Should You Put a Photo on Your Resume?
Whether to put a photo on your resume depends almost entirely on where you're applying. In the US, UK, Canada, Ireland and Australia, leave it off — photos raise discrimination concerns and can trip up screening software. Across much of continental Europe, Asia (including India), the Middle East and Latin America, a professional headshot is normal and sometimes expected. Here's the full map.
Resume photo by country
| Country / region | Photo? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| USA, Canada, UK, Ireland | No | Employers often discard photo resumes to avoid bias claims |
| Australia, New Zealand | No | Not expected; focus on achievements |
| Germany, Austria, Switzerland | Often yes | Traditional, though anonymous applications are growing |
| France, Spain, Italy, Portugal | Often yes | A neutral headshot is common |
| Scandinavia | Optional | Increasingly left off |
| India, China, South Korea, Japan | Often yes | Photos are common; Japan’s rirekisho expects one |
| Middle East | Often yes | Widely included |
| Latin America | Often yes | A photo is customary in many countries |
When in doubt, follow the norm of the country where the job is based, not where you live. Applying to a US company from abroad? Skip the photo.
Why the difference? Two reasons
- 1Anti-discrimination law. In the US, UK and Canada, including a photo can expose employers to bias claims, so many recruiters set photo resumes aside before anyone reads them.
- 2ATS parsing. Images are invisible to applicant tracking software and can occasionally disrupt how nearby text is read. (More on this in our [ATS-friendly resume guide](/blog/ats-friendly-resume).)
If you include a photo, do it right
- A recent, professional head-and-shoulders shot — not a selfie or a cropped party photo.
- Neutral background, soft even lighting, and business-appropriate attire.
- Look at the camera with a natural, approachable expression.
- High resolution and correctly oriented — never stretched or pixelated.
- Skip heavy filters; you should look like the person who walks into the interview.
If you don’t include a photo
Don't worry that you're missing out. Add a LinkedIn URL and a portfolio link so anyone curious can find your face and personal brand — and reclaim that space for one more achievement. A strong [resume summary](/blog/resume-summary-examples) earns far more attention than a photo ever will.
Photos and the ATS
If you're applying through an online portal in a photo-expecting country, use a template that keeps your photo separate from the text so parsing stays clean. ResumeCraft's photo templates place your headshot in a dedicated area while every word of your resume remains real, selectable text.
ResumeCraft has 11 elegant photo résumé templates — plus plenty of photo-free designs for markets where you should leave it off.
See photo & photo-free templatesFrequently asked questions
Should I put a photo on my resume in the US?+
No. In the US, UK, Canada, Ireland and Australia, leave the photo off — it invites discrimination concerns and can confuse screening software.
Do photos help on a resume in Europe?+
In much of continental Europe — Germany, France, Spain, Italy and others — a neutral professional headshot is common and often expected. Scandinavia is the main exception.
Will a resume photo hurt my ATS chances?+
It can. Parsers can’t read images and a photo may disrupt nearby text. If you need one, use a template that keeps the text selectable and the photo out of the text flow.
What makes a good resume photo?+
A recent, high-resolution, head-and-shoulders shot with a neutral background, good lighting, professional attire and a natural expression.
Does ResumeCraft support photo resumes?+
Yes. ResumeCraft offers 11 elegant photo templates that show a tasteful placeholder until you upload your headshot — plus many photo-free designs.
Keep reading
ATS-Friendly Resumes: How to Actually Pass in 2026
What an applicant tracking system really does, the myths to ignore, and a formatting checklist that parses cleanly every time.
How to Write a Resume Summary (With 15 Examples)
The 2–4 sentence pitch at the top of your resume — with a copy-and-adapt formula and 15 examples by role and level.