Resume rules in Hong Kong SAR

What employers in Hong Kong SAR expect on a 簡歷 / 履歷表 (jiǎn lì / lǚ lì biǎo), what the law lets them ask for, and where the two disagree.

Call it a CV for Hong Kong SAR, a resume for Hong Kong SAR, or 簡歷: it's the same document. Employers there usually want it written in English and Traditional Chinese.

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: Common

Common for local Hong Kong employers in finance, hospitality, client-facing roles; Uncommon for multinationals and international firms to expect photos

What the law says: Not mandated by law, but inclusion may create discrimination risk under Sex Discrimination Ordinance (Cap. 480), Disability Discrimination Ordinance (Cap. 487), and Race Discrimination Ordinance (Cap. 602). Indeed.com HK guidance notes photos can introduce unintentional bias and recommends avoiding them.

Date of birth: Uncommon

Uncommon; local practice trend toward not including DOB on CVs

What the law says: Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486) restricts what data employers may collect; Hong Kong Labour Department advises against providing DOB at application stage to reduce age discrimination risk

Marital status: Avoid

Avoid; not expected or common on Hong Kong CVs

What the law says: Family Status Discrimination Ordinance (Cap. 527, 1997) prohibits discrimination on family status grounds; employer may not request marital status

Sex or gender: Uncommon

Uncommon; no standard practice of including gender on Hong Kong CVs

What the law says: Sex Discrimination Ordinance (Cap. 480, 1996) prohibits discrimination on sex/gender grounds; employer may not request gender information

Nationality: Uncommon

Uncommon for local hiring; may be relevant for foreign worker sponsorship processes handled separately

What the law says: Not found in primary legislation; immigration status regulated separately under Immigration Ordinance but not addressed in CV law or practice

National ID number: Avoid

Avoid; HKID should never be included on CV submitted during recruitment

What the law says: Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486) Code of Practice on Human Resource Management: employers should not collect HKID number from job applicants unless/until employment offer accepted

The rest of the entry

Local name of the document
簡歷 / 履歷表 (jiǎn lì / lǚ lì biǎo)
Language to submit in
English and Traditional Chinese
Typical length
1-2 pages
Address detail expected
Full address not standard; current city/district acceptable if included
Signature and date
No evidence of requirement for handwritten signature or date
Officially prescribed form
None; Europass not used in Hong Kong; no official government form
Religion, ethnicity or caste
Race Discrimination Ordinance (Cap. 602, 2008) prohibits discrimination based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin. Religious discrimination is not covered by named statute but falls under general human rights protections. Employers may not request or base decisions on religion or race.
Health, disability or pregnancy
Disability Discrimination Ordinance (Cap. 487, 1996) prohibits discrimination based on disability. Employers may not request health or disability information unless directly job-relevant and with justification. No mention of pregnancy complications on CV is expected or required.
Other customary attachments
No references, police clearance, or ID copies required on CV itself; may be requested post-offer
Employer may not ask for
Under discrimination ordinances, employers may not request or act on: sex/marital status/pregnancy (SDO Cap. 480); disability status or health information unless necessary (DDO Cap. 487); family status/care responsibilities (FSDO Cap. 527); race, colour, descent, national or ethnic origin (RDO Cap. 602). Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance prohibits collecting excessive personal data at application stage without justified purpose.
Named statutes
Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance, Cap. 486 (1996, amended 2012 & 2021); Sex Discrimination Ordinance, Cap. 480 (1996); Disability Discrimination Ordinance, Cap. 487 (1996); Family Status Discrimination Ordinance, Cap. 527 (1997); Race Discrimination Ordinance, Cap. 602 (2008, operative 2009)
Data protection regime
Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486) + Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) statutory authority
Anti-discrimination statutes
Sex Discrimination Ordinance (Cap. 480); Disability Discrimination Ordinance (Cap. 487); Family Status Discrimination Ordinance (Cap. 527); Race Discrimination Ordinance (Cap. 602); Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) enforces all four ordinances
Local language source
Traditional Chinese

Where this came from

Looked up 2026-08-15. Independently checked 2026-08-15. High confidence. Result of that check: Confirmed.

Notes: LAW vs PRACTICE split clear: Legally, discrimination ordinances restrict employer requests and decisions based on protected characteristics, but do not prescribe what applicants must put on CVs. PRACTICE has shifted toward omitting photos, DOB, and personal data to reduce discrimination risk and align with privacy best practices. The Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance applies to employers' collection and use practices; individual applicants are not bound by it, but including sensitive data invites discrimination. The Indeed.com HK guide (representing current market practice) explicitly recommends avoiding photos to prevent bias.

Researched with AI assistants working from a written checklist, then independently checked. How we researched this

6 sources we opened