# Should You Put a Headshot on Your Resume? The honest answer depends on where you are applying. In the US, UK, Canada and Australia a resume photo is usually left off; across much of continental Europe, Asia and Latin America one is commonly expected. Resource. Published 2026-09-11, updated 2026-09-11. 12 min read. ![An isometric paper resume with an empty portrait square on a desk in soft light.](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/assets/guides/covers/headshot-for-resume.webp) ## The direct answer, country by country A headshot for resume use is not a global standard. In the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, career services and large job boards consistently advise leaving the photo off: employers there work under anti-discrimination rules that make them wary of seeing a face before an interview, and most applicant tracking systems (ATS) parse text only. In Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal and Italy a photo on a CV is still common practice, and in Japan and China it is part of the standard application format. France, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Nordics, India, Singapore and the Gulf sit in the middle: optional, and the right call depends on the employer and the field. The table summarizes common practice as described by major job boards and career services; it is not legal advice. When a job posting says anything about photos, that instruction wins. ## Resume photo expectations by region Common practice as of 2026, based on guidance from national job boards and career services. Always follow the specific job posting. | Country or region | Photo expected? | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | | United States | No | Equal opportunity norms make employers cautious about photos; ATS software often mishandles images. Recruiters may read a photo as unfamiliarity with US practice. | | Canada | No | Same reasoning as the US. Human rights guidance discourages employers from requesting photos, and many discard resumes that include one to keep hiring neutral. | | United Kingdom and Ireland | No | Not standard. Equality legislation makes employers avoid anything that signals protected characteristics, and some recruiters remove photos before shortlisting. | | Australia and New Zealand | No | Job boards in both countries advise against photos, citing bias concerns and ATS parsing. Occasionally accepted in client-facing roles, but rarely expected. | | Germany, Austria, Switzerland | Usually yes | A Bewerbungsfoto on the Lebenslauf remains common. Germany's General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) made it optional, so omitting one is legitimate, but many applicants still include a formal portrait. | | France | Optional, often included | Not required, yet a photo on a French CV is widespread and some hiring managers still expect one. Practice is mixed and slowly moving toward photo-free CVs. | | Spain, Portugal, Italy | Usually yes | A headshot on the CV is the norm in southern Europe. Leaving it off is not disqualifying, but it can read as an international template. | | Netherlands, Belgium, Nordics | Mixed | No fixed rule. A professional photo is often seen as a plus but is not required; follow the employer's lead and the conventions of your sector. | | Japan | Yes | The standard rirekisho format has a dedicated photo box, typically 3 x 4 cm, with formal attire and a plain background. | | South Korea | Traditionally yes, changing | A photo has long been standard on Korean applications. Blind-hiring practices have spread in the public sector and at some large employers, so check each posting. | | China | Yes | A small formal photo is commonly required on Chinese resumes, often in a size close to the local ID photo standard. | | India, Singapore, Southeast Asia | Optional | Not mandatory. A professional photo is often welcomed in sales, hospitality and client-facing roles, while formal sectors lean toward no photo. | | Middle East and Gulf states | Often yes | Photos are widely included and many employers expect one, but practice varies by company and industry, especially at multinationals. | | Latin America | Usually yes | A headshot on the CV is common in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and most of the region. Some multinationals follow US-style photo-free applications. | > **Why the US, UK and Canada say no:** Employers in these countries operate under equal opportunity and equality laws covering age, race, sex, religion and other protected characteristics. A photo reveals several of those at a glance, so many companies ask recruiters not to request photos and some strip them from applications. Add ATS parsing, which is built for text and often garbles a resume with headshot images, and the safest choice is a text-only resume. None of this makes a resume photo wrong where it is customary; the same document is simply read differently in different markets. ## When a photo helps anyway Even in markets where a headshot on resume pages is discouraged, recruiters will look for your face somewhere. The resume and the headshot are still a pair; they just live in different places. - **LinkedIn profile.