Photo on a CV: Should You Include One?

Should you put a photo on your CV? If you are applying in the UK or Ireland, the short answer is no, with a few clear exceptions. Elsewhere in Europe the answer can be different, and getting it wrong can make your CV look out of place. This guide explains the norms, the reasons behind them, what a good photo looks like if you do need one, and how expectations vary across the EU.

The short answer for the UK and Ireland

For most jobs in the UK and Ireland, leave the photo off. Recruiters do not expect one, and many large employers and recruitment agencies actively prefer CVs without photos. A photo takes up space you could use for experience and skills, and it gives the reader information that has nothing to do with whether you can do the job.

Leaving it out will never count against you. Including one, in a market where it is unusual, can make your CV look like it was written for a different country or copied from a template that does not suit local practice.

Why UK and Irish employers don't want photos

The main reason is fair recruitment. In the UK, the Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination on grounds such as age, race, sex, disability and religion; in Ireland, the Employment Equality Acts cover similar grounds. A photo can reveal or suggest several of these characteristics, and employers want their selection decisions to be based on skills and experience alone.

Some organisations therefore remove or ignore photos during shortlisting, and some use "blind" recruitment where names and personal details are hidden too. Sending a photo does not break any rule, but it works against the way many employers try to run their process. For the same reason, leave out your date of birth, marital status, nationality and religion; our guide to CV format and layout lists everything that no longer belongs on a UK CV.

This is general information about common practice, not legal advice. If you believe you have been treated unfairly in recruitment, organisations such as Acas in the UK or the Workplace Relations Commission in Ireland can explain your options.

When a photo on your CV can make sense

There are a few situations where including a photo is reasonable, even in the UK or Ireland:

• Acting, modelling and presenting: a headshot is expected, often as a separate file or on a casting profile rather than on the CV itself.
• Some customer-facing roles abroad: for example, hospitality jobs in countries where photos are standard.
• Applications in countries where photos are the norm, such as Germany or Austria (see the overview below).
• When the employer explicitly asks for one, which is rare in the UK and Ireland.

If none of these apply, you do not need one. Your LinkedIn profile is the better place for a professional photo: recruiters who want to put a face to your name will look there, and on LinkedIn a photo is normal and expected.

Photo norms across Europe

Expectations vary considerably. The table below is a general guide; individual employers, especially international companies, may differ.

If you are applying in English to an international employer in another EU country, for example a tech company in Berlin or a shared-services centre in Kraków, follow the advert. When in doubt, a CV without a photo is the safer choice for English-language applications.

What a good CV photo looks like

If you do include a photo, it should look professional and recent. A poor photo does more harm than none.

Do

• Use a recent photo, taken within the last year or two, that looks like you do now.
• Frame head and shoulders, facing the camera or slightly turned towards it.
• Choose a plain, light background: a light grey or white wall works well.
• Use soft, even light, such as daylight from a window in front of you, to avoid harsh shadows.
• Dress as you would for an interview in that sector.
• Keep the expression natural: a slight smile and direct eye contact.
• Use a good-quality file that is sharp at small size, without heavy filters.

Don't

• Crop yourself out of a holiday, party or wedding photo.
• Use a selfie at arm's length, with visible background clutter.
• Wear sunglasses, a cap or anything that hides your face, other than religious head coverings, which are perfectly appropriate.
• Use a passport-style photo with a harsh flash, or a heavily edited image.
• Include pets, other people or anything else in the frame.

A professional photographer is not essential. A modern phone camera, a plain wall, daylight and someone else holding the phone at eye level will give you a perfectly good result.

Where to place a photo on the CV

If you include one, place it at the top, usually top left or top right, next to your name and contact details. Keep it small: roughly passport size, around 3 to 4 cm wide. It should never dominate the page.

Many CV templates include an optional photo area. If you are applying in the UK or Ireland, choose a layout that looks complete without a photo, rather than leaving an empty space or a placeholder.

Photos and applicant tracking systems

Applicant tracking systems ignore images. A photo will not help you get found, and it should never contain information you need the system to read. Make sure your name and contact details are written as text, not embedded in a banner image alongside your photo.

Some older or simpler parsers also struggle with layouts where the photo sits in a complex header or text box. If you are applying online and want to be sure your CV is read correctly, test the PDF with our free ATS CV checker. Our guide to an ATS-friendly CV explains the formatting choices that cause the most trouble.

Use the space better

Without a photo, the top of your CV has room for something more useful: a strong personal statement. Three or four lines that state who you are, what you are best at and what you are looking for will do far more for your application than any picture. Our guide to the CV personal statement has formulas and examples you can adapt.

For a sense of how a finished UK-style CV looks without a photo, browse the CV examples by job title, for instance the receptionist CV example or the teacher CV example.

If an employer asks for a photo

Occasionally an application form in the UK or Ireland asks for a photograph, for instance for a security pass, a modelling or acting role, or after an offer has been made. Being asked for a photo for identification or onboarding after you have been selected is routine. Being asked for one at the shortlisting stage is unusual for most jobs; you can still comply, but it is reasonable to check why it is needed if the role has nothing to do with appearance.

Applications in other European countries sometimes include a photo field as standard. In that case, follow the local norm and use a photo that meets the guidelines above.

Video CVs and online profiles

Some employers, mostly in sales, hospitality and creative work, invite short video introductions or use recorded video interviews as an early step. These are separate from your CV and follow their own rules: a quiet, well-lit room, a plain background, interview clothing and a clear, practised answer. Unless asked, there is no need to send a video with a standard application.

Recruiters will often look at your LinkedIn profile, so make sure it matches your CV: the same job titles, dates and employers. A mismatch between the two raises more questions than a missing photo ever will.

Quick summary

• UK and Ireland: no photo, unless the job is in acting or similar, or the employer asks.
• Germany, Austria, France, Southern and Eastern Europe: a photo is common, and often still expected.
• International employers: follow the advert; without instructions, no photo is safe.
• If you include one: recent, head and shoulders, plain background, interview clothing, small and at the top.
• Put your professional photo on LinkedIn instead, where it is expected.

For the rest of your CV, our step-by-step guide on how to write a CV walks you through every section.