Should you put a photo on your CV? A country-by-country guide

Whether a photo belongs on your CV depends almost entirely on the country you are applying in. In the UAE and the Gulf it is common and often expected. In the UK, Ireland, the US and Canada it is usually left off. In much of continental Europe and in India it is optional.

Below is the picture country by country, followed by how to take a photo that helps rather than hurts when you do include one.

Photo on a CV: country by country

UAE, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf: common

Photos are widely used on CVs in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman, and many recruiters expect one. It is not compulsory, and a CV without a photo will still be read. Customer-facing roles in hospitality, retail, aviation and sales are where a photo is most often expected.

Include one unless the job ad or the employer's portal says not to. Some multinational employers in the region follow global hiring policies and prefer CVs without photos.

United Kingdom and Ireland: leave it off

UK employers do not expect a photo, and many recruiters would rather not receive one. The Equality Act 2010 protects characteristics such as age, race, sex and disability, and a photo reveals information employers do not want to be seen to consider. Ireland follows the same norm. The exceptions are acting, modelling and some presenting roles, where a headshot is part of the application.

If you are unsure, leave it off. No UK recruiter will mark you down for a CV without a photo.

United States and Canada: leave it off

In the US and Canada, photos are not expected on a resume, and some employers set aside resumes that include one to avoid any suggestion of bias. The same thinking applies to date of birth, marital status and nationality. Your LinkedIn profile is the place for a photo.

Germany, Austria and Switzerland: optional

A photo used to be standard on a German Lebenslauf. Since the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) of 2006, employers have become careful about asking for one, and it is now optional. Many candidates still include a professional photo, and nobody finds it unusual. Austria and Switzerland are similar.

France and southern Europe: optional

In France a photo is optional and still fairly common, though fewer candidates include one than in the past. Spain, Italy and Portugal follow a similar pattern. If you add one, keep it formal.

India: optional

In India a photo is optional. Many government application forms ask for a photograph, and photos are more common on CVs for hospitality, aviation and client-facing roles. In technology and corporate hiring, most CVs go without one. If the ad or form asks for a photo, include it; otherwise it is your call.

When to leave the photo off, even where it is common

• The job ad or portal says no photos.
• The employer is a multinational whose global hiring policy discourages them.
• The only photo you have is informal, old or low quality. No photo beats a bad one.
• Space is tight and the photo would push important content onto another page.

How to take a good CV photo

You do not need a studio. A recent phone photo taken with some care is enough for most applications.

• Frame head and shoulders, facing the camera or turned slightly, with your face as the clear focus.
• Stand facing a window for soft, even daylight. Avoid overhead lights, harsh sun and flash.
• Use a plain, light or neutral background, such as a wall or a door.
• Have someone else take it from a couple of metres away with the camera at eye level. Selfies distort features and look like selfies.
• Dress as you would for an interview in your target industry. Plain colours work better than busy patterns.
• Keep a natural expression, with a slight smile if it comes easily.
• No sunglasses, caps or beauty filters. Religious head coverings are fine.
• Use a recent photo that looks like you do now.
• Crop to a square or a slightly tall rectangle, and keep the file size modest so the CV opens quickly.

Common CV photo mistakes

• A crop from a group or party photo, with someone else's shoulder still in the frame.
• Heavy filters or retouching that make you hard to recognise at the interview.
• A dark, backlit or blurry shot, or one so small it pixelates on screen.
• Beachwear, gym clothes or evening wear.
• A busy background such as a street, a car interior or a crowded room.
• A full-length or distant shot where your face is a few pixels wide.

Use the same photo, or one from the same session, on your LinkedIn profile. Recruiters often look you up, and a match looks tidy and deliberate.

Where the photo goes and how big it should be

Place the photo at the top of the CV, beside or above your name, usually in the top left or top right corner. Keep it small, roughly passport-photo size on the page. It should support the header, not dominate it.

Do photos cause problems with applicant tracking systems?

Not usually. An ATS reads text and ignores images, so a photo does not stop your CV being parsed as long as everything else is real text. The risk is the opposite case: a CV designed as one large image, where your name and contact details are part of a picture the software cannot read.

The same rules apply to other personal details

Country norms for photos usually extend to date of birth, marital status and nationality. In the UAE and the Gulf, nationality and visa status are expected and date of birth is common. In the UK, Ireland, the US and Canada, all of these are left off. In much of Europe and in India they are optional, so include what helps your application.

If you apply in more than one country, keep two versions of your CV: one with a photo and personal details, and one without.