What the Europass instructions actually say
The template instructions come from Cedefop, the EU agency behind Europass at the time. The copy I read is dated 2002 to 2010, so it describes the downloadable template, not necessarily today's online editor, whose photo rules I could not confirm.
On the photograph, the instructions are short. The box above the personal information reads "Insert photograph if requested (optional)", and the note beneath it says that "a picture is not essential in a CV, unless requested by the employer". It adds that the format should preferably be jpg.
The same document tells you to remove any optional heading that does not add value to your application. A photograph box that you leave empty is therefore the template working as designed.
The personal information block, one field at a time
The last column shows what two UK university careers pages suggest for a UK application.
| Field | What the template says | For a UK application |
|---|
| Photograph | "If requested (optional)". Preferably jpg. | Leave it out unless the employer asks. St Andrews careers advises no photo unless asked, and Kent says UK CVs do not tend to include one. |
| Date of birth | Optional, written as dd/mm/yyyy. | Leave it out. The St Andrews page names date of birth in the same sentence as the photo. |
| Gender | Optional, Male or Female. | Delete the row. Neither UK page I read asks for it, and the template lets you remove it. |
| Nationality | Optional. | Your call. Include it only if the role or the advert makes it relevant. |
| Address | Complete postal address. For the United Kingdom, write the country out in full. | Keep it, with the country written in full if you apply from abroad. |
| Length | Two pages are enough in most cases. Three may be seen as too long in some countries. | Stay at two pages. |
St Andrews puts it in one sentence: do not include a photo (unless you are asked for one), your date of birth or your marital status. Europass offers boxes for the first two.
When the answer changes
The answer depends on who receives the CV.
| Who is reading | Photo? | Basis |
|---|
| UK employer, advert says nothing about photos | No | Kent and St Andrews careers pages, both read on 2 November 2026. |
| Employer, agency or portal asks for one | Yes, as asked | The template says "unless requested by the employer". St Andrews says "unless you are asked for one". |
| Programme forbids it in writing | No | A 2027 master's intake tells applicants not to include a photograph or risk rejection for formal reasons. |
| Job in Germany, Austria or Switzerland | Often yes | Practice differs by country, so read our guides to the German CV photo and the size that applies there. |
A portal upload slot labelled photo counts as a request. If nothing asks for one, the safe default for a UK role is an empty box and a stronger first page.
Why Europass looks unusual to a UK reader
A recruitment-blog author who writes about jobs across Europe says the Europass layout lets subsections split across two pages and that recruiters want information "in a compact fashion". The same author calls a passport photo on a CV unprofessional. That is one writer's opinion from a commercial site, though it matches the university pages on the photo point.
If a programme or employer insists on Europass, keep the structure but delete the optional rows. For a UK role without that instruction, a plain two-page UK layout avoids sending signals about another country.
If you do add a photo
The Europass instructions give only the file type, jpg, and say nothing about measurements. I found no official size, so treat any figure on a third-party site as a house rule. If the editor shows limits when you upload, follow those. Use a recent head and shoulders photo in which you look the way you will at the interview.
Our guide to CV templates that include a photo covers the Word and Canva side of placing the picture.
Where an AI portrait fits
Profilfoto KI creates a photorealistic portrait from your own selfies, so no studio appointment is needed. You select between 1 and 10 selfies for each generation. The first photo is free and carries a watermark, which lets you check the likeness before you pay. Paid packages are a one-off payment with no subscription, in euros: 2 photos for 4.99 euros, 12 photos for 29 euros and 40 photos for 79 euros.
Business Studio and LinkedIn Modern are the styles that suit a CV. Uploaded selfies are stored in Frankfurt and deleted automatically after 90 days at the latest. Images are generated through the API of a large US provider. The result is a CV or profile portrait, not a biometric or passport photo.
For most UK applicants the better home for a portrait is a professional profile, so our LinkedIn photo guide may help more.
Questions about the Europass photo
Do I need a photo on a Europass CV?
No. The Cedefop instructions for the Europass template label the photograph field "if requested (optional)" and say a picture is not essential unless the employer requests it.
What file format and size does the Europass photo take?
The old template instructions say the format should preferably be jpg. They give no pixel size or file weight, and I found no official figure for the current online editor. If the editor shows its own limits, follow those.
Should I use the Europass format for a UK application?
Only if the employer or programme asks for it. Two UK university careers pages say a UK CV should not include a photo unless you are asked for one, and one recruitment-blog author argues that candidates for jobs in Europe should tailor the CV to the role and skip Europass.
Does a photo on my CV break the Equality Act 2010?
The Act binds the employer, not the applicant. Section 39(1)(a) says an employer must not discriminate in the arrangements it makes for deciding to whom to offer employment. I found no rule that bans an applicant from sending a photo, but a photo shows age, sex and ethnicity at a glance, which is why careers services advise leaving it off.
The application programme says no photograph. Does that apply to Europass too?
Yes. One 2027 master's programme tells applicants to send an English Europass CV and adds that including a photograph might cause the application to be rejected for formal reasons. The recipient's written instructions beat the template.
Can an AI portrait go on a Europass CV?
If the recipient wants a photo, an AI portrait made from your own selfies can serve, provided it still looks like you. Do not use it for passport, visa or other official documents.
Sources read on 2 November 2026
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