Resume rules in Ireland

What employers in Ireland expect on a CV, what the law lets them ask for, and where the two disagree.

Call it a CV for Ireland or a resume for Ireland: it's the same document. Employers there usually want it written in 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: Avoid

Avoid; recruiters routinely remove photos from CVs regardless of inclusion

What the law says: Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015 prohibit discrimination based on protected grounds; inclusion of photo could trigger age, race, gender, or disability discrimination concerns

Date of birth: Avoid

Avoid; strictly prohibited under equality norms

What the law says: Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015; no requirement but inclusion creates age discrimination risk

Marital status: Avoid

Avoid; must be omitted

What the law says: Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015 prohibit discrimination based on family status and marital status

Sex or gender: Avoid

Avoid voluntary disclosure

What the law says: Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015 prohibit gender discrimination

Nationality: Common

Common; non-EEA candidates should specify visa status (e.g., Stamp 4)

What the law says: No law against including nationality; right-to-work status may be required for non-EEA

National ID number: Avoid

Avoid; no legal requirement to include

What the law says: PPS number should not be included

The rest of the entry

Local name of the document
CV
Language to submit in
English
Typical length
1-2 pages
Address detail expected
Full address typical
Signature and date
No requirement mentioned
Officially prescribed form
None; reverse chronological with 3-4 line personal statement preferred
Religion, ethnicity or caste
Law: Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015 prohibit discrimination on religion and race grounds. Practice: Avoid disclosure
Health, disability or pregnancy
Law: Employment Equality Acts cover disability discrimination. Practice: Avoid voluntary disclosure unless required for reasonable accommodation
Other customary attachments
References available on request; ATS-compatible single-column layout recommended for multinationals
Employer may not ask for
Employers cannot ask for or discriminate based on: age, date of birth, marital status, family status, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender, nationality
Named statutes
Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015; Data Protection Acts; General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) EU 2016/679
Data protection regime
GDPR (EU 2016/679) + Irish Data Protection Commission oversight; Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003 (superseded by GDPR but relevant to CVs submitted before 2018)
Anti-discrimination statutes
Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015; Equal Status Act 2000-2015
Local language source
English only

Where this came from

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

Notes: Photos, date of birth, marital status, and PPS number are strictly prohibited under Irish equality law, which applies to employers. No specific CV format prescribed. Visa/right-to-work status disclosure is common practice for non-EEA candidates.

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

4 sources we opened