Resume rules in Somalia
What employers in Somalia expect on a Curriculum Vitae, what the law lets them ask for, and where the two disagree.
Call it a CV for Somalia or a resume for Somalia: it's the same document. Employers there usually want it written in English, Arabic.
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; two passport photos required for work permit
What the law says: No legal requirement for CV photo
Date of birth: Optional
Optional; age verification via documents when needed
What the law says: Not found in employment law
Marital status: Optional
Optional
Sex or gender: Not found
Not found
Nationality: Optional
Optional
National ID number: Optional
Optional
The rest of the entry
- Local name of the document
- Curriculum Vitae
- Language to submit in
- English, Arabic
- Typical length
- 1-2 pages
- Address detail expected
- Not specified; contact information included
- Religion, ethnicity or caste
- Protected under Provisional Constitution; gender equality guaranteed
- Other customary attachments
- For work permits: passport photos, educational certificates, relevant certifications, work permit approval from relevant ministry
- Employer may not ask for
- Discrimination based on sex, gender per Constitution
- Named statutes
- Labour Code (Law Number 65, 1972); Provisional Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia (2012) (both in English; Arabic versions exist)
- Anti-discrimination statutes
- Labour Code 1972; Provisional Constitution 2012
- 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: Labour Code is from 1972 and predates modern data protection frameworks. Conflicting information on whether CV photos are standard practice vs. work permit requirement only. Both English and Arabic widely used but English more common for formal documents.
Researched with AI assistants working from a written checklist, then independently checked. How we researched this