It depends on where you apply. A photo is expected in Japan and mainland China, usual in Switzerland and Austria, and best left out in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada.
- Checked on 22 October 2026
- 58 sources, official wherever they exist
In short
- Expected: Japan, mainland China.
- Usual: Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Poland, Portugal, South Korea (private firms), United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia.
- Optional: Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Norway, New Zealand. Also the UN, the ICRC and the Swiss federal administration.
- Only if the ad asks: Italy, Ireland, Belgium, Hong Kong, and the FDFA diplomatic concours.
- Better not: the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Singapore, India (private sector), and the World Bank.
- No photo: EU competitions (EPSO). Your CV there is a form in your EPSO account.
- Where a photo is optional, leaving it out is a fair choice. Studies show that photos expose applicants to bias.
- If you add one: recent, simple, head and shoulders, dressed for the job. No selfie.
Make your CV with the free CV builder
Free, no sign-up. Pick a country and it follows that country’s photo rule.
Europe at a glance
- Add one: expected or usualSwitzerland, Austria, Denmark, Poland, Portugal.
- Your choice: optionalGermany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Norway.
- Leave it outOnly if the ad asks: Italy, Ireland, Belgium. Better not: the United Kingdom.
Outside Europe
- Add one: Japan and mainland China (expected); South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia (usual).
- Your choice: New Zealand, the UN, the ICRC and the Swiss federal administration.
- Leave it out: the United States, Canada, Australia, Singapore, India and the World Bank (better not); Hong Kong and the FDFA concours (only if asked); EU competitions (no photo).
Country by country: the rule, the reason, the source
“Photo” is what applicants should do, from official sources where they exist. A country’s name opens the free CV builder set to it. “Second source” means that only the press, recruiters or a foreign university say so.
Europe: 15 countries
| Country | Photo | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | Usual | Customary, but no rule requires it. SECO lists “possibly a photo”. Vaud: recommended, not compulsory unless the ad asks.Sources: SECO, Vaud |
| Germany | Optional | No longer compulsory, but still common. The employment agency says employers may no longer demand one.Source: Bundesagentur für Arbeit |
| Austria | Usual | Standard, and recruiters expect it. Under the Equal Treatment Act no employer may insist on one.Source: AMS |
| France | Optional | Employers may require a photo only in exceptional cases.Source: Défenseur des droits |
| Italy | Only if asked | No need for a photo unless the employer asks.Source: EURES |
| United Kingdom | Better not | Not needed, except for acting or modelling jobs.Source: Prospects |
| Ireland | Only if asked | Only if the application form asks for one.Source: EURES |
| Netherlands | Optional | More and more common. If you add one, a professional portrait on a neutral background.Source: Leiden University |
| Belgium | Only if asked | Only if the job needs it or the employer asks. In Flanders, VDAB also allows one if you want.Sources: EURES, Actiris, VDAB |
| Spain | Optional | Not compulsory, but useful for some jobs.Source: EURES |
| Portugal | Usual | A photo is often appreciated.Source: EURES |
| Sweden | Optional | If you send one, choose one with a professional look.Source: Arbetsförmedlingen |
| Denmark | Usual | Danes put a photo on their CV. A Danish university calls it expected.Sources: Lolland municipality, Aarhus University |
| Norway | Optional | More common than before, not mandatory. If you add one, a professional one.Source: NTNU |
| Poland | Usual | The public employment service puts a current photo in the CV header.Source: PSZ |
More on Swiss CVs: CV in Switzerland: what Swiss employers expect.
