Country guides / United Kingdom
UK CV Format Guide 2026
The British CV is two crisp A4 pages opening with a personal statement. Like the US it bans photos and personal data (Equality Act 2010), but two pages are the norm rather than one.
The rules at a glance
Length
2 A4 pages is the standard
Photo
Not expected; it invites bias questions
Personal details
City + postcode only; no DOB, no full address
Dates
Mar 2020 – Present
Language
British English (organisation, analyse)
Opening
Personal statement: 3–4 lines, who you are + what you offer
✓ Do
- Open with a sharp personal statement tailored to the role
- Two pages, A4; use the space for evidence
- British spelling everywhere
- Include interests if they add character or relevance
- "References available on request" is still acceptable here
✕ Don't
- Photo, date of birth, marital status or nationality
- Full street address; city and postcode suffice
- US letter paper size or US spelling
- Overly designed templates for corporate roles
- Padding page two with filler; cut instead
💡 UK employers process applications under UK GDPR; they neither need nor want personal data beyond contact details.
Quick answers
- How long should a United Kingdom cv be?
- 2 A4 pages is the standard
- Should it include a photo?
- Not expected; it invites bias questions
- 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 United Kingdom CV free
No sign-up. The builder pre-loads every United Kingdom convention from this guide.