Should I include a photo on my UK CV?

Every UK ATS I've seen in the last decade either strips photos automatically or flags applications with photos for HR review. The reason is the Equality Act 2010 — recruiters and hiring managers can be exposed to discrimination claims if a candidate not selected can show that age, ethnicity, gender, or disability information was visible. The clean fix is no photo. So most companies built that into their process, and most UK candidates know not to include one.

I see photos most often on CVs from candidates relocating from continental Europe (where photos are conventional in Germany, France, Italy) and from US candidates who don't realise the UK norm is different. In both cases, the photo itself isn't a serious problem — what it signals is. It tells me the candidate hasn't done five minutes of UK-specific research before applying. That's the deeper issue.

The exceptions are narrow and role-specific. Front-of-house hospitality occasionally still asks for photos. Acting and modelling agencies do, obviously. Some traditional retail or sales roles in conservative industries may. But for any office-based, professional, or technical role in 2026, leave the photo off.

Same rule applies to date of birth, marital status, nationality, and any other personal data that could be used (or appear to be used) as a basis for discrimination. The only exception worth noting on a UK CV is right-to-work confirmation, particularly if you're a non-UK national — adding 'Right to work: UK Skilled Worker visa, valid until 2028' or 'Right to work: ILR' is a positive signal because it removes a recruiter's first concern. Everything else on the personal-data axis stays off.