Americas and Oceania: 4 countries
| Country | Photo | Why |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Better not | Employers should not ask for a photo before a job offer is made and accepted (EEOC). Photos are generally not preferred (MIT).Sources: EEOC, MIT |
| Canada | Better not | Not the norm in Canada, and it can lower your chances.Source: Job Bank |
| Australia | Better not | You do not need a photo (Human Rights Commission). A government guide for visa holders calls a professional photo optional.Sources: AHRC, PEV guide |
| New Zealand | Optional | A head and shoulders photo is optional.Source: Victoria University of Wellington |
Asia and the Middle East: 8 countries
| Country | Photo | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore | Better not | Fair-hiring guidelines tell employers to remove photo fields from application forms. If they need a photo, they should ask at the job offer or state why.Source: TAFEP |
| Hong Kong | Only if asked | Attach one only when asked (CUHK). The equality commission’s code: no photo requests at the application stage.Sources: CUHK, EOC code |
| Mainland China | Expected | A headshot is standard on Chinese CVs. Second source.Sources: ResumeGeni, Johns Hopkins Carey |
| Japan | Expected | The rirekisho form has a photo box. Hello Work: taken within about three months, usually 3 cm wide and 4 cm high.Sources: MHLW form, Hello Work |
| South Korea | Usual | In a 2024 survey, 67.3% of 169 firms hiring for entry-level jobs asked for a photo. Since 2017, public institutions may ask for one only when hiring civil servants or diplomats. Second source (press).Source: JoongAng Daily |
| India | Better not | Private-sector CVs need no photo. IIT Madras allows no pictures on its placement CVs. Mostly second sources.Sources: ResumeGeni, IIT Madras |
| United Arab Emirates | Usual | Commonly expected, above all in the private sector. Second source.Source: VisualCV |
| Saudi Arabia | Usual | Not legally required, but commonly expected. Second source.Source: VisualCV |
International employers: 6
| Employer | Photo | Why |
|---|---|---|
| EU institutions (EPSO competitions) | No photo | Your CV is the “My CV” form in your EPSO account: work, education, languages. You upload an ID document, not a photo.Source: EPSO |
| United Nations | Optional | Not required for UN posts; your choice. If you add one, a professional photo, dressed professionally. The Secretariat’s online form has no photo field.Sources: IOM (UN system), UN Secretariat |
| World Bank Group | Better not | Our estimate, in line with US practice. The World Bank’s career pages do not mention photos.Source: World Bank |
| ICRC | Optional | Our estimate. The ICRC asks for a CV, a letter, certificates and a passport copy, but says nothing about a photo.Source: ICRC |
| Swiss federal administration | Optional | Our estimate. The federal job portal does not mention photos.Source: stelle.admin.ch |
| Swiss FDFA diplomatic concours | Only if asked | The 2026 file lists diplomas, certificates and a criminal record extract, but no CV and no photo.Source: FDFA |
What a good photo looks like
No rule sets one size for everyone. These are the sizes that official guides name, drawn to the same scale.
Width × height, as the guides give them:
- Switzerland: about 4 × 6 cm, top right on the CV (St. Gallen).
- Germany: about 4 × 6 cm to 4 × 8 cm on the CV, up to 9 × 13 cm on a cover sheet (BA).
- Japan: usually 3 × 4 cm, the box on the rirekisho form (Hello Work).
A good photo for little money
- No photo costs nothing. Where a photo is optional or better left out, skip it. The German employment agency (BA) puts it plainly: no photo is better than a bad one.
- Studio or booth. The German and Austrian employment services advise a professional photo. In Japan, Hello Work also accepts a photo booth picture, as long as it is sharp.
- Pay once, use it often. Ask for the digital file too (BA). One photo then serves all your applications until it needs renewing.
- Ask before you pay, in Germany. Unemployed, or about to be? The employment agency or job centre can pay for application photos from its placement budget (Vermittlungsbudget). Apply before you pay; there is no legal right to it (BA).
- Free in The Hague. The municipality’s application centre, Fruitweg 17, takes CV photos for residents, free. Write first: sollicitatiecentrum@denhaag.nl.
What studies show: a photo invites bias
Germany. Identical applications got positive replies from 18.8% of firms with a German name, 13.5% with a Turkish name, and 4.2% with a Turkish name and a headscarf in the photo. The applicant with the headscarf had to send 4.5 times as many applications to get as many replies (IZA study, 2016).
- Israel. 5,312 CVs went to 2,656 jobs. Attractive men got nearly twice as many callbacks as plain-looking men. Women without a photo got more callbacks than women with one, attractive or plain (Management Science, 2015).
- Argentina. Attractive applicants got 36% more callbacks than unattractive ones (Economics Letters, 2013).
- Sweden. The same application with a photo made to look obese got 6 percentage points fewer callbacks for men and 8 for women (Journal of Human Resources, 2009).
- Overview. A review of hiring experiments since 2005 finds that an attractive photo helps, compared with a less attractive one (IZA review, 2017).
- Switzerland. On the public job platform, recruiters contacted people from immigrant and minority groups 4% to 19% less often than comparable Swiss jobseekers. This study is about profiles, not photos (Nature, 2021).
Our reading, not a finding
A photo helps applicants who look the way a recruiter expects, and hurts others. Where a photo is optional, leaving it out removes that risk. Where it is expected, a plain, recent photo is the safe choice.
Questions
Should I put a photo on my CV?
It depends on the country: see the map and the tables. Where it is optional, both choices are fine.
Can an employer ask for a photo?
It depends on the country. In the US, employers should not ask before a job offer (EEOC). In Austria, no employer may insist on one (AMS). In Germany, the employment agency says employers may no longer demand one, and the federal anti-discrimination agency says anonymised applications should ideally leave out details that hint at origin, sex, religion, age or other protected traits, above all photos. In France, employers may require one only in exceptional cases (Défenseur des droits). In Singapore, employers who need a photo should ask at the job offer or state why (TAFEP).
The ad asks for a photo. Should I add one?
Usually yes. Swiss, Belgian and Irish guidance says to add one when the ad or the form asks. In the US, employers should not ask before a job offer (EEOC).
Can I use a selfie?
No. Selfies, holiday photos and blurred or heavily cropped pictures do not belong in an application (BA).
Colour or black and white?
