No: in the UK, don't put a photo on your CV. The standard British CV is photo-free, and most recruiters prefer not to receive one. The exceptions are acting, modelling and some presenting roles. Ireland follows the same convention.
If you're used to European or Latin American CVs, where a photo is common, this is one of the first things to change for a UK application.
Why don't UK CVs have photos?
The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful for employers to discriminate on protected characteristics, including age, race, sex, disability and religion. A photo reveals several of these at a glance, so recruiters and hiring managers would rather not see it: it keeps the process fair and protects them if a rejected candidate later complains.
For the same reason, a UK CV also leaves out your date of birth, age, marital status and nationality. If you need sponsorship or already have the right to work in the UK, a short line saying so is useful; your nationality itself isn't needed.
When is a photo expected on a UK CV?
Only where appearance is part of the job:
- Acting and performing: a headshot, usually on a casting profile or as a separate file.
- Modelling: a portfolio, not a photo on the CV.
- Some presenting roles: follow the employer's instructions.
For everything else, including hospitality, retail and sales, leave it off.
Does a photo on your CV cause problems with ATS?
The Applicant Tracking System (ATS) ignores the image itself. The problem is the layout around it: photos usually sit in a sidebar, table or text box, and those make the ATS read your text in the wrong order.
In HAIRED's analysis of 10,000 CVs, 29% had embedded images or graphics, and PDFs with columns or tables failed to parse in 52% of cases, against 4% for a simple single-column file (see the study).
What should a UK CV open with instead of a photo?
Jane Smith
Manchester | 07700 900123 | jane.smith@email.com | linkedin.com/in/janesmith
Then a personal statement (also called a profile): 3-4 lines with your target role, experience and one measurable achievement. Keep your photo for your LinkedIn profile, where recruiters will look you up.
A UK CV is usually up to two pages, in reverse chronological order, with standard headings: Profile, Work Experience, Education, Skills.
How do you check that your CV is UK-ready?
- No photo, date of birth, marital status or nationality.
- One column and standard headings.
- Two pages maximum.
- Keywords from the job advert, written the same way.
HAIRED's free CV checker scores your CV from 0 to 100 in about 30 seconds and tells you what to fix, no account needed. To rebuild it, the CV builder has single-column, photo-free templates.
