Country guide for Indian applicants · Sources checked 12 October 2026
UK CV format for Indian applicants
In the UK the document is called a CV, but for most jobs it is what Indians call a resume: a short, targeted record of your experience, usually no longer than two A4 pages. The big changes from an Indian resume are what you leave out (age, date of birth, marital status, nationality, photo) and a few Indian English words that read differently in Britain.
Academic and research CVs are the exception and can run longer. Sources are linked and were checked on 12 October 2026.
Indian resume vs UK CV
"Source" means we read it on an official or institutional page; "Common practice" means it is a convention, not a rule, so judge it against the job ad.
| What | Typical Indian resume | UK CV | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name of the document | Resume, sometimes CV or biodata | CV. "Resume" is understood, especially at US-owned companies, but CV is the normal word. | Common practice |
| Length | One to three pages | No longer than two A4 pages, as Prospects quotes from the University of Chester careers service. | Source: Prospects |
| Photo | Often included | Leave it off. Prospects: you don't need a photograph unless you are applying for an acting or modelling job. | Source: Prospects |
| Personal details | Date of birth, father's name, marital status, religion, nationality | Name, phone, email and, if you like, a LinkedIn link. The National Careers Service says not to include your age, date of birth, whether you are married or your nationality. | Source: National Careers Service |
| Sections | Objective, education, projects, experience, skills, hobbies, declaration | Contact details, a short introduction, then education and work history (most recent first), and references. With more experience, work history can come before education. | Source: National Careers Service |
| References | Listed with phone numbers | Don't put a referee's contact details on your CV (National Careers Service). "References available on request" is optional. | Source: National Careers Service Source: Prospects |
| Grades | Percentage or CGPA | Give the score with its scale (CGPA 8.4/10). UK ENIC issues Statements of Comparability if an employer asks how your degree compares. | Source: UK ENIC |
| Declaration | "I hereby declare…" with place, date and signature | Not used. Remove it. | Common practice |
What to change in your Indian resume
- Remove the personal block. Age, date of birth, marital status and nationality (National Careers Service), plus photo, father's name, religion and the declaration. GOV.UK lists age, marriage or civil partnership, race (including nationality) and religion or belief among the characteristics protected under the Equality Act 2010.
- Swap "career objective" for an introduction. The National Careers Service describes a few short lines that sum up who you are and what you hope to do. Name the role you want and your strongest evidence.
- Translate Indian English. In Britain "fresher" usually means a first-year university student, so write "graduate" or "entry-level". "Passed out in 2024" becomes "graduated in 2024"; "pursuing B.Com" becomes "B.Com, expected 2027"; drop "native place" and CTC.
- Use UK spelling and A4. Organise, programme, specialise. Set the page to A4; it already is in most Indian templates.
- Leave referees off. Have two people ready, with their permission, and give their details when an employer asks.
Sample section
A fictional software engineer. Names, employers and numbers are made up. No photo, date of birth, nationality or declaration.
ARJUN IYER London | +44 7XXX XXXXXX | arjun.iyer@example.com | linkedin.com/in/example Software engineer with four years building payment APIs in Java and Spring Boot for banks in India and the UK. Looking for a backend role in fintech. WORK HISTORY Software Engineer, Example Payments Ltd, London January 2025 - present - Maintains the card refund service and its monitoring; on call one week in four - Cut failed refund retries by moving reconciliation to an hourly batch job Software Engineer, Example Technologies Pvt Ltd, Chennai July 2021 - December 2024 - Built UPI collect-request APIs used by three partner banks EDUCATION B.Tech Computer Science, Anna University, Chennai, 2021 (CGPA 8.4/10) REFERENCES Available on request
CV or resume? What the words mean in the UK
UK job ads ask for a CV, and for corporate, public-sector, tech and most other jobs that means the concise document described above. If a US company or a US-style posting asks for a resume, the same document works; keep it to two pages and leave out personal details either way. Academic, medical and research CVs are different: they can be longer and list publications, grants and teaching. More in CV vs resume.
If you need a visa to work in the UK, GOV.UK says the Skilled Worker visa requires a confirmed job offer from a UK employer approved by the Home Office and a certificate of sponsorship from that employer. (GOV.UK) Your CV doesn't need to say much about it; answer the employer's right-to-work question honestly when it comes.
Many UK employers take applications through applicant tracking systems such as Workday or Greenhouse. Our ATS guides cover what those vendors document about reading a resume.
Check the file before you send it
Whatever the country, the first reader is often software that has to pull the text out of your PDF. The free check reads your PDF in your browser (the file is not uploaded) and shows whether your name, email, phone, section headings and dates can be found. It doesn't judge country conventions; use the table above for those. Resumity's 7 templates are free, single-column, and export to PDF and DOCX.
Questions
Is a resume the same as a CV in the UK?
For most jobs, yes. UK employers say CV for the short job document that US employers call a resume. Academic, medical and research CVs are the exception and can be longer.
How long should a UK CV be?
No longer than two A4 pages. Prospects quotes the University of Chester careers service: "We recommend CVs are no longer than two A4 pages."
Should I put my date of birth or a photo on a UK CV?
No. The National Careers Service says not to include your age, date of birth, marital status or nationality, and Prospects says you don't need a photograph unless you are applying for an acting or modelling job.
Do I need to list referees on a UK CV?
No. The National Careers Service says not to put someone else's contact details on your CV. Give referees' details when an employer asks.
Sources, checked 12 October 2026
We opened every page below on that date. Rules and forms change, so check the source before you rely on a detail.
- National Careers Service (GOV.UK): How to write a CV. Sections: contact details, introduction, education, work history (most recent first) and references; do not include your age, date of birth, marital status or nationality; do not put someone else's contact details on your CV. Checked 12 October 2026.
- Prospects (part of Jisc): How to write a CV. Quotes the University of Chester careers service: "We recommend CVs are no longer than two A4 pages"; no photograph unless you are applying for an acting or modelling job; your date of birth is irrelevant. Checked 12 October 2026.
- GOV.UK: Discrimination: your rights. Protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, including age, marriage or civil partnership, race (including nationality and ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, and sex. Checked 12 October 2026.
- GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa. You need a confirmed job offer from a UK employer approved by the Home Office and a certificate of sponsorship before you apply. Checked 12 October 2026.
- UK ENIC: Statement of Comparability. A certificate showing how international qualifications compare to the UK education system, for jobs, study or professional registration. Checked 12 October 2026.