CV for the Netherlands: photo or not, and which personal details to give
A photo is optional on a Dutch CV: werk.nl recommends one, while Radboud and TU/e call it not required. Give name, town, phone and email; date of birth and nationality are optional; never put your BSN on it.1
Written 13 October 2026. CitedCV. How we write our guides
Two Dutch voices that disagree about the photo
Search for this question and you will find both answers, and both come from serious Dutch sources. werk.nl, the job site of the Employee Insurance Agency UWV, tells job seekers that employers look less often at CVs and profiles without a photo, and to always add one. Its tips are practical: a recent colour picture, you alone, face clearly visible, calm background, no sunglasses or caps.
University career services are more careful. Radboud University's hand-out (version 7 August 2024) says a photo is not mandatory in the Netherlands but gives the CV more personality. TU/e's career academy says a picture is not a must, may help a reader remember you, and may also create biases. Leiden's Career Zone says adding a photo is becoming increasingly common.
So the honest answer is that both are acceptable. The rest of this page explains the law around it, then goes through every personal field one at a time.
Decide in this order
- Read the vacancy and the application form. If the form has a photo or date-of-birth field marked optional, you may leave it empty.
- Decide on the photo for this employer. A sales or client-facing role is where werk.nl's advice fits best; if you would rather be judged on paper first, Radboud and TU/e support leaving it out.
- Cut every field the table below marks as leave out, especially anything from your Turkish CV such as an ID number.
- Write one factual line on your right to work, if you need a permit.
- Check the header again: no BSN, no passport copy, no bank details.
The law behind the advice: equal treatment and privacy
Algemene wet gelijke behandeling (AWGB)
The General Equal Treatment Act forbids direct and indirect distinction on grounds of religion, belief, political opinion, race, sex, nationality, heterosexual or homosexual orientation and civil status (article 1). Article 5 applies that ban to offering a job and to the treatment of applicants while a vacancy is filled. Article 2 allows distinction on nationality only where a legal rule requires it or where nationality is decisive for the job. The version read on 13 October 2026 has been in force since 1 January 2026.
Age has its own act
Age is covered by a separate law on equal treatment by age at work (WGBL). In opinion 2019-23 the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights (College voor de Rechten van de Mens) found that a form asking for a date of birth is not, on its own, forbidden age discrimination. It added that asking for protected characteristics can give the impression they carry weight in the selection, so employers should be very careful with such questions.
What the Dutch data protection authority says
The Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP) lists what an employer is usually not allowed to process during an application: special categories of personal data such as health, ethnicity and religion; criminal data; the citizen service number (BSN); and a copy of an identity document. It may check your identity by asking you to show the original. The AP also says an employer may not require a video application, because a video can reveal origin, religion or a visible disability.
The NVP application code
The NVP Sollicitatiecode (version July 2025) is a code of conduct, not a law, written by the HR network NVP in consultation with the Labour Foundation. One of its principles for employers is to ask for and use only information relevant to judging suitability for the job, and it tells employers not to ask applicants about their current or previous salary.
No extra supervision law yet
A bill to supervise equal chances in recruitment was rejected by the Senate on 26 March 2024, 38 votes to 37. A new initiative bill on the same subject (36908) was, on 13 October 2026, still before the House of Representatives. Check the parliamentary page for its current stage.
Every personal field on a Dutch CV, with the source
Include means the CV needs it. Optional means it is your choice and no source we read requires it. Leave out means a source advises against it or the AP says an employer may not collect it at this stage.
