employer requires or explicitly allows it. Every required document stays complete.
Set the order
If the employer specifies an order, follow it. Decide on the order before you combine the files.
Merge and save
Merge the files yourself and save the result as a new file. You keep your originals.
Compress if needed
If the saved PDF is too large, select it yourself in the compression tool. Not every run reduces the size.
You may need to compress very large scans individually first, because our tools have limits too. Nothing is passed automatically between the tools.
Each document in its own field
If the portal offers separate fields, keep the matching documents separate. Check each file against the per-file limit and also against any total or file-count limit.
Match documents to fields
Assign the matching document to each field, complete with all pages, stamps and signatures.
Compress individually
Only compress the files that are too large, and start every attempt from the original.
Recheck the limits
Compare the exact byte count of each saved file with the limit, and pay attention to the unit.
Don't merge documents meant for separate fields into one file, even if that would be more convenient.
This checklist doesn't read any files, doesn't ask for personal details or information about the employer, and doesn't send anything. Your selections and ticks aren't saved. They're gone when you reload the page or select “Reset”.
Before you change a file, read the instructions in the job advertisement, in the company's email or in the application portal. They state what applies to this particular application, and that is often more than a single number. Before your first step, note down:
- which formats are allowed: only PDF or other file types too
- whether a single PDF is required or separate attachments, for example a separate upload field for each document
- the maximum size per file
- the maximum size for all files combined
- the maximum number of files allowed
- a page limit, if one is stated
- exactly how the limit is written, for example MB, MiB or “under 5 MB”
Several of these limits can apply at the same time. For example, a portal might allow 5 MB per file and also at most three files. Only once you have gathered all the requirements do you know whether you need to merge, compress or both. You also know what to measure the result against at the end.
What file size can an application have?
There is no limit that applies throughout Germany. Values like 2 MB or 5 MB often appear in guides and forums, but they only apply where an employer explicitly states them. The checklist for your application documents (Checkliste zu Ihren Bewerbungsunterlagen) from the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (as of December 2024) also only mentions 4 MB as a typical size. It refers to the maximum limit stated by the employer. If you can't find any information, ask the named contact person instead of guessing a number.
Only the required documents, in the right order
Submit what the job posting asks for, and submit every required document in full. A three-page certificate is still a three-page certificate in the reduced version, with letterhead, date, stamp and signature.
If the employer specifies an order, follow it. If there is no requirement, the checklist from the Bundesagentur für Arbeit recommends sorting certificates and other attachments by importance. Decide on the order before you combine files, so you don't have to rearrange anything afterwards.
Should I merge my CV and certificates into one PDF?
Only if the application requires a single file or explicitly allows you to submit the documents in one combined PDF. If there are separate fields for the cover letter, CV and attachments, upload the documents individually.
If you have to merge, you can merge your documents if needed. You need at least two PDFs for this, and you set the order before saving. Some source files need an intermediate step first:
- If you have photographed or scanned pages as JPG or PNG files, first convert them into a PDF.
- Export your cover letter and CV as a PDF directly from your word processor. That is usually cleaner than a screenshot or a printout scanned back in. How large the file becomes, however, depends on the document.
- The merge tool does not accept fillable PDF forms with interactive fields, or digitally signed or password-protected PDFs. A scanned form does not count as one of these. If a file contains comments or links, a notice appears, and you should check the saved result particularly closely.
When merging, each source file may be up to 50 MiB and all files together up to 100 MiB. The result may have at most 250 pages. If your scans are large, it's better to shrink them individually before combining them. The compressor also accepts files of up to 50 MiB, so you cannot select a larger merged PDF there again. Shrinking first also lets you check each certificate on its own and, if necessary, rework just that one. If a single scan is already larger than 50 MiB, it won't fit into either tool. In that case, scan it again or save a smaller version with the scanning or PDF program on your device.
After saving, open the merged file and page through all of it once. Are the order and page count correct, and is every required page included?
Shrink scans and PDFs in a targeted way
Scans and photos are what make application PDFs especially large. A fully scanned or photographed page consists mostly of image content, even if it only shows text. It may be made up of several image parts and may already contain a text layer from earlier text recognition. A directly exported CV, by contrast, usually contains real, selectable text, and an inserted application photo is just one image on an otherwise normal page. The easiest way to find out what your file contains is to check it yourself. Try selecting a word or finding it with the search function. You can save the most in the image-heavy parts, but only as long as text and stamps remain legible. Legibility is the condition, not a price you pay to reach a number.
Start gently and compare
- Open Compress application PDF and use “Choose PDF” to select the original file, not an already reduced version.
- Under “Method”, first choose “Lossless optimization”. This cleans up the internal structure of the PDF without intentionally changing images.
- If you know the employer's limit, tick “Set target size”. Then choose a preset such as 2 MB or 5 MB from the quick selection, or enter your own value in KB, MB or MiB. After the run, you will see “Target reached” or “Target not reached”.
