Checked 26 October 2026

CV rules by country: photo, personal details and length

What official careers services in the UK, US, Canada and Germany say a CV should and shouldn't include, next to common practice in the Gulf and Pakistan. Every cell links to its source; where there is no official source we say "common practice".

CountryPhotoPersonal detailsLengthAlso
UKNot mentioned officially; left off by convention common practiceLeave out age, date of birth, marital status, nationality National Careers Service"Clear and to the point" (no page count) National Careers ServiceShort introduction under your name National Careers Service
USALeave it off US Dept of LaborLeave out age, gender, race, marital status, children US Dept of Labor1–2 pages, about 10 years of work CareerOneStopATS: no headers/footers or images US Dept of Labor
Canada"Not the norm in Canada" Job BankLeave out age, marital status, religion, SIN Job BankTwo pages at most Job BankNo "I" or "my"; references on request Job Bank
GermanyStill expected, top right (not obligatory) EURESContact details; photo EURESAt most two pages, newest first EURESTabular; sign and date it EURES
UAE, Saudi, QatarCommon practice, no official rule common practiceCommon practice: nationality, visa status, licence, languages common practiceTwo pages is common common practiceUAE law bans discrimination (Art. 4) u.ae
PakistanCommon; government posts use their own forms common practiceCommon; never post your CNIC publicly common practiceOne to two pages is common common practiceGovernment jobs: apply on the portal's form common practice

Rules by job

NurseLicence or registration (NMC PIN, DHA, SCFHS) at the top Nurses.co.uk
EngineerRegistration (PEC; Saudi Council of Engineers, required to practise in Saudi Arabia) SCE
Fresh graduateEducation right after the introduction; projects and volunteering count National Careers Service
Any job, screening softwareContact details in the body, no headers/footers or images, keywords in long form and acronym US Dept of Labor

Make a CV that follows these rules

The CV maker asks your job and the country you're applying in, then picks the template, hides the photo and personal details where they don't belong, and adds the section your job needs (licence, registration, projects). Free, no sign-up, nothing uploaded.

Guides by country and job

Germany (Lebenslauf) · UK · USA · Canada · UAE & Saudi (Gulf) · Nurse (Gulf & UK) · Engineer (Pakistan & Gulf) · Fresh graduate

FAQ

Which countries expect a photo on a CV?

Germany (EURES: still expected) and, by common practice, the Gulf and Pakistan. The US Department of Labor advises against a photo, Canada's Job Bank says it is not the norm, and UK CVs leave it off by convention.

Which countries say not to include your date of birth?

The UK (National Careers Service), the US (Department of Labor: no age) and Canada (Job Bank: no age).

How long should a CV be?

US: 1–2 pages. Canada: two pages at most. Germany: two pages at most. UK: no official page count, "clear and to the point".

Is there an official Gulf CV format?

No. No Gulf government publishes one; a photo, nationality and visa status are common practice. UAE Labour Law Article 4 bans discrimination in employment.

Sources

Checked 26 October 2026. Where rules vary, check the job advert and the official source.