You're applying abroad, so you take your CV, translate a few lines and send it. Then nothing. Often the problem isn't your experience. It's that the CV breaks a local rule the recruiter expects you to know: a photo on a UK CV, two pages on a US resume, no referees on an Australian one, no visa status on a Dubai CV.
Short answer: there is no single international CV format. The UK, US, Canada and Australia expect no photo and no personal details like age or marital status. Germany, France and the Gulf still commonly include a photo. The US wants one page on US Letter paper, the UK two pages of A4, Germany a dated table with no gaps, Australia a referees section, and Dubai and the Gulf your visa status and notice period near the top. Pick the free template for the country you're applying to in the FileConvy templates library, edit it online or in Word, and send it as a PDF.
CV Formats by Country at a Glance
| Country / region | Called a | Length | Paper | Photo | What's specific |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | CV | 2 pages | A4 | No | Personal statement at the top; right to work; degree class and A-levels |
| United States | Resume | 1 page (under ~10 years' experience) | US Letter | No | No age, marital status or full address; bullets with numbers |
| Canada | Resume | 1–2 pages | US Letter | No | Volunteer experience; credential assessment (WES); English/French levels |
| Australia | Resume | 2–3 pages for experienced applicants | A4 | No | Registrations and checks; two referees with contact details |
| Germany | Lebenslauf | 1–2 pages | A4 | Common (optional by law) | Table with MM/YYYY dates; no unexplained gaps; place, date and signature |
| France | CV | 1 page (under ~10 years) | A4 | Optional, still common | Job title under your name; CECRL language levels; Bac+3 / Bac+5 |
| EU (Europass) | CV | ~2 pages | A4 | Optional | Fixed sections; CEFR language grid; EQF education levels |
| Dubai, UAE & Gulf | CV | 1–2 pages | A4 | Common | Visa status, notice period, driving licence and GCC experience up front |
The rest of this guide explains the reasoning behind each row, so you can adapt any CV, not just ours.
United Kingdom: Two Pages, No Photo
In the UK it's a CV, never a resume. Recruiters expect:
- No photo, date of birth, nationality or marital status. Leaving them out is standard and supports fair hiring.
- A personal statement: 4–5 lines in the first person at the top saying who you are, your best result and what you want next.
- Two sides of A4. Graduates and school leavers can use one.
- Your town, not your full address, plus mobile, email and LinkedIn.
- Right to work if you're not a UK citizen (settled status or visa type). It saves the recruiter a question.
- British spelling: organised, programme, licence.
Template: UK CV (Word & PDF)
United States: One Page on Letter Paper
Americans say resume. In the US a "CV" is a long academic record for research and teaching jobs.
- One page unless you have more than about 10 years of relevant experience.
- US Letter (8.5 × 11 in), not A4. An A4 file prints with odd margins in the US.
- No photo, age, marital status, religion or nationality. Many recruiters reject resumes that include them.
- City and state only, no full address.
- Bullets that start with a verb and include a number: dollars, percentages, time saved, team size.
- GPA only if it's 3.5 or higher.
Template: US Resume (Word & PDF)
Canada: American Layout, Canadian Details
A Canadian resume looks like an American one (Letter paper, no photo, no Social Insurance Number) with three differences:
- Volunteer experience counts, especially for newcomers building local experience.
- Credential assessment: if your degree is from abroad, a WES or ICAS assessment helps employers understand it.
- Languages: English/French ability, ideally with a CLB or NCLC level. Bilingual applicants have a real advantage in Ottawa, Quebec and New Brunswick.
One line such as "Permanent resident, eligible to work in Canada" tells an employer you don't need sponsorship. Use Canadian spelling (colour, centre, but organize).
Template: Canadian Resume (Word & PDF)
Australia: Referees and Registrations
Australians also say resume and leave out photos, but use A4 and add two sections other countries skip:
- Registrations, licences and checks, such as AHPRA registration, police checks or Working with Children Checks, with numbers and expiry dates.
