Resume Photo Requirements by Country: Where a Photo Is Expected
Whether a photo belongs on your resume depends almost entirely on the country the job is in. In the United States, the UK and most English-speaking markets, a photo works against you. In Germany, Japan and much of the Gulf, a CV without one can look incomplete. Most of Europe sits in between.
The table below gives the rule in 28 countries, with the photo size where one is standard. Under it, each region is explained with the reason behind its rule. If a job ad asks for a photo, or says not to send one, the ad wins.
Photo or no photo, country by country
| Country | Photo on the CV | Size or format | What the CV is called |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Leave it off | None | Resume |
| Canada | Leave it off | None | Resume |
| United Kingdom | Leave it off, except acting and modeling | None | CV |
| Ireland | Leave it off unless asked | None | CV |
| Australia | Leave it off | None | Resume or CV |
| New Zealand | Leave it off | None | CV |
| South Africa | Usually left off | None | CV |
| India | Usually left off, unless asked | None | Resume, CV or biodata |
| Singapore | Leave it off | None | Resume |
| Germany | Include one: optional by law, still expected | Portrait, about 4.5 x 6 cm, top right or on a cover sheet | Lebenslauf |
| Austria | Include one | About 4.5 x 6 cm, portrait | Lebenslauf |
| Switzerland | Customary, not required | About 4.5 x 6 cm, taken within a year | Lebenslauf or CV |
| France | Optional | None | CV |
| Netherlands | Optional | None | CV |
| Belgium | Only if the employer asks | None | CV |
| Spain | Optional, often recommended | ID-photo size | Currículum vitae |
| Portugal | Optional, sources differ | None | Currículo |
| Italy | Only if asked | None | Curriculum vitae |
| Poland | Only if asked | None | CV or życiorys |
| Sweden and the Nordics | Optional | None | CV |
| Japan | Include one | 40 x 30 mm most common, taken within 3 months | Rirekisho |
| South Korea | Common at private companies | About 3.5 x 4.5 cm | Iryeokseo |
| China | Usually included | ID-photo size | Jianli |
| United Arab Emirates | Common, optional | Passport-photo style | CV |
| Saudi Arabia | Common, optional | Passport-photo style | CV |
| Mexico | Commonly included | Formal, shoulders up, plain background | Currículum |
| Brazil | Not needed | None | Currículo |
| Argentina | Optional | ID-photo size if you add one | Currículum |
The English-speaking markets: leave it off
United States. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission advises employers not to ask for a photograph of an applicant and to take one, if it is needed for identification, only after a job offer is accepted. Sending one is not illegal, but it hands the employer information about race, age and sex that it is trying to keep out of the decision.
Canada. The government's Job Bank says a photo is not the norm in Canada and can lower your chances. Provincial human rights commissions in Ontario and Alberta tell employers not to request one.
United Kingdom and Ireland. The Equality and Human Rights Commission's code of practice says applicants should not be asked for photographs unless the job needs one, with acting given as the example. Irish recruiters give the same advice: no photo unless it is asked for.
Australia and New Zealand. Robert Half in Australia says you do not need a photo at all, and removes photos from CVs before sending them to clients. New Zealand's government careers service says it is usually best not to add one.
South Africa, India and Singapore. The South African government's CV guidance does not list a photo among the personal details to include. In India a photo is rarely needed unless the employer asks. In Singapore, the official fair-hiring guidelines tell employers to remove photo fields from application forms, and the Workplace Fairness Act passed in 2025 is expected to take effect by the end of 2027.
Germany, Austria and Switzerland: include one
Germany. A photo is no longer required, but the Federal Employment Agency says it is still usual in many industries, and its guidance for foreign applicants says most employers still expect one. It goes at the top right of the CV or on a cover sheet, and the agency warns against selfies and plain passport photos. Employers that run anonymised hiring remove photos, so a job ad that asks you to leave it off means it.
Austria. The Public Employment Service treats the photo as part of a standard application and gives the size: about 4.5 x 6 cm, in portrait, at the top of the first page or on a cover sheet.
Switzerland. Customary but not required. Recruiters suggest about 6 x 4.5 cm, and a photo no more than a year old.
The rest of Europe: optional, or only if asked
France. Optional. French law allows employers to review applications anonymously, and the national rights ombudsman lists demanding a photo among the practices to avoid.
Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and the Nordics. A photo is accepted but not needed. Spain's public employment service calls it recommended, in ID-photo or half-length format, while the EU's jobs portal calls it optional. For Portugal the two sources disagree: one says a photo is often appreciated, the other that it is not needed unless asked. Denmark's guidance says a photo is not needed, and in Sweden there is no fixed rule when the employer does not ask.
Belgium, Italy and Poland. Add one only when the employer asks for it. In Poland, a photo is not among the details an employer may require, so it is sent only with the candidate's consent.
Japan and South Korea: expected, with rules
Japan. The standard resume form, the rirekisho, has a box for the photo. Templates specify a photo 36 to 40 mm tall and 24 to 30 mm wide, chest up, on a plain background, taken within the last three months. 40 x 30 mm is the most common size. The separate career history document, the shokumu keirekisho, has no photo.
South Korea. The Fair Hiring Procedure Act bars employers with 30 or more staff from demanding a candidate's appearance, height or weight, and public institutions dropped photos under blind-hiring rules in 2017. Private companies still commonly ask for an ID photo: a 2024 survey of entry-level postings found about two thirds required one. The usual size is about 3.5 x 4.5 cm.
China, the Gulf and Latin America
China. A professional ID-style photo is usual on a Chinese CV.
United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Photos are common and optional. Recruiters in the region say the best ones are as plain as a passport photo.
Mexico. Most CVs carry a photo, and the country's largest job board recommends one: formal, shoulders up, neutral background.
Brazil and Argentina. In Brazil a photo is not needed. Argentina's government careers guide says you can add one but it is not required, and if you do, it should be ID-photo size and formal.
Getting the photo right when you need one
Wherever a photo is expected, it is judged like an ID photo with more care taken: head and shoulders, facing the camera, plain light background, even light, interview clothing and a recent likeness. At 300 dots per inch, the common print sizes come to:
| Size | Where it is used | Pixels at 300 DPI |
|---|---|---|
| 30 x 40 mm | Japan | 354 x 472 |
| 35 x 45 mm | UK and Schengen visa photos, a common ID size in Europe | 413 x 531 |
| 45 x 60 mm | Germany, Austria, Switzerland | 531 x 709 |
Our guides to the resume photo decision and to headshot dimensions go further into format and crop.
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Common questions
Which countries expect a photo on a CV?
Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Japan, and in practice South Korea's private sector, China, the Gulf states and Mexico. In most of the rest of Europe a photo is optional.
Which countries discourage a photo on a CV?
The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. In each, employers are advised not to ask for one because it invites discrimination.
Is a photo required on a German CV?
No, not by law. It is still expected by most employers, and a German CV without one can look incomplete unless the job ad asks for an anonymised application.
What size is a Japanese resume photo?
40 mm tall by 30 mm wide is the most common. Templates accept 36 to 40 mm by 24 to 30 mm, chest up, on a plain background, taken within the last three months.
What if I am applying from one country to a job in another?
Follow the rule of the country where the job is, not the one you are applying from. A CV sent from London to Munich should carry a photo; the same CV sent from Munich to London should not.