Colour is usual. Black and white can work too (BA). St. Gallen asks for a recent colour photo.
Where does the photo go?
Top right on the CV (St. Gallen, EURES). In Germany it can also go on a cover sheet (EURES, BA).
Do the EU institutions or the UN want a photo?
EU competitions: no, your CV is a form in your EPSO account. UN: not required, it is your choice (IOM). The Secretariat’s online form has no photo field.
Can the CV builder add my photo?
Yes, and you can crop it. Its checks follow the country you pick: they suggest a photo where one is usual, and suggest hiding it where photos are better left out or sent only when asked. Your CV and your photo stay in your browser.
Sources
All 58 sources were read again on 22 October 2026. Where a page or document gives its own date, it is shown.
Official bodies and public employment services: 38
- SECO, Wie bewerbe ich mich richtig?Edition of March 2019, p. 15 and 34.
- Canton of Vaud, OCOSP, Dossier de candidatureReprint of 2019, p. 7.
- Canton of St. Gallen, BewerbungsdossierEdition of 2025.
- Canton of Ticino, UOSP, Candidatura istruzioni per l’uso: CV
- EURES, Living and working in SwitzerlandGerman page of 30 April 2026.
- Swiss federal administration, stelle.admin.ch, Frequent questions
- FDFA, Diplomatic careerThe 2026 concours, page in French.
- Bundesagentur für Arbeit (BA), Bewerbungskompass für ArbeitsstellenPages 6 and 37.
- Bundesagentur für Arbeit, Vermittlungsbudget
- Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency (Germany), Fair in den Job!October 2019, p. 25.
- EURES, Living and working in GermanyPage of 3 July 2026.
- AMS (Austrian employment service), LebenslaufPage of 13 May 2026.
- AMS, BewerbungsmappePage of 19 December 2025.
- Défenseur des droits, Pour un recrutement sans discriminationJune 2019, p. 19 and 26.
- EURES, Living and working in ItalyPage of 26 May 2026.
- EURES, Living and working in IrelandPage of 3 July 2026.
- EURES, Living and working in BelgiumPage of 3 July 2026.
- Actiris (Brussels employment service), Rédiger mon CV
- VDAB (Flemish employment service), CV tips
- EURES, Living and working in SpainPage of 6 June 2026.
- EURES, Living and working in PortugalPage of 3 July 2026.
- Arbetsförmedlingen (Swedish employment service), Skriva cv
- Lolland municipality, How to search for a job in DenmarkPage of 27 October 2025.
- PSZ (Polish public employment services), Jak przygotować CV?Changed on 1 September 2023.
- City of The Hague, Hulp en tips bij solliciteren
- US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Prohibited employment policies and practices
- Job Bank (Government of Canada), How to write a good resumeChanged on 30 May 2024.
- Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), IncludeAbility guide: writing a resumé and cover letter2021.
- Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV), Creating your resume for the Australian job market2025.
- TAFEP, Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (Singapore)
- Equal Opportunities Commission (Hong Kong), Code of Practice on Employment under the Sex Discrimination OrdinancePara. 11.5.3.
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan), model rirekisho
- Hello Work (Japan), How to prepare application documentsMarch 2018, p. 4.
- EPSO, How to fill in the application form
- IOM (UN system), HR support: adding a photo to your CV1 March 2021.
- UN Secretariat, inspira Applicant Guide1 August 2024.
- World Bank, Careers FAQ
- ICRC, Prepare your application
Universities and careers services: 8
- Prospects, How to write a CVMay 2025.
- MIT Career Advising and Professional Development, ResumesChanged on 9 February 2026.
- Victoria University of Wellington, Your CV
- Leiden University Career Zone, Parts of a CV
- Aarhus University, Finding a student job15 May 2026, revised 21 September 2026.
- NTNU Career, Write a CV
- CUHK Career Planning and Development Centre, Resume writing
- IIT Madras, Resume guidelines for the internship season 2025 to 26
Second sources (press, recruiters, a foreign university): 6
- JoongAng Daily, Why Korean companies ask applicants for photos20 December 2025.
- ResumeGeni, China resume guideUpdated on 27 March 2026.
- Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Resume Guide for China2019.
- ResumeGeni, India resume guideUpdated on 28 March 2026.
- VisualCV, UAE resume guide2026.
- VisualCV, Saudi Arabia CV guide2026.
Studies: 6
- Discrimination against Female Migrants Wearing HeadscarvesIZA Discussion Paper 10217, 2016; published in ILR Review, 2020.
- Are Good-Looking People More Employable?Management Science 61(8), 2015.
- The labor market return to an attractive faceEconomics Letters 118(1), 2013.
- Obesity, Attractiveness, and Differential Treatment in HiringJournal of Human Resources 44(3), 2009.
- Hiring Discrimination: An Overview of (Almost) All Correspondence Experiments Since 2005IZA Discussion Paper 10738, 2017.
- Monitoring hiring discrimination through online recruitment platformsNature 589, 2021.