| Field | Verdict | Why | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Include | Every CV section list starts with it. | Radboud, Leiden |
| Phone and email | Include | The employer must be able to reach you; TU/e warns against a student address that will expire. | Radboud, TU/e |
| Town or city | Include | Radboud lists city; TU/e calls a full street address allowed but not advised for privacy, because ATS systems keep CVs for a long time. | Radboud, TU/e |
| LinkedIn link | Optional | Radboud and Leiden list it as an option. | Radboud, Leiden |
| Photo | Optional | werk.nl says always add one; Radboud and TU/e say it is not required; TU/e notes it may create bias. | werk.nl, Radboud, TU/e |
| Date of birth | Optional | Radboud lists it as optional. Asking for it is not by itself unlawful (opinion 2019-23), but age is a protected ground. | Radboud, CRM 2019-23 |
| Nationality | Optional, only if relevant | Radboud says only if relevant. Nationality is a protected ground under the AWGB. | Radboud, AWGB art. 1 |
| Right-to-work line | Include if you need a permit | Only an IND-recognised employer can apply for a highly skilled migrant permit, so the reader needs to know early. | IND |
| Driving licence | Only if relevant | Radboud and Leiden add it when the job uses it. | Radboud, Leiden |
| Marital status, children | Leave out | Civil status is a protected ground; none of the CV sources list it. | AWGB art. 1 |
| Gender, religion, political views | Leave out | Radboud tells you not to include religious or political preferences; these are protected grounds and, for religion, special category data. | Radboud, AWGB, AP |
| Health or disability | Leave out | The AP says an employer may not ask about your health or past sick leave at interview. | AP |
| BSN (Dutch citizen service number) | Leave out | The AP says employers cannot ask applicants for it, with one exception for checking the job-quota target group; Radboud lists it under do not include. | AP, Radboud |
| Turkish ID number (TC kimlik no) | Leave out | Not on any Dutch source's list; it is the Turkish counterpart of a national ID number. | Radboud (by analogy) |
| Copy of passport or ID card | Do not attach | The AP says an employer may not request or make a copy during the application; it can ask to see the original. | AP |
| Bank account number | Leave out | Radboud names it as irrelevant private information. | Radboud |
| Current salary | Leave out | The NVP code tells employers not to ask about current or previous salary. | NVP code |
How to write the residence and work-permit line
If you need a permit, say so in one line under your contact details. A reader who has to guess may simply move on. These lines are samples, not legal advice; the kennismigrant and orientation year guides explain the routes themselves.
Living in Türkiye, needing a work permit
Work authorisation: Turkish citizen; would need a highly skilled migrant residence permit (Turkish citizens may apply with or without an IND-recognised sponsor).
Already in the Netherlands on an orientation year
Work authorisation: orientation year residence permit (zoekjaar), valid until 08/2027; free access to the labour market during that time.
Holding an EU passport as well
Work authorisation: EU citizen (German passport); no permit needed. Name the nationality here only because it answers the permit question, which is the relevant use Radboud allows.
Proof: what each source says and when it was dated
All sources were read on 13 October 2026. The date in the middle column is the one each page or document shows.
| Source | Date shown | What it says on these fields |
|---|---|---|
| werk.nl, profile photo tips | Not shown | Employers look less often at CVs without a photo; always add one. |
| Radboud hand-out | 07-08-2024 | Photo not mandatory; date of birth optional; nationality only if relevant; no social service number, bank account, religious or political preferences. |
| TU/e Career Academy | Not shown | Picture not a must, may create bias; full address allowed but not advised. |
| AP, personal data of applicants | Last edited 09 April 2025 | No BSN, no ID copy, no special category data, no criminal data during the application. |
| AP, sollicitaties (Dutch) | Updated 02 January 2025 | No health questions; data usually deleted within 4 weeks after the procedure, up to 1 year with consent. |
| AWGB | In force from 01-01-2026 | Protected grounds and the ban on distinction when filling a vacancy. |
| NVP Sollicitatiecode | July 2025 | Ask only relevant information; no question about current salary. |
After you apply: how long your details are kept
The AP says it is customary for an employer to delete an unsuccessful applicant's data no later than four weeks after the procedure ends. You can agree to longer storage, for example for a future vacancy, and the AP calls up to one year after the procedure reasonable. The NVP code asks for fresh consent after a year. You can ask to see, correct or delete your data; complaints go to the employer first and then to the AP.
