Resume rules in Austria
What employers in Austria expect on a Lebenslauf (CV), what the law lets them ask for, and where the two disagree.
Call it a CV for Austria, a resume for Austria, or Lebenslauf: it's the same document. Employers there usually want it written in German (primary), English.
This is research, not legal advice. Employment and data protection law changes, state and provincial rules matter in federal countries, and practice varies by industry and seniority. Each entry shows when it was looked up and how confident we are. Where nothing reliable was published it says Not found rather than a guess.
Law and practice, side by side
The label on the right is what local hiring expects. The two lines under it are the law and the habit, which often disagree.
Photo: Expected
Expected/Common by convention despite no legal requirement; omitting photo is technically within rights but may be perceived as unfamiliar with local customs
What the law says: Gleichbehandlungsgesetz (Equal Treatment Act) prohibits discrimination based on age, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation; employers cannot legally demand photo or reject CV without photo based on these protected grounds, but not on appearance per se
Date of birth: Expected
Expected; commonly included at top of Lebenslauf
What the law says: Gleichbehandlungsgesetz protects against age discrimination; no legal requirement for DOB on CV
Marital status: Optional
Optional; sometimes included but less common than in post-Soviet countries
What the law says: Gleichbehandlungsgesetz and DSG/GDPR protect personal data including marital status; no legal requirement
Sex or gender: Not found
Not to be stated on CV; protected ground
What the law says: Gleichbehandlungsgesetz (GlBG) prohibits discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation
Nationality: Not found
Not mandatory; mentioning EU citizenship helpful; third-country nationals may need visa sponsorship noted
What the law says: Gleichbehandlungsgesetz includes ethnicity/nationality as protected ground; EU citizens have specific rights
National ID number: Not found
Not typically included
What the law says: Not found; GDPR/DSG restrict collection to necessity
The rest of the entry
- Local name of the document
- Lebenslauf (CV)
- Language to submit in
- German (primary), English
- Typical length
- 1-2 pages (two pages standard); one page for junior roles, rarely three for senior/academic
- Address detail expected
- City/region expected; full street address increasingly omitted for privacy (GDPR/DSG)
- Signature and date
- Handwritten signature and date expected/common on paper submissions
- Officially prescribed form
- Europass format accepted; no mandatory Austrian-specific form but traditional 2-page single-column layout with photo is convention
- Religion, ethnicity or caste
- Gleichbehandlungsgesetz prohibits discrimination based on religion and ethnicity; avoid on CV
- Health, disability or pregnancy
- Gleichbehandlungsgesetz and DSG/GDPR protect disability information; Optional to disclose if seeking accommodation
- Other customary attachments
- Cover letter common; certificates of education/training; references on request; EU citizens may provide CV alone; non-EU requires visa sponsorship clarity
- Employer may not ask for
- Age, appearance, religion, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital/family status, health, disability, genetic data, biometric data, political opinion per Gleichbehandlungsgesetz and DSG/GDPR
- Named statutes
- Gleichbehandlungsgesetz (Equal Treatment Act); Datenschutzgesetz (DSG) / GDPR (EU 2016/679); Arbeitsverfassungsgesetz (Labor Constitution Act, sections 96-96a); Austrian Data Protection Act 2018
- Data protection regime
- GDPR (EU 2016/679) + Austrian DSG (Data Protection Act 2018); Austrian Data Protection Authority oversees; recruitment data subject to GDPR lawful processing basis requirement
- Anti-discrimination statutes
- Gleichbehandlungsgesetz (Federal Equal Treatment Act); covers gender, age, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation; Federal Equal Treatment Commission handles disputes
- Local language source
- German
Where this came from
Looked up 2026-08-15. Independently checked 2026-08-15. High confidence. Result of that check: Corrected.
Notes: High-value row per instructions. KEY DISTINCTION: Gleichbehandlungsgesetz and GDPR/DSG protect applicants but don't prescribe CV content. Photo is NOT legally required but remains culturally expected despite legal risks for employers (age/gender/appearance discrimination). Austrian Lebenslauf conventions strongly influence expectations even though modern German practice increasingly omits photo. Employers acting on photo information face legal risk. DSG strictly limits personal data collection in recruitment to necessity; GDPR applies.
Researched with AI assistants working from a written checklist, then independently checked. How we researched this