** This is where a US, UK or Canadian recruiter expects to see you, usually before the first call. Put your LinkedIn URL in the resume header so the two work together. - **Email signature and company directory.** Once you are in a hiring process or a new job, the same headshot shows up on video-call tiles, internal directories and your signature. - **Personal website or portfolio.** Designers, writers, academics and consultants usually run an about page. The headshot belongs there, next to the work, not on the resume PDF. - **Client-facing roles.** Real estate, coaching, financial advice and sales all rely on a photo on the company site or a listing page. That is where trust is built and where a poor photo costs the most. - **Speaker bios and press kits.** Conference programs and podcast pages ask for a headshot and a short bio. For US and UK applicants, the practical move is to invest in the [LinkedIn headshot](/linkedin-headshots) and leave the resume clean. For applicants in Germany, Spain, Japan or Brazil, one [professional headshot](/professional-headshots) can serve the CV, LinkedIn and the company directory at once. ## What a resume-appropriate headshot looks like These looks from the Smart Headshots AI LinkedIn pack show the framing that reads well both on a CV and on a profile: head and shoulders, formal or smart-casual attire, calm background, direct eye contact. - **Charcoal blazer, white shirt** (outfit): ![Charcoal blazer, white shirt outfit example from the LinkedIn Headshots pack](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/assets/looks/linkedin/woman/attire/charcoal-blazer-white-shirt.webp) - **Navy crewneck knit** (outfit): ![Navy crewneck knit outfit example from the LinkedIn Headshots pack](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/assets/looks/linkedin/woman/attire/navy-crewneck-knit.webp) - **Light grey suit, no tie** (outfit): ![Light grey suit, no tie outfit example from the LinkedIn Headshots pack](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/assets/looks/linkedin/woman/attire/light-grey-suit-no-tie.webp) - **Black turtleneck** (outfit): ![Black turtleneck outfit example from the LinkedIn Headshots pack](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/assets/looks/linkedin/woman/attire/black-turtleneck.webp) ## If you do include one Where a photo is customary, treat it like the passport photo of your career: a small formal portrait that follows a predictable spec. ### Size and crop Most European CVs use a portrait roughly 4 x 6 cm or a passport-style 3.5 x 4.5 cm; Japan's rirekisho box is 3 x 4 cm; China commonly asks for a size close to its 2.5 x 3.5 cm ID photo. In every case the crop is head and upper shoulders with the eyes in the top third of the frame. Do not shrink a waist-up shot, because the face becomes too small to read once the resume is printed. If your source photo is wider than that, the free [profile photo cropper](/tools/profile-photo-cropper) gets you a tight 4:5 or 1:1 crop. ### Placement and format Top right is the conventional spot on a German, Spanish or Italian CV; top left works when your header is right-aligned. Keep the photo inside the header and export the resume as a PDF so the image stays put. Use a JPG or PNG at 300 dpi and keep the file under a few hundred kilobytes. Never screenshot a photo from social media; the compression is visible at print size. ### Attire and background Business formal or polished business casual, matched to the industry. A plain, light, neutral background prints cleanly, survives black-and-white photocopies and does not compete with the text. Our guides on [what to wear for a headshot](/guides/what-to-wear-headshot) and [headshot backgrounds](/guides/headshot-backgrounds) go into detail; the short version for a resume is solid colors, no logos, no busy scenery. ## Resume photo specifications at a glance | Standard | Typical size | File format | Placement | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | European CV (Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy, Portugal) | About 4 x 6 cm, or 3.5 x 4.5 cm passport style | JPG or PNG, 300 dpi | Top right of the header | Formal attire, plain background, head and shoulders | | Europass CV | Small square or portrait box in the template | JPG or PNG | Top left, in the personal information block | Optional field; leave it empty when applying to a photo-free market | | Japan rirekisho | 3 x 4 cm | JPG or a printed photo | Dedicated box, top right | Suit, plain background, at most a slight smile; taken within the last three months | | China | About 2.5 x 3.5 cm (one-inch ID size) | JPG or PNG | Top right | Formal, plain light or blue background | | Latin America | Passport style, roughly 3 x 4 cm | JPG or PNG | Top right or top left | Business attire; keep it small so the document stays text-first | | US, UK, Canada, Australia | None | Not applicable | Not on the resume | Put the headshot on LinkedIn and link to it from the header | ## Poses that work at resume size A resume photo is printed small, so the pose has to read instantly. Square shoulders or a slight three-quarter turn, chin level, eyes to the lens. These references come from our poses guide. - **Works.