Country guides / Netherlands
Dutch CV Format Guide 2026
Dutch CVs are direct and factual: the culture distrusts overselling. One to two A4 pages, plain statements of what you did, a hobbies line, and increasingly no photo at international employers.
The rules at a glance
Length
1–2 A4 pages; 1 preferred if it fits
Photo
Traditional but declining; skip it for tech/international
Personal details
DOB still common, increasingly omitted
Dates
03-2020 – heden
Language
English widely accepted; Dutch for local firms
Tone
Sober and factual, no superlatives
✓ Do
- Be direct: plain facts, concrete results
- Keep it short; Dutch recruiters skim fast
- Include a hobbies/interests line; it's customary
- State Dutch/English proficiency clearly
- Apply in English confidently at international companies
✕ Don't
- American-style self-promotion ("world-class", "guru")
- Overly designed layouts
- Leaving language skills out
- Long paragraphs of prose
- Inflated titles; modesty is credibility here
💡 The Dutch value 'doe maar gewoon' (just act normal). A CV that overstates reads as untrustworthy, not impressive.
Quick answers
- How long should a Netherlands cv be?
- 1–2 A4 pages; 1 preferred if it fits
- Should it include a photo?
- Traditional but declining; skip it for tech/international
- Can I build one for free?
- Yes. The GlobeResume builder applies every rule on this page automatically, previews your cv live, and exports to PDF and Word. It runs entirely in your browser, so your data never leaves your device.
Build my Netherlands CV free
No sign-up. The builder pre-loads every Netherlands convention from this guide.