Currently working at McKinsey. Would like to live in Germany for 6 months for personal reasons. Is there a way to transfer / do a short-term engagement loan to the Berlin office without being fluent in German? What is the minimum level of German needed to work for McKinsey / MBB in Germany?
I assume the decks and emails will be mostly in English. What about non-written communications, like a problem-solving session?
If it's a temporary transfer, it might work.
If you have a more special role (i.e., not the mainstream integrative consultnat), it might work.
Otherwise, German will pose a problem.
Discuss it directly with HR. If you have the support of any Partners from the Berlin office, get them involved early in the discussion.
Also, they might not need C2. C1 might be enough, but of course, it depends on where your german is at the moment and whether you can close the gap.
Best,
Cristian
Great question, here’s a concise breakdown based on how MBB (especially McKinsey Germany) typically handles language expectations:
For Consultant and Associate roles, a C1–C2 level in German is usually required. Most clients are local and expect communication in German during workshops, calls, and problem-solving sessions, even if decks and emails are in English.
If you're already at McKinsey, a short-term internal transfer (e.g. secondment, engagement loan, or mobility program) may be possible without fluent German, especially if:
Speak with your PDM, they can explore options that match your skillset with language-flexible teams.
You are basically asking to do a project in Germany... they will have plenty on projects that are english language based.
hey there!
While it's not always mandatory to have C2-level German to work at McKinsey in Germany, it is highly beneficial, especially for client-facing roles. For internal communications, McKinsey typically uses English, but for client engagements, particularly in Germany, being able to speak German is often required, especially for meetings, problem-solving sessions, and understanding local contexts.
If you're looking for a short-term transfer to a McKinsey office in Germany, you could explore internal mobility options like a secondment or engagement loan. While fluency in German (especially for more senior or client-facing roles) can be a requirement, it depends on the type of project. Some teams may be more flexible if the work is conducted in English, but fluency in German would certainly enhance your experience and integration.
For non-written communications, such as problem-solving sessions, some level of conversational German may be expected. It's a good idea to have at least a working proficiency (B2-C1) to navigate day-to-day communication, even if the project is English-based. It would also depend on your specific role and the clients you'll be working with.
Alessa
Hi,
McKinsey has set programmes that you apply to - each office will have their own requirements for transfers and these change annually sometimes OR sometimes the offices are not accepting rotations that year. To apply for these programmes you need to be in Good Standing for atleast 2 years.
The programme managers will usually send out an email once or twice a year - im sure you've already received it but didn't notice.
Just search "6 month transfer programme" or reach out into the Slack Network. They are very responsive.
In JHB, we had a couple of transfers from the German office - they said it's usually not a requirement, but it makes a difference in being able to build client rapport/ conversational interactions at the office and general workability.
(Source: Myself, I was at McKinsey until Jan this year).
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