Australia · Resume rules
Australia Resume Photo: Should You Include One? (Short Answer: No)
Leave the photo off your Australian resume. The career services at the University of Sydney, UNSW and the University of Queensland all tell applicants to omit it, along with date of birth, marital status and similar details. One Australian government guide for Pacific Engagement Visa applicants calls a professional photo optional, so it isn't forbidden. But optional is not the same as expected, and leaving it out is the safer choice.
Picture it: you've polished your CV, headshot smiling in the top corner, and you're proud of it. Back home, that's normal. Then you send it to a company in Melbourne or Sydney and get silence. Was it the photo? Honestly, nobody can say for sure, because no recruiter will tell you. What we can say is what the people who teach Australians to write resumes actually recommend.
And here's the nuance most guides skip. The advice isn't unanimous, and it isn't a law. Griffith University describes leaving the photo out as "common practice", not a rule. The Pacific Engagement Visa guide treats a photo as something you can add if you like. So you're choosing a convention, not obeying a ban. Following it just means your resume looks like the ones recruiters see every day.
- What Australian career services say
- What to leave off an Australian resume
- Work rights: the line that replaces your photo
- If photos are normal in your home country
- Convert your CV to Australian style in 6 steps
- Before and after: the header (fictional)
- What about LinkedIn and application forms?
- Frequently asked questions
- Your next step
- Your next steps
What Australian career services say
| Source | What it says about photos |
|---|---|
| University of Sydney | No need to add a photo, date of birth or nationality |
| UNSW | Lists photo with date of birth, gender and marital status as details to leave off |
| University of Queensland | Leave your photo out, along with age, marital status and health status |
| Griffith University | Common practice to leave it out, unless including one serves your interests |
| Pacific Engagement Visa guide (Australian Government) | Optional: "you can include a professional photo" if you wish |
Four of the five lean clearly towards no photo. The fifth is written for a specific visa programme and just says it's allowed. If you're unsure, follow the majority and use the space for something that actually helps you get shortlisted.
What to leave off an Australian resume
| Remove this | Why | Put this instead |
|---|---|---|
| Photo | Sydney, UNSW and UQ all advise against it | Nothing. Keep a professional photo for LinkedIn. |
| Age or date of birth | Listed as unnecessary by UNSW, UQ and Griffith | Nothing; your dates of study and work show your timeline |
| Marital status | Not relevant to the job; UNSW, UQ and Griffith leave it out | Nothing |
| Gender, religion | Listed as details to omit by UNSW, Griffith and Live in Melbourne | Nothing |
| Nationality | Sydney says there is no need for it | Your work rights or visa status, if relevant |
| Health status | UQ lists it as a detail to omit | Nothing |
| Driver's licence | Griffith and Live in Melbourne list it as unnecessary | Mention it only if the job clearly needs it |
| Passport or ID numbers | The Pacific Engagement Visa guide advises against them | Nothing |
| Full home address | Sydney and UQ describe it as optional | Suburb and state, e.g. Parramatta NSW |
What should your top section have instead? Your name, a phone number, a professional email address and, if you like, a LinkedIn link. Sydney also suggests putting your name and page number in the footer from page two onwards. For the full layout, see our Australian resume template and format guide.
Work rights: the line that replaces your photo
This is the one personal detail that is useful in Australia. Sydney says international students and permanent residents may list their visa status and work rights, and Griffith notes that visa status is acceptable where it's relevant. Employers often need to know early whether you can legally take the job, so a short line near your contact details can save a recruiter from guessing.
- Citizen or permanent resident: "Australian citizen" or "Permanent resident, full work rights".
- Temporary visa: name your visa type and say what work it allows. Check the exact conditions of your own visa on the Department of Home Affairs website first, because the rules differ by visa.
- Still overseas: say your current city and country, and your planned arrival date if you have one.
If photos are normal in your home country
Many applicants come from places where a photo, birth date and marital status are standard on a CV, such as Germany and parts of Latin America and Asia. Your old CV isn't wrong. It's just written for another market, and it's a very common thing to trip over. The same difference shows up elsewhere: see how the rules compare in Canada, the UK, the USA and Europe. Many tracking systems also struggle with images, which we cover in our guide on whether ATS systems reject resumes with photos.
Convert your CV to Australian style in 6 steps
- Delete the photo and any table or text box that held it.
- Remove personal details: date of birth, marital status, gender, religion and ID or passport numbers.
- Change the address to suburb and state, or your current city and country if you're still abroad.
- Add a work rights line next to your contact details if it applies to you.
- Check the length. Universities describe about two pages as typical, and some sources allow up to three or four for experienced candidates. Sydney says one to three.
- Use Australian spelling (organisation, licence, programme where relevant) and keep fonts to two at most, in a readable size of 10 to 12 points.
Before and after: the header (fictional)
| Before (common abroad) | After (Australian style) |
|---|---|
| [Photo] CAMILA TORRES Born 3 March 1991, Medellín, Colombian Married Calle 10 #43-12, Medellín Passport: [number] | CAMILA TORRES Melbourne VIC | 0400 000 000 camila.torres@example.com | linkedin.com/in/camila-torres-example Work rights: Permanent resident, full work rights |
What about LinkedIn and application forms?
- LinkedIn: a clear, professional photo is normal and helps people recognise you. It's the resume document that stays photo-free.
- Online application forms: if a form has an optional photo upload, you can usually skip it. Do what the employer clearly asks for, and nothing more.
- Creative or appearance-based work: acting, modelling and similar jobs are a different case, where an employer may genuinely want to see you. Follow the job advertisement.
Frequently asked questions
Should I put a photo on my resume in Australia?
Generally no. Career services at Sydney, UNSW and Queensland all advise leaving it out, and Griffith calls that common practice. Appearance-based jobs like acting or modelling are the usual exception.
Is it illegal to include a photo on an Australian resume?
None of the sources we reviewed describe it as illegal. It's a convention: employers want to judge you on skills and experience, so most applicants leave it out.
One government guide says a photo is optional. Which is right?
Both can be true. The Pacific Engagement Visa guide says you can include a professional photo if you wish, while university career services recommend leaving it out. Since most guidance points one way, leaving it out is the lower-risk choice.
Should I include my date of birth or age?
No. UNSW, UQ and Griffith all list date of birth or age among the details to omit. Your education and work dates are enough.
Should I mention my visa status or work rights?
If it's relevant, yes. Sydney says international students and permanent residents may list visa status and work rights. Check your visa conditions with the Department of Home Affairs so what you write is accurate.
Do I need my full home address?
Not necessarily. Sydney and UQ describe a residential address as optional, so suburb and state are enough for most applications.
Can I use a photo on LinkedIn?
Yes. A professional photo on LinkedIn is normal. The advice here applies to the resume document itself.
Your next step
Open your current CV and delete the photo, birth date, marital status and any ID numbers. Swap the full address for suburb and state, and add one line about your work rights. Ten minutes, and your resume reads like the ones Australian recruiters expect.
Keep going
Your next steps
Sources
- University of Sydney Careers: How to write a resume
- UNSW Employability: Resume / C.V. guide with examples
- University of Queensland Employability: Résumé guide and checklist
- Griffith University: Applying for a job, resume booklet
- Live in Melbourne (Victorian Government): How to apply for a job in Melbourne
- Pacific Engagement Visa: Creating your resume for the Australian job market
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