Should You Put a Photo on Your Resume? Country Rules & Best Practices
One of the most surprisingly divisive questions in resume writing is also one of the simplest: should you include a photo? The answer depends almost entirely on where you are applying — and getting it wrong can hurt your chances before a recruiter even reads your name.
The Short Answer: It Depends on the Country
This is not a matter of personal preference. In some countries, a resume photo is a professional norm. In others, it is a red flag that signals inexperience — or worse, it can expose the hiring company to legal risk. Knowing the local convention is not optional; it is essential.
United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia: Never Include a Photo
In all four of these major English-speaking job markets, including a photo on your resume is strongly discouraged and, in most cases, actively harmful to your application.
Why?
Anti-discrimination legislation in these countries is robust and rigorously enforced. In the United States, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) prohibits hiring decisions based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information. Similar frameworks exist under the Equality Act 2010 in the UK, the Canadian Human Rights Act, and Australia's Fair Work Act.
The practical consequence: recruiters and HR departments are trained to avoid any information that could be construed as influencing a decision based on protected characteristics. A photo reveals your apparent age, ethnicity, and gender — all protected categories. Many hiring managers will discard a resume with a photo simply to protect their company from potential discrimination claims.
If you are applying for jobs in these countries:
- Remove the photo entirely, no exceptions
- This rule applies even if you are a European candidate applying remotely
- It applies across industries, including creative fields where you might assume appearance matters
France and Continental Europe: Photos Are Common
The situation in France and much of continental Europe is the opposite. While no law requires a photo on a French CV, the cultural expectation is strong. Studies suggest that the majority of CVs submitted in France include a photo, and its absence can sometimes raise questions.
In countries like Germany, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, and Austria, including a professional headshot is considered standard practice in most industries.
The nuance for France specifically:
French labor law (Article L1132-1 of the Labor Code) prohibits discrimination based on physical appearance. An employer cannot legally demand a photo, and they cannot reject a candidate for not including one. However, if you voluntarily include a photo, they may look at it. The legal framework protects you; the cultural norm still nudges toward inclusion.
Sectors where a photo adds value in France and Europe:
- Client-facing roles: sales, hospitality, luxury, customer service
- Communications and public relations
- Marketing and brand representation
- Any role where personal presentation is explicitly part of the job
Sectors where a photo is less expected, even in Europe:
- Technology and software development
- Academic research
- Back-office and support functions at large corporations
- Roles where the recruitment process is heavily automated via ATS software
What Makes a Good Resume Photo
If you are applying in a market where photos are appropriate, the quality of your photo matters enormously. A poor photo is worse than no photo.
Technical requirements:
- Dimensions: approximately 3.5 cm × 4.5 cm (portrait format)
- Resolution: 300 dpi minimum for print quality
- File format: JPG or PNG, under 200 KB
Visual guidelines:
- Background: plain and neutral — white, light grey, or soft blue
- Framing: head and shoulders, camera at eye level
- Expression: natural, professional smile — approachable but not casual
- Clothing: appropriate for your industry; formal for conservative sectors, smart casual for others
- Lighting: even, diffused natural light or studio lighting; avoid harsh shadows and lens glare
What to avoid:
- Selfies of any kind
- Cropped photos from social events, holidays, or group shots
- Social media filters or heavy retouching
- Bright or patterned backgrounds
- Clothing that would not be appropriate in the office
- Outdated photos that no longer reflect your appearance
The Rule for Remote and International Applications
If you are based in France or Europe and applying for a position at an international company — particularly one headquartered in the US or UK — follow the conventions of the hiring country, not your own.
When in doubt:
- Research the company's home country and its local norms
- Check whether the job posting gives any indication of expected format
- Default to no photo if you are uncertain and the company appears Anglo-Saxon
ATS Systems and Photos
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) — the software used by most medium and large companies to filter resumes before a human sees them — generally cannot process photos. At best, the photo is ignored. At worst, depending on how it is embedded in the document, it can corrupt the text extraction and cause your qualifications to be misread or missed entirely.
If you know a company uses ATS screening (common at companies with over 100 employees), consider submitting a photo-free version of your resume, even in markets where photos are normally included.
The resume photo question has a clear answer once you know where you are applying. For the US, UK, Canada, and Australia: leave it out, always. For France and most of continental Europe: include one if you have a professional photo, and skip it if you do not.
Our CV Builder handles this for you with country-specific templates: photo-ready layouts for European markets and clean, photo-free designs optimized for Anglo-Saxon markets. Build your resume for free →