- Start with “Compress PDF” and compare “Original” and “Result” page by page using “Previous comparison page” and “Next comparison page”. Pay attention to small digits in grades and dates, to stamps and signatures, and to complete page margins.
- If the saving is not enough, select the original file again and try “Balanced”. “Smaller file” can cost even more image detail, so only use it if the result is still clearly legible in the comparison.
Your original file remains unchanged in the process. If a run brings no saving, you get the original file back instead of a larger one. Start every new attempt from the original. If you compress the images of a file that has already been reduced with lossy compression, more details can be lost.
The compressor does not process digitally signed or password-encrypted PDFs. A scanned, visible signature, by contrast, is part of the page image and not a digital signature in this sense. It is best to submit a digitally signed certificate unchanged or to ask the recipient how it should be sent.
How do I get certificates under 2 MB and keep them legible?
2 MB is a limit you often read about, but it is not a general rule. First check whether it applies to your application at all. If it does, proceed as described above and watch in the comparison for the method at which digits or stamps become blurry. No tool can guarantee a result. How much you can save depends on how the scans were created.
The compressor changes neither the scan resolution nor the color mode, it does not rescan, and it does not recognize text. If the source file is simply too heavy, the solution usually lies one step earlier. Export text documents directly as PDF again, scan certificates again, or use a suitable program on your own computer. No single resolution suits all certificates. What matters is that the small print stays legible and a colored stamp or seal remains recognizable, even if that requires color. To choose sensible settings at the scanning stage, see the guide Reduce the size of a scanned PDF.
How does this work on a public PC without installing anything?
You don't need to install anything. The compressor runs in the browser, and the selected file is processed in the browser's memory without being uploaded to a processing server. However, whether the page fully loads and works on a computer in a library or copy shop depends on that device's settings.
The downloaded file then stays on the other computer, usually in the downloads folder. If allowed, save it to your own USB stick or to another storage medium you are permitted to use. Before you leave, delete your downloads and original files from the device and close the browser, as far as the local rules allow. Ordinary deletion is not secure destruction, and the website itself does not remove anything from the computer.
Check the limit and the saved file
The exact byte count of the saved file decides whether it fits, not a rounded display. The unit matters: 1 MB is 1,000,000 bytes, and 1 MiB is 1,048,576 bytes.
If the recipient only says “MB”, calculate with 1,000,000 bytes per MB unless they specify otherwise. Our tools treat the limit as inclusive, so a file of exactly 5,000,000 bytes meets “at most 5 MB”. If the recipient requires “under 5 MB”, choose a slightly lower target. No safety margin is right in every case.
Compare requirements with the upload limit calculator
Under Check size and upload limits, you can select your saved files or enter the values by hand. The calculator reads the exact size, tries to determine the page count for PDFs and compares up to four requirements: size per file, total size, number of files and page count. It does not change the files, and it cannot judge whether the content and format will be accepted.
A passed result only means that the numbers match the requirements you entered. The recipient decides whether the portal accepts the file.
What do I check before uploading the finished application PDF?
- Open the downloaded file again, for example in the browser or a PDF program, and don't rely on the preview in the tool.
- Page through all pages: Are all required documents complete, and is the order correct?
- Enlarge the critical areas: small digits in grades and dates, stamps, signatures and page margins.
- Check the file name: Is this really the version you want to upload, and not an older copy with an addition such as “(1)”?
- Read the exact byte count and compare it with every requirement that applies to your application: per file, total, number of files and pages.
- Upload exactly this checked file.
If you send the application by email, another question arises. The saved PDF stays the same size, but in the message an attachment is usually Base64-encoded and therefore takes up more bytes. The message text and headers are added on top. Which number counts depends on what your email provider or the recipient limits. To find out, see Check sending by email correctly. You can estimate the size of the message with the email attachment calculator.
If the application is still too large
If the file is still too large after gentle attempts, it is tempting to simply leave out a page or crop the scan more tightly. But that saves space in the wrong place. An incomplete certificate or a cut-off stamp takes away the value of the proof.
May I remove pages or parts of stamps to save space?
Not from required proof documents. Do not remove whole pages, stamps, signatures or margin areas. You may only remove what the recipient does not ask for. This could be a document that the advertisement doesn't require at all, or a blank page scanned by mistake. You can take such pages out with Delete PDF pages, while the required documents remain complete.
If the file doesn't get smaller at all, or only slightly, when you compress it, see PDF won't get smaller for possible causes and suitable next steps.
Ask for another permitted route
If you cannot reach the limit with legible, complete documents, contact the person named in the advertisement and ask for an acceptable alternative, for example:
- splitting the documents across several files or upload fields
- a different route in the portal or a different form of submission
- a link that the recipient explicitly accepts
Only send ZIP archives or sharing links from cloud services if the recipient allows it. In any case, keep your original scans and the unchanged files. The reduced PDF is a copy for this one application, and you'll need your documents for the next one too.