No. A photo is optional and neither expected nor required. It is common, especially in customer-facing roles, but a CV without a photo is entirely normal and is not marked down. If you include one, it must be professional and recent — a bad photo hurts more than no photo.
CV photo
Photo on Your CV: Rules, Tips and a Free Professional Photo
Should your CV have a photo? Guide to CV photos in Denmark: what applies, what makes a good CV photo, the typical mistakes — and how to get a professional portrait for free with AI.
Step-by-step guide
- 1
Decide whether you want a photo at all
In Denmark a CV photo is optional. The Danish Anti-Discrimination Act prohibits employers from considering e.g. age, ethnic origin, religion and disability, so they cannot require a photo either. Several large companies and public employers even ask for CVs without photos or use anonymised recruitment. Photos are still common — especially in customer-facing fields such as sales, service, hotels and restaurants, where appearance is part of the job. In IT, engineering and academic roles it matters less. The rule is simple: a good photo is a small plus, no photo is neutral, and a bad photo is a minus. If in doubt, leave it out.
- 2
Choose the right framing and expression
A CV photo shows head and shoulders — not your whole body and not just your face. Your face should fill about 60% of the height, and you should look straight into the camera. The expression should be friendly and relaxed: a small, natural smile works for most people; a wide grin or a stiff serious look rarely does. Keep your head straight, avoid sunglasses, caps and large earrings, and keep your hands out of the frame. Use a square or portrait format — it fits the CV, LinkedIn and your Arbejd.com profile.
- 3
Background, light and clothing
The background should be calm and plain or slightly blurred — a light wall, a neutral office or a quiet outdoor setting. No clutter, no other people, no holidays. Light should be soft and come from the front or at an angle: daylight from a window is best; avoid ceiling light that shadows the eyes and flash that flattens the skin. Dress as you would for an interview in your industry: shirt, blouse or blazer for office jobs, clean workwear for trades, scrubs or uniform for healthcare and service. Avoid large logos, strong patterns and clothing in the same colour as the background.
- 4
Technical: resolution, format and file size
Use a sharp image of at least 400 × 400 pixels (Arbejd.com stores profile photos at 471 × 471). JPG or PNG, ideally under 2 MB. No Instagram filters, no heavy skin retouching and no crops that cut off the top of your head. Use the same photo on your CV, LinkedIn and Arbejd.com profile so recruiters recognise you across platforms. Finally, check that the photo is no more than about two years old and does not show a hairstyle or look that no longer matches you.
- 5
Turn an ordinary photo into a professional portrait with AI
If all you have is a selfie or a holiday photo, you do not need a photographer. In the Arbejd.com CV builder you upload your photo, crop it and choose "Enhance with AI". You pick the background (office, light or dark studio, workshop, clinic, kitchen, classroom, shop and more), attire (blazer, shirt, knitwear, workwear, scrubs, chef coat and more), colour, style and expression — or leave them unchanged. The AI keeps your face, hair, age and build and does not add glasses, jewellery or headwear that were not there. After 10–30 seconds you see before and after and decide whether to use the result. It is free and equivalent to having had a photographer with a studio and a wardrobe — it is still you.
- 6
Place the photo correctly in the CV and keep it current
Put the photo at the top next to your name and contact details — typically in the right or left corner, about 3–4 cm in size. It should not dominate the page. Note that ATS systems (employers’ CV scanners) do not read images: do not place it in a table or header together with the text, and never write information into the image itself. If you send the CV as a PDF, the photo travels correctly. Replace the photo whenever your appearance changes noticeably — and at least every two years.
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Frequently asked questions
No. The Danish Anti-Discrimination Act prohibits employers from considering race, skin colour, religion, political views, sexual orientation, age, disability and national, social or ethnic origin when hiring — so they cannot require a photo, neither in the CV nor in an application form. Several companies and most public employers actively ask for CVs without photos.
Yes — and it is recommended. The same photo on LinkedIn, your CV and your job profile makes you recognisable to recruiters, who almost always look candidates up. Just make sure the LinkedIn photo meets the requirements: head and shoulders, calm background, good light and less than two years old.
Yes, as long as it is still you. Changing background, clothing and light is equivalent to visiting a photographer with a studio and a wardrobe — job seekers have always done that. The line is your face: if you change facial features, age or build, you are misleading, and it will be noticed at the interview. Arbejd.com’s AI enhancement is built for exactly this: it keeps face, hair, age and build and changes only background, attire, colour, style and optionally expression.
Yes, if you do it right. Use the rear camera with a timer or a helper — an arm’s-length selfie distorts the face. Stand facing a window in daylight with a calm wall behind you, and keep the camera at eye level about 1.5 metres away. Take many shots and pick the one with the most natural expression. If the background or clothing is not right, the AI enhancement in the Arbejd.com CV builder can fix it afterwards.
A portrait photographer typically charges DKK 500–1,500 for a short session with a few edited photos. Foreign AI headshot services typically cost USD 20–40 and generate entirely new images. On Arbejd.com, AI enhancement of your own profile photo is free: you keep your face, choose background and attire and have the result in 10–30 seconds.