Personal Details on a CV: What to Include and What to Leave Out, by Country

Few parts of a CV change as much between countries as the personal details. Information that is expected in Dubai or Berlin can get your application set aside in New York or London. Here is what to include, where.

What every CV needs

• Full name.
• Phone number with country code if you apply abroad.
• A professional email address.
• City and country (a full street address is rarely needed today).
• A LinkedIn or portfolio link if it adds something.

US, UK, Canada, Australia and Ireland: keep it minimal

Anti-discrimination rules and recruiting habits mean recruiters prefer not to see age, date of birth, marital status, children, religion, nationality or a photo. Including them can lead to your CV being set aside. The one useful addition is your right to work, if it is relevant: «Authorised to work in the UK» or «Canadian permanent resident».

Germany, Austria and Switzerland: more is normal

A professional photo is still common, and some candidates include date of birth and nationality. In Switzerland, nationality and the permit type (B, C, G or L) are especially useful for foreign applicants. Marital status is optional and increasingly left out.

France, Spain and Portugal

• France: no age or marital status; a photo is optional.
• Spain: a photo is common; never include your DNI or NIE number.
• Portugal: a Europass-like structure is familiar; age and photo are optional.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait

Gulf recruiters often expect a photo, nationality and visa or residence status, because hiring depends on visa transfer and nationalisation quotas. If you hold a transferable visa or residence permit valid in that country, say so in one line. A residence permit from another country is not transferable, so state only your current location and notice period.

China and Japan

Chinese 简历 and the Japanese 履歴書 traditionally include a photo and basic personal information. For foreign companies or English-language applications in these countries, follow the international, minimal style.

What never belongs on a CV

• Passport, ID or social security numbers.
• Bank details.
• Health information, unless required by law for the role.
• Salary history, unless explicitly requested.

Rule of thumb: include a personal detail only if the recruiter in that country needs it to make a decision.

Let the target country decide

The CV Analyz builder supports 24 target countries and applies their conventions automatically, including which personal details to show or omit. It never invents data: a nationality or visa line appears only if you provided it.