The traditional German position: yes, include a photo
Historically, German CVs (Lebenslauf) have always included a professional headshot — typically a small passport-style photo in the top right corner. This has been the norm for decades in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. German hiring managers often note that a CV without a photo "feels incomplete" compared to their expectations.
This is genuinely different from the UK and US norms, where adding a photo to a CV is considered inappropriate and potentially discriminatory.
What has changed: international companies now expect no photo
The picture (no pun intended) is changing fast. English-first companies in Germany — startups, international tech companies, US and UK multinationals with German offices, and Big Four firms — have broadly adopted globally standardised hiring practices. Many of these employers actively prefer CVs without photos to reduce unconscious bias in initial screening.
If you are applying to an international company that posts its jobs in English, including a photo is optional and leaving it out will not harm your application.
The rule: match the company culture
| Type of employer | Photo expected? | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| German Mittelstand (traditional SME) | Yes, strongly | Include professional photo |
| German-listed DAX corporation | Yes, usually | Include professional photo |
| US/UK multinational with German office | No | Omit or optional |
| Berlin/Munich tech startup | No | Omit — not expected |
| Big Four with German operations | No | Omit — globally standardised process |
| International investment bank in Frankfurt | No | LinkedIn profile photo is sufficient |
For the English-speaking job market on EnglishSpeakingJobs.de, most listings are from international or English-first employers. You do not need a photo for most of these roles.
What a good German CV photo looks like (if you include one)
If you are applying to a traditional German employer and want to follow convention:
- Professional headshot — taken by a photographer, not a selfie or cropped holiday photo
- Neutral background (white, grey, or light blue)
- Business or smart-casual attire appropriate to your field
- Placed in the top right corner of page 1
- Roughly 3.5 cm × 4.5 cm (passport photo dimensions)
German photography studios offer Bewerbungsfotos (application photos) for around €20–50. This is the standard route for job seekers in Germany.
What actually matters more than a photo
German CV screening is far more focused on structure, dates, and substance than on presentation details. What hiring managers in Germany look for before anything else:
- Clear employment dates — year and month for every role, no gaps unexplained
- Degree details — university name, degree, and grade (in German convention this is the Abschlussnote, e.g., "1.4" which means excellent)
- Quantified achievements — "increased conversion rate by 18%" outperforms "responsible for marketing" every time
- Relevant keywords from the job description — German ATS systems keyword-match just like elsewhere
- Correct length — 1 page for under 5 years of experience; 2 pages maximum for senior roles
Need help getting your CV right for the German market? The AI portfolio optimiser on EnglishSpeakingJobs.de scores your CV against German employer expectations and suggests specific edits for the role you are targeting.
Bottom line
For English-speaking roles at international companies in Germany: skip the photo. For traditional German employers: include one. When in doubt, check whether the job posting is in English — if it is, you are targeting an international-culture employer and can follow your home-country conventions.
The rest of your CV — clarity, brevity, quantified results, and keyword match — matters far more than the photo question.
Start applying: Browse English-speaking jobs in Germany →