** ![Woman facing the camera directly with a natural smile, head and shoulders crop](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/assets/guides/headshot-poses/woman-straight-on-smile.webp) Straight on, soft smile - **Works.** ![Man with square shoulders and a neutral expression, head and shoulders crop](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/assets/guides/headshot-poses/man-square-shoulders-neutral.webp) Square shoulders, neutral - **Works.** ![Man in formal attire turned slightly to a three-quarter angle, eyes to camera](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/assets/guides/headshot-poses/man-three-quarter-formal.webp) Three-quarter, formal - **Works.** ![Woman with a slight three-quarter turn and direct eye contact](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/assets/guides/headshot-poses/woman-three-quarter-turn.webp) Three-quarter turn ## Resume photo do and don't **Do** - Use a recent portrait, taken within the last year or two, that still looks like you on interview day. - Crop to head and upper shoulders with the eyes in the top third of the frame. - Wear what you would wear to the interview for that specific employer. - Keep the background plain and light so it prints and photocopies cleanly. - Follow the job posting or national format (rirekisho, Europass, Lebenslauf) over any general advice, including this page. - Use the same photo on the CV, LinkedIn and your email signature so people recognize you across channels. **Do not** - Do not use a selfie; arm's-length framing distorts the face and the angle looks casual. - Do not crop yourself out of a group or vacation photo, and do not reuse a social media picture. - Do not use a photo that is more than a few years old; hiring managers notice the gap. - Do not apply heavy filters, skin smoothing or trendy app effects; the image should look like a normal photograph. - Do not include a photo at all when applying in the US, UK, Canada, Australia or New Zealand, unless the employer explicitly asks for one. - Do not let the photo dominate the header; the resume is a document first and a portrait second. ## Backgrounds that print well on a CV Plain and light is the rule for a professional headshot for resume use. These backdrops from the Professional pack are the kind that survive a black-and-white copy. - **Seamless charcoal** (backdrop): ![Seamless charcoal backdrop example from the Professional Headshots pack](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/assets/looks/professional/man/backdrops/seamless-charcoal.webp) - **Corporate lobby bokeh** (backdrop): ![Corporate lobby bokeh backdrop example from the Professional Headshots pack](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/assets/looks/professional/man/backdrops/corporate-lobby-bokeh.webp) - **Neutral beige studio** (backdrop): ![Neutral beige studio backdrop example from the Professional Headshots pack](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/assets/looks/professional/man/backdrops/neutral-beige-studio.webp) - **Boardroom depth** (backdrop): ![Boardroom depth backdrop example from the Professional Headshots pack](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/assets/looks/professional/man/backdrops/boardroom-depth.webp) ## Alternative: LinkedIn headshot plus a personal website If you are applying in a photo-free market, the question is not "resume with headshot or without" but "where does the headshot go instead". The answer for most people is two places: a LinkedIn profile and, if you have one, a personal site or portfolio. 1. **Get one good headshot.** A single clean portrait covers LinkedIn, the email signature, the company directory, speaker bios and any CV that does need a photo. Book a photographer, ask a friend with a decent camera and a window, or generate one with an AI headshot service such as Smart Headshots AI. A studio session gives you the most control; an AI pack is faster and cheaper and depends on the photos you upload. 2. **Put it on LinkedIn first.** Use the tight head-and-shoulders crop and a plain background so the small circular thumbnail still reads. 3. **Link, do not embed.** Add your LinkedIn URL and your website to the resume header. The recruiter gets the photo when they want it, and your resume stays ATS-safe. 4. **Reuse the same image everywhere.