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Format CV in Europe – photo, handwritten applications and the Europass CV

Three questions decide what your CV should look like abroad: should it have a photo, can the application be handwritten and is the Europass CV accepted? Here are short answers to all three.

Photo on your CV

It depends on the country. In some, a photo on the CV is still common, in others it is optional, and in some you should leave it out unless the employer asks for one. The safest rule: if the ad says what to do, follow it; if it says nothing, follow the local custom described below.

What differs between countries

A photo is common or recommended in:

Germany – a photo with a neutral background is still common in German applications,
Austria – optional, but still common,
Switzerland and Luxembourg – the CV usually comes with a (professional) photo,
Portugal – a photo is often appreciated,
Slovenia – EURES advises adding a suitable photo,
Finland – optional, but quite common these days.

It is up to you in Estonia, Spain, Croatia and Latvia – a photo is not required, but you can add one.

Usually no photo in Belgium (unless the job requires it or the employer asks), Ireland (only if the application form asks for one) and Italy (not needed unless the employer asks).

For the other countries our guides name no fixed custom – check the ad and the employer’s website, and if you are unsure, ask.

Your rights

A photo shows things that must not influence a hiring decision. Under EU law, employers may not discriminate on grounds of sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation – including when they recruit. As an EU citizen working in another EU country you also have the right to equal treatment in recruitment, and discrimination based on nationality is forbidden. Whether you add a photo or not, the employer must judge your application on your skills.

Practical tips

If you add a photo, use a recent, professional portrait with a neutral background – no holiday or party pictures.
Put it at the top of the CV, next to your contact details, and keep the file small if you apply by email.
If you apply to several countries, prepare two versions of your CV – with and without a photo.
When the employer uses its own application form, fill it in exactly as asked and do not add extras.

Handwritten applications

No. Across Europe, CVs and cover letters are typed, and they are usually sent by email or through an online form. The only handwriting you may still need is your signature on the cover letter in a few countries.

The general rule: typed and usually online

EURES advises a CV of at most two pages and a cover letter of about one page, and many applications go electronically through company recruitment websites. Our country guides show the same picture:

in Austria applications are almost always sent by email or online,
in Germany most applications are sent online – by email or through the employer’s own form,
in Estonia you normally send your CV and covering letter by email or through an online form,
in Iceland more and more employers use electronic application forms on their own websites,
in Switzerland, Spain, Ireland, Croatia and Malta the guidance explicitly says the CV or cover letter should be typed; in France the cover letter is usually typed.

Where a handwritten signature still matters

Greece – a typed cover letter with your handwritten signature,
Poland and Slovakia – the cover letter is signed by hand,
Hungary – the cover letter is signed by hand if you send it on paper.

So handwriting is about a signature, not about writing the whole letter by hand.

Practical tips

Follow the ad. In Poland, for example, applications can be submitted in person, by post or electronically – always in the way the employer asks for.
If an employer wants a signed letter, sign it, scan it and send it as a PDF together with your CV.
Use the employer’s own form when there is one – in Ireland application forms are widespread.
Keep the layout simple and readable. A free tool such as the Europass CV and cover letter editor helps you produce clean documents.

The Europass CV

Yes. The Europass CV is the EU’s own, free CV format, and our country guides list it as accepted or recommended in almost every country we cover. EURES recommends it because it makes your qualifications and experience easy to compare between countries. In a few places, though, employers prefer their own application forms or a local CV style – so use Europass as your base and adapt it.

What Europass is

A free set of online tools from the EU – “no hidden costs, no premium service, no subscription”.
A Europass profile where you record your education, work, language and digital skills, projects and volunteering, and a library for your diplomas and reference letters.
A CV and cover letter editor with templates in 29 languages.
A link to EURES: since 31 March 2025 EURES no longer has its own CV builder. You create your profile in Europass and share it with EURES, so EURES employers and advisers can see it.

You decide who sees your data and for how long.

How it is seen in different countries

Widely used or the most common format: Italy (widely used) and Greece (the most common format, although many companies use their own application forms).
Growing: it has spread quickly among employers in Cyprus and is increasingly popular in Lithuania; in Austria many companies accept or even ask for it.
Recommended by official services: in Germany and Bulgaria the Europass format is recommended; EURES in Malta and Romania and the employment service in Slovenia recommend it too.
Accepted alongside local CVs: in many other countries – for example France, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden or Ireland – you can use it, and in Spain it is a good alternative to a local CV.

Practical tips

Keep it short. At most two pages, as EURES advises. Leave out sections you do not need.
Tailor it. A Europass CV is a template, not a finished application – adapt it to each job and to local habits, such as the CV in table form in Germany.
Describe your languages with the levels of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), which Europass uses.
Use the employer’s form when there is one – in Ireland application forms are widespread.