Germany · CV rules
German CV Photo: Is It Required? Size, Style and Placement
A photo is not required on a German CV, but it is still common. The IHK Pfalz and the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich call it optional, and Hohenheim University says it is common but not required. If you add one, the usual rules are a professional, friendly portrait with a neutral background, at the top right of the first page, around 4 x 6 cm. Skip selfies and passport photos, and leave it off if the employer asks you to.
You've read that a German CV needs a photo. Then you've read that it's old-fashioned and you should drop it. Which is it? Welcome to one of the most confusing questions in international job hunting, and the honest answer is: it depends, and the sources themselves don't fully agree.
Here's what German government portals, universities and chambers of commerce actually say, so you can decide with real information instead of rumours.
What each source says about the photo
| Source | On the photo |
|---|---|
| Make it in Germany (federal portal) | A photo is welcome in Germany but not required; on another page it says a photo is often expected but depends on the industry, with "major differences" between sectors |
| IHK Pfalz (chamber of industry and commerce) | Not mandatory. If you use one, it should be professional, not a snapshot or selfie, at the top right |
| Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) | Optional. If used, professional, suited to the job, with a monochrome background. Selfies and passport photos are discouraged |
| University of Hohenheim | Common but not required. Professional pose, neutral background, professional clothing, friendly expression. A passport photo or selfie is a no-go |
| TU Ilmenau | Optional but still common; a professional headshot at the top right of the first page |
| deutschland.de (federal government) | Describes attaching a passport-sized photo at the right-hand corner of a printed application, with name and date of birth written on the back |
| ausbildung.de | Not mandatory, referring to anti-discrimination law. If a company asks you not to send one, follow that |
Do you see the pattern? Nobody says you must. Most say it's common, and the sector matters. The deutschland.de description reflects traditional paper applications, which is why it still talks about writing details on the back of the photo. Today most applications are digital PDFs.
Photo rules at a glance
| Question | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Size | About 4 x 6 cm in portrait format on the CV, according to ausbildung.de. For a separate cover page, 6 x 9 cm as a guide |
| Position | Top right of the first page (IHK Pfalz, TU Ilmenau, ausbildung.de) |
| Background | Neutral or monochrome; busy or bright backgrounds distract (LMU, Hohenheim, ausbildung.de) |
| Clothing | Suited to the job and the industry (Hohenheim, ausbildung.de, IHK Pfalz) |
| Expression | Friendly and approachable (LMU, Hohenheim) |
| Age of the photo | Ideally no more than a year old (ausbildung.de) |
| Avoid | Selfies, snapshots and passport-style photos (LMU, Hohenheim, IHK Pfalz) |
| File | Send a PDF exported from a text file, not an image file (LMU) |
One small confusion: deutschland.de says "passport-sized", while LMU and Hohenheim say "no passport photo". The first is about the dimensions; the second is about the style. In practice, you want a properly lit portrait in a professional setting, not the stiff biometric photo from the photo booth.
Should you include one?
This part is our judgement, because the sources leave it open.
- Include one if you're applying to a traditional German employer, the sector commonly uses photos (Make it in Germany says this varies by industry), and you can get a good professional picture.
- Leave it out if the job advert says no photo (ausbildung.de says to follow that), if the employer asks for an anonymised application, or if you can't get a decent image. A bad photo is worse than none.
- Not sure? Look at the company's own staff pages and at the advert's language. A formal, traditional tone points towards including one; an international start-up writing in English may not care.
Whichever you choose, apply the same logic to the rest of your personal details. IHK Pfalz lists date and place of birth among the personal details of a German CV, TU Ilmenau says they are still often included, and Hohenheim lists only your name, address, phone and email as necessary. In other words, they're becoming optional too.
If you're going the other way
Moving from Germany to another country? The photo that's normal in your CV can hurt you elsewhere. Remove it before applying in the UK, Canada, Australia or the USA, where careers services advise against it. Images can also confuse tracking software, as we explain in do ATS systems reject resumes with photos?
And if you want a standard European layout as a starting point, Make it in Germany points to Europass as a template option, though it adds that companies usually appreciate an individual design. See our guides to the Europass CV template and the Europass format.
How to get a good German CV photo
- Book a professional photographer if you can. Studios usually offer several backgrounds, as ausbildung.de notes.
- Dress for the job you want, from the shoulders up: smart for a bank, neat and clean for a workshop.
- Choose a plain background and good lighting, and look friendly rather than stiff.
- Crop to portrait and scale it to about 4 x 6 cm in your document.
- Place it top right of the first page, next to your personal details.
- Export as a text-based PDF and check that the file opens correctly before you send it.
Frequently asked questions
Is a photo required on a German CV?
No. IHK Pfalz says it's not mandatory, LMU calls it optional and Hohenheim says it's common but not required. Make it in Germany describes it as welcome but not required, though often expected in some industries.
What size should a German CV photo be?
About 4 x 6 cm in portrait format on the CV itself, according to ausbildung.de. For a separate cover page it suggests roughly 6 x 9 cm.
Where does the photo go on the CV?
At the top right of the first page, as IHK Pfalz, TU Ilmenau and ausbildung.de describe.
What should the photo look like?
A professional, friendly portrait with a neutral background and clothing suited to the job, as LMU and Hohenheim describe. Ideally it's not older than a year.
Can I use a passport photo or a selfie?
No. LMU and Hohenheim both advise against selfies and passport-style photos, and IHK Pfalz says to avoid snapshots.
What if the job advert asks for no photo?
Follow the advert. ausbildung.de says that if a company explicitly asks you not to send a photo, you should respect that.
Does the photo rule differ by industry?
Yes. Make it in Germany notes major differences between sectors, so check the employer's own materials and tone before deciding.
Your next step
Look at the job advert and the company's staff pages and decide: photo or no photo. If you include one, make sure it's a professional portrait of about 4 x 6 cm at the top right. If not, move on to the next thing on the checklist: dates, signature and layout.
Keep going
Your next steps
Sources
- Make it in Germany: Application documents
- Make it in Germany: How do I find vocational training?
- deutschland.de: The perfect German resume
- LMU Munich Career Service: Application tips for students
- TU Ilmenau: CV checklist
- University of Hohenheim: CV checklist and structure
- IHK Pfalz: Tipps zum Lebenslauf (in German)
- ausbildung.de: Bewerbungsfoto (in German)
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