The Short Answer
If you are applying for jobs in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, or Australia, do not include a photo on your resume. If you are applying in Germany, France, China, Japan, or much of the Middle East and Southeast Asia, a photo is often expected. The rest of this article explains why and covers every major region.
Why Most English-Speaking Countries Say No
In the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, resume photos are strongly discouraged, and in some cases, they can actively hurt your chances. There are three main reasons.
1. Anti-Discrimination Laws
Countries like the US have strict employment discrimination laws (Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and others) that prohibit hiring decisions based on race, gender, age, religion, or national origin. A photo reveals many of these characteristics instantly.
To protect themselves from discrimination claims, many US employers have policies that automatically discard resumes with photos. Some large companies even instruct their ATS systems to flag or reject applications that include images. This is not personal. It is legal risk management.
2. Unconscious Bias
Even with the best intentions, humans form snap judgments based on appearance. Studies consistently show that factors like attractiveness, perceived age, race, and gender influence hiring decisions when photos are present. Removing the photo forces the reviewer to focus on qualifications, experience, and skills, which is exactly what you want.
3. ATS Parsing Problems
Beyond the human factors, photos create technical issues. Applicant tracking systems are designed to extract text from resumes. An embedded image can confuse the parser, displace text, or cause formatting errors that result in your qualifications being missed entirely. Even if the recruiter is open to seeing a photo, the ATS may not handle it well.
If you want to make sure your resume parses correctly, run it through an ATS checker before submitting.
Country-by-Country Guide
Here is a breakdown of resume photo norms by region. Keep in mind that practices can vary by industry even within a single country, so when in doubt, research the specific company culture or ask the recruiter.
Do NOT Include a Photo
- United States: Strongly discouraged. Many companies reject resumes with photos to avoid discrimination liability.
- Canada: Same as the US. Photos are not expected and can work against you.
- United Kingdom: Not standard practice. The Equality Act 2010 makes UK employers cautious about any information that could introduce bias.
- Australia: Photos are uncommon and generally discouraged, particularly for corporate and government roles.
- Ireland: Follows UK norms. No photo expected.
- India: Generally not expected for private sector roles, though some government applications may request one.
Photo is Expected or Common
- Germany, Austria, Switzerland: Traditionally expected, though this is slowly changing. A professional headshot in the top corner is standard on a German Lebenslauf. The General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) made photos legally optional, but many applicants still include them.
- France: Common but not universal. Many French CVs include a photo, though anti-discrimination laws are pushing some companies to move away from this practice.
- Spain, Italy, Portugal: Photos are common on CVs, especially for client-facing roles. Not strictly required, but widely included.
- China: Expected. Chinese resumes almost always include a photo, and many application forms have a dedicated photo field.
- Japan: Expected. The Japanese rirekisho format includes a designated space for a passport-style photo. Use a professional photo service for the best results.
- South Korea: Expected. Similar to Japan, photos are a standard part of the Korean resume format.
- Middle East (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar): Generally expected, particularly for roles in hospitality, retail, and client-facing positions.
- Southeast Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines): Common and often expected, though international companies in these regions may follow Western norms.
It Depends
- Netherlands, Belgium, Scandinavia: Moving toward no-photo norms, especially at large international companies. Smaller local firms may still expect one.
- Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina): Varies widely. Photos are common in some industries but not required. International companies typically prefer no photo.
- Eastern Europe (Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary): Photos are common but not universally required. Follow the lead of the company culture.
When a Photo Makes Sense (Regardless of Country)
There are a few specific situations where including a photo can be appropriate even in countries that generally discourage it.
- Acting, modeling, or performing arts. Your appearance is directly relevant to the role. A headshot is expected and standard.
- Television and media. On-camera roles require a photo for casting purposes.
- The employer specifically requests one. If the application instructions say "include a recent photo," include one. Always follow the employer's instructions.
Outside these specific cases, your skills, experience, and accomplishments should be doing the talking. A strong resume with well-written bullet points will always outperform a mediocre resume with a great photo.
If You Do Include a Photo: Best Practices
If you are applying in a country or industry where a photo is expected, do it right. A bad photo is worse than no photo.
Photo Do's
- Use a recent, professional headshot. Taken within the last 1 to 2 years. Head and shoulders only.
- Dress appropriately for the industry. Business attire for corporate roles, smart casual for creative or tech roles.
- Use a plain, neutral background. White, light gray, or a subtly blurred office setting works best.
- Look directly at the camera. Make eye contact. Smile naturally.
- Use good lighting. Natural light is ideal. Avoid harsh shadows or overly bright flash.
- Keep the file size small. A high-resolution photo can bloat your resume file size and cause upload problems. Compress it to under 200KB.
Photo Don'ts
- Selfies. Never. Even a well-lit selfie looks unprofessional on a resume.
- Vacation or social photos. No beach backgrounds, no sunglasses, no drinks in hand.
- Group photos (cropped). Cropping yourself out of a group photo always looks awkward. You can usually see the edge of someone else's shoulder.
- Filters or heavy editing. No Instagram filters, no smoothing, no dramatic color grading. The photo should look like you, not an idealized version of you.
- Outdated photos. If you look significantly different from the photo, it will be noticed during the interview. Keep it current.
Where to Place the Photo on Your Resume
If you are including a photo, placement matters for both aesthetics and ATS compatibility.
- Top right corner is the most common and widely accepted position. It keeps the photo visible without interfering with the text flow.
- Top left corner works on some European CV formats where the name and contact info are centered.
- Avoid placing photos in headers or footers. Some ATS systems cannot read content in header or footer regions, and a photo there may cause parsing issues with nearby text.
Regardless of placement, make sure the photo does not push your content onto a second page unnecessarily. The photo should complement your resume, not compete with it for space. Browse resume examples to see how professionals in your field structure their documents.
The Bottom Line
The resume photo question is entirely about geography and industry, not about how good your photo is. In the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, leave it off. In Germany, France, Japan, China, and the Middle East, include a professional one. Everywhere else, research the local norms.
No matter what you decide about the photo, the content of your resume matters far more. Strong skills sections, quantified achievements, and powerful action verbs will get you interviews. A photo, at best, is neutral. At worst, it gets your resume filtered out before anyone reads a word.
Key Takeaways
- Do not include a photo if applying in the US, UK, Canada, or Australia
- Include a professional photo if applying in Germany, France, Japan, China, or the Middle East
- Photos can cause ATS parsing issues regardless of country
- If required, use a recent, professional headshot with a neutral background
- Never use selfies, vacation photos, or heavily filtered images
- Place the photo in the top right corner to minimize formatting interference
- Your resume content will always matter more than your photo