- Keep a list of where you applied and when.
- If an employer asks for a passport copy before an offer, you can decline and point to the AP's guidance.
- If an employer asks for your BSN before you start, ask why; the only exception the AP names is the job-quota check through UWV.
Limits of this page
- It covers the CV, not the hiring stage: once you are employed, the AP says your employer is required to keep a copy of your ID.
- Screening for sensitive jobs, such as a certificate of conduct (VOG), follows its own rules.
- Germany and the UK treat photos differently; the CV photo and ATS guide compares them.
- This is not legal advice. If you think you were rejected on a protected ground, the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights handles discrimination complaints.
Next steps
- Go back to the Dutch CV format guide for the sections that follow your header.
- Write the motivatiebrief; it is a better place than the CV to explain a move from Türkiye.
- CitedCV, if you want the header built from facts you confirm: with the EU regional setting a photo is allowed and you decide whether to add one.
Questions people ask
CV Netherlands: photo or not?
Either is acceptable. werk.nl advises always adding a photo, while Radboud and TU/e say it is not required and TU/e notes it may create bias.
Should I put my date of birth on a Dutch CV?
It is optional. Radboud lists it as optional, and the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights found that asking for it is not by itself unlawful.
Can a Dutch employer ask for my BSN when I apply?
No, not during the application. The AP says employers may ask for it only once you start work, apart from a job-quota check through UWV.
Can an employer ask for a copy of my passport when I apply?
No, the AP says an employer may not request or make a copy during the application; it may ask you to show the original.
Should I write my nationality on a CV for the Netherlands?
Only if it is relevant, as Radboud advises. For most applicants from Türkiye that means a work-permit line rather than a nationality field.
Do I need to mention marital status on a Dutch CV?
No, leave it out. Civil status is a protected ground under the Dutch equal treatment act, and no CV source we read lists it.
Is it discrimination if an employer asks for a photo?
Not in itself, as far as the sources we read go. What the AWGB forbids is treating applicants differently on protected grounds such as race or religion.
How long can a Dutch employer keep my CV?
Usually up to four weeks after the procedure ends, according to the AP, or up to one year if you agree to longer storage.
Sources
- werk.nl (UWV), Profielfoto: met deze tips komt het goedwww.werk.nl/nl/werkhoek/profielfoto-tips
- Radboud University Career Service, Hand-out Curriculum Vitae (07-08-2024)www.ru.nl/sites/default/files/2024-10/Hand-out_CV_EN.pdf
- TU/e Career Academy, CVeducationguide.tue.nl/career-skills/tue-career-academy/self-guided-learning/cv
- Leiden University Career Zone, Sections on a Dutch CVcareerzone.universiteitleiden.nl/en/develop-your-skills/application-skills/cv/parts-cv
- Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, Personal data of applicantswww.autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl/en/themes/employment-and-benefits/job-applications/personal-data-of-applicants
- Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, Sollicitatiesautoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl/nl/onderwerpen/werk-uitkering/sollicitaties
- Algemene wet gelijke behandeling (wetten.overheid.nl)wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0006502
- College voor de Rechten van de Mens, oordeel 2019-23oordelen.mensenrechten.nl/oordeel/2019-23
- NVP Sollicitatiecode, version July 2025 (PDF via Stichting van de Arbeid)www.stvda.nl/-/media/stvda/downloads/publicaties/2025/vernieuwde-nvp-sollicitatiecode.pdf
- Eerste Kamer, Senaat verwerpt toezicht gelijke kansen bij werving en selectie (26 March 2024)www.eerstekamer.nl/nieuws/20240326/senaat_verwerpt_toezicht_gelijke
- Eerste Kamer, wetsvoorstel 36908www.eerstekamer.nl/wetsvoorstel/36908_initiatiefvoorstel_ergin_en
- IND, Highly skilled migrantind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/highly-skilled-migrant