Resume rules in the Netherlands
What employers in the Netherlands expect on a Curriculum Vitae (CV), what the law lets them ask for, and where the two disagree.
Call it a CV for the Netherlands or a resume for the Netherlands: it's the same document. Employers there usually want it written in Dutch, 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: Common
Common: expected in traditional sectors; increasingly optional in tech/international companies. GDPR best practices encourage omitting to reduce unconscious bias risk, but inclusion does not create automatic legal liability.
What the law says: GDPR (AVG in Dutch) + Equal Treatment Act (Wet gelijke behandeling): No law requires photos on CVs. Submitting a photo creates discrimination risk (unconscious bias on age, appearance, origin).
Date of birth: Avoid
Avoid: Omitting is recommended; including enables age-based discrimination which is legally punishable
What the law says: Dutch Constitution + Equal Treatment Act: prohibit age discrimination. Date of birth disclosure is voluntary. Law states applicant has right to keep age private.
Marital status: Avoid
Avoid: not included
What the law says: Dutch law protects against discrimination; no CV requirement
Sex or gender: Uncommon
Uncommon: generally omitted
What the law says: Equal Treatment Act protects against gender discrimination
Nationality: Uncommon
Uncommon: generally omitted
What the law says: Equal Treatment Act protects against nationality discrimination
National ID number: Avoid
Avoid: not included
What the law says: GDPR prohibits unnecessary ID numbers on CVs
The rest of the entry
- Local name of the document
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Language to submit in
- Dutch, English
- Typical length
- 1-2 pages
- Address detail expected
- Contact information (phone, email); street address not typically included
- Signature and date
- Not required
- Officially prescribed form
- None mandated
- Religion, ethnicity or caste
- Equal Treatment Act prohibits discrimination; not disclosed on CVs
- Health, disability or pregnancy
- Disability disclosure is voluntary and protected; not required on CV
- Other customary attachments
- Education, work experience, languages, skills
- Employer may not ask for
- Photo, date of birth, age, marital status, nationality, religion, ethnicity, health status (except if required for specific accommodation); any data enabling age, race, gender, origin discrimination
- Named statutes
- Wet gelijke behandeling (Equal Treatment Act); Dutch Constitution Article 1; AVG (Dutch implementation of GDPR, Regulation 2016/679)
- Data protection regime
- GDPR (EU 2016/679) + AVG (Dutch implementation 2018) + Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP, Dutch Data Protection Authority)
- Anti-discrimination statutes
- Wet gelijke behandeling (Equal Treatment Act); Dutch Constitution Article 1; Article 429quater Penal Code (discrimination offense)
- Local language source
- Dutch
Where this came from
Looked up 2026-08-15. Independently checked 2026-08-15. Medium confidence. Result of that check: Corrected.
Notes: Netherlands is a high-priority research country. Dutch law actively discourages photos and date of birth on CVs due to GDPR principles and anti-discrimination law. Employers have legal liability if CVs trigger bias. Equal Treatment Act defines protected characteristics and prohibits discrimination. Photo creates unconscious bias risk on appearance, origin, age—legally punishable.
Researched with AI assistants working from a written checklist, then independently checked. How we researched this