** Consistency does more for recognition than any single perfect photo. For headshot and resume examples that show this pairing in practice, see our [headshot examples](/guides/headshot-examples) guide. If you try the Smart Headshots AI route, the LinkedIn pack is the closest fit for a resume-style portrait and the Professional pack is a slightly broader set. Every order includes a full refund within 7 days if the results are not usable, and the Professional and Executive tiers include one free re-run; the Starter tier does not. It is one option among several, and for a resume in a photo-free market you may not need any of them. ## Key takeaways - In the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, leave the photo off the resume; put it on LinkedIn instead. - In Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Japan, China, the Gulf and most of Latin America, a formal CV photo is common practice. Germany's AGG and France's rules make it optional, so omitting one is legitimate there. - Where practice is mixed (France, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Nordics, South Korea, India, Singapore), follow the job posting and the conventions of your sector. - If you include one: head and shoulders, formal attire, plain light background, roughly passport size, top corner of the header, exported inside a PDF. - One well-made headshot can serve the CV, LinkedIn, the email signature and the company directory at once; a selfie or a social media crop will not. **Get a professional LinkedIn headshot instead** Upload a few photos and Smart Headshots AI generates a set of head-and-shoulders portraits with formal attire and plain backdrops, sized for LinkedIn and small enough to drop into a CV where one is expected. [Start with the LinkedIn pack](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/start?pack=linkedin) ## FAQ ### Should you put a photo on your resume? It depends on the country. In the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, the common advice is no: employers there avoid photos because of anti-discrimination norms, and applicant tracking systems often mishandle images. In Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Japan, China, the Gulf states and most of Latin America a CV photo is common practice. In France, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Nordics, South Korea, India and Singapore it is optional and depends on the employer. When a job posting states a preference, follow it. ### What size should a resume photo be? Roughly passport size. European CVs typically use about 4 x 6 cm or a 3.5 x 4.5 cm passport-style portrait, Japan's rirekisho box is 3 x 4 cm, and Chinese resumes usually ask for a one-inch ID size of about 2.5 x 3.5 cm. Crop to head and upper shoulders with the eyes in the top third, save as a JPG or PNG at 300 dpi, and place it in the top corner of the header. ### Do recruiters prefer resumes with photos? In the US, UK, Canada and Australia, most recruiters prefer resumes without photos, and some companies remove them before shortlisting to keep the process neutral. In markets where a photo is customary, such as Germany, Spain or Japan, recruiters generally expect one and a missing photo can look like an international template. What recruiters everywhere prefer is a clear, current, professional portrait on your LinkedIn profile, which is where they will look for your face regardless of what is on the resume. ## Related guides - [What to Wear for a Professional Headshot](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/guides/what-to-wear-headshot): After the backdrop, clothing is the decision that sets the tone of a headshot. Five rules hold in every industry; the rest depends on who will see the photo. - [Headshot Backgrounds: What to Choose and Why](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/guides/headshot-backgrounds): A headshot background is the second thing people notice after your face, and it sets the tone before they read a word of your profile. This guide covers the five backdrops that work, which one fits your industry, and what to avoid. - [Professional Headshot Examples](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/guides/headshot-examples): A gallery of professional headshot examples by role, backdrop and attire, with notes on what makes each one work and real before-and-after pairs. ## Related headshot packs - [LinkedIn Headshots](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/linkedin-headshots): The profile photo that gets recruiters to stop scrolling. - [Professional Headshots](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/professional-headshots): Clean, corporate-ready portraits for any industry. ## Links - [All guides](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/guides) - [Create your headshots](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/start) - [Home](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/)