Resume rules in Spain

What employers in Spain expect on a Currículum Vitae (Europass), what the law lets them ask for, and where the two disagree.

Call it a CV for Spain, a resume for Spain, or Currículum Vitae: it's the same document. Employers there usually want it written in Spanish, 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, though declining. Approximately 40% of large Spanish companies have eliminated photos from initial CV screening due to blind recruitment policies.

What the law says: Not required. GDPR (2016/679) and Organic Law 3/2018 (LOPDGDD) require data minimization. Ley 15/2022 prohibits discrimination based on physical appearance. Employers cannot request photo in initial screening.

Date of birth: Common

Common (traditionally expected near top of CV), but increasingly omitted

What the law says: Not required. Data minimization principle under GDPR means birth date cannot be requested unless essential to job requirements.

Marital status: Uncommon

Uncommon, discouraged as outdated and misogynous practice

What the law says: Not required. Data minimization principle prohibits requesting irrelevant personal data. Identified as irrelevant to professional profile evaluation.

Sex or gender: Avoid

Avoid, prohibited under law

What the law says: Prohibited. GDPR Article 9 classifies gender/sex as sensitive personal data. Employer cannot request.

Nationality: Optional

Optional, sometimes included but not expected

What the law says: Not required. Protected under data minimization principle unless immigration status is job-relevant.

National ID number: Avoid

Avoid

What the law says: Not required. DNI (Documento Nacional de Identidad) should not be included per data protection law.

The rest of the entry

Local name of the document
Currículum Vitae (Europass)
Language to submit in
Spanish, English
Typical length
1-2 pages
Address detail expected
Full address traditionally expected but increasingly moving toward city/region only or none
Signature and date
Not required or expected
Officially prescribed form
Europass (recommended but not mandatory)
Religion, ethnicity or caste
Prohibited by GDPR Article 9 (special categories of personal data). Employer cannot request ideology, religion, race, ethnicity, or tribal affiliation.
Health, disability or pregnancy
Employer may not request health information in CV. Disability disclosure is optional and protected.
Employer may not ask for
Gender, sexual orientation, ideology, trade union membership, religion, beliefs, race, ethnicity, health status, disability (unless accommodation-related), age based on birth date, marital/family status
Named statutes
Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), Organic Law 3/2018 of December 5, 2018 on Personal Data Protection and Guarantee of Digital Rights (LOPDGDD), Law 15/2022 of July 13, 2022 on Equal Treatment and Non-Discrimination
Data protection regime
GDPR (EU 2016/679) + LOPDGDD (Organic Law 3/2018)
Anti-discrimination statutes
Ley 15/2022 (Comprehensive Law for Equal Treatment and Non-Discrimination), Organic Law 3/2007 on effective equality between women and men
Local language source
Spanish

Where this came from

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

Notes: GDPR and Spanish data protection law strictly limit what employers may request on CVs. However, practice shows CVs with photos remain common despite legal restrictions. This represents a legal grey area where hiring practice does not fully comply with data protection law. Discrimination based on physical appearance is prohibited but difficult to prove/enforce.

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

6 sources we opened