- Referees: usually two former managers with name, title, organisation, phone and email. Ask them first.
Two to three pages is normal for experienced applicants. If you're on a visa, state your visa type and work rights.
Template: Australian Resume (Word & PDF)
Germany: The Tabular Lebenslauf
German employers expect a tabellarischer Lebenslauf: a table with dates on the left and details on the right, newest first.
- Dates as MM/YYYY, and no unexplained gaps. Explain any gap longer than a few months.
- A professional photo is still common, although it has been optional since the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) of 2006.
- Place, date and signature at the end are traditional, though no longer required for online applications.
- Language levels in German terms (Muttersprache, verhandlungssicher, fließend, Grundkenntnisse), ideally with the CEFR level.
- One PDF for the whole application (Bewerbung): cover letter, CV and certificates together. You can join them with Merge PDF.
Template: German CV / Lebenslauf (Word & PDF)
France: One Page, Well Designed
French recruiters favour a short, designed CV: one page under about 10 years of experience, with a job title under your name, a short profile, and a sidebar for skills, languages and interests.
- SURNAME in capitals is the French convention (optional).
- Diploma level in French terms: "Master (Bac+5)", "Licence (Bac+3)".
- Languages with CECRL levels (the French name for CEFR), often with a TOEIC, TOEFL or DELF score.
- Photo optional, still common; many large companies prefer anonymised CVs.
- Add a lettre de motivation. Most French applications still include one.
Template: French CV / Modèle de CV (Word & PDF)
Europe: The Europass CV
Europass is the CV format promoted by the European Union. Employers, universities and public bodies across Europe recognise its fixed sections: personal information, about me, work experience, education with EQF levels (a bachelor's is level 6, a master's level 7), languages rated A1–C2 on the CEFR scale, digital skills and driving licence.
Use it when a job ad asks for a "Europass" or "European format" CV, or for EU institutions and universities. For private employers in Germany or France, the local format usually makes a better impression.
Template: Europass-style CV (Word & PDF). It follows the Europass structure in an editable Word file. The official Europass CV is made on the EU's Europass website.
Dubai, the UAE and the Gulf: Availability First
Recruiters in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Doha screen hundreds of international CVs, so they look for practical details before anything else:
- Visa status: visit visa, residence visa (transferable) or outside the country.
- Notice period: "Available immediately" or "30 days' notice".
- Driving licence, especially a UAE licence.
- GCC experience, clearly marked, with results in local currency (AED, SAR, QAR).
- Degree attestation, if done. Many employers need it for the work visa.
- A professional photo is common and often expected.
Template: Dubai & Gulf CV (Word & PDF). The same layout works for Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.
Not Sure Which Format? Use a Neutral One
If you're applying to an international company, a remote job, or a country not listed here, use a one-column, ATS-friendly CV with no photo. Applicant tracking systems read it cleanly, and no recruiter will mark it down for missing a local convention.
- Professional CV: one column, results first, 1–2 pages.
- Fresh Graduate CV: education and projects first, one page.
- Modern Two-Column CV: a designed layout for when a human reads it first. Two columns can confuse some ATS software.
- Executive CV: two pages for directors and C-suite roles.
Pair any of them with the matching Cover Letter template.
Five Rules That Apply Everywhere
- Send a PDF unless the job ad says otherwise. A PDF looks the same on every device. Edit in Word, then save as PDF or use Word to PDF. If an online portal parses your CV badly, see why your PDF CV might not be getting callbacks.
- Mirror the job ad's wording. Use the exact skill names from the posting so both the ATS and the recruiter find them.
- Numbers beat adjectives. "Cut invoice processing from 5 days to 2" says more than "detail-oriented".
- Translate titles and qualifications. Give the local equivalent of your degree and job title, not just the original.
- Check the file before you send it. Open the PDF, check the page count, and keep the file name professional (for example
Ayesha-Khan-CV.pdf).
If your only copy of an old CV is a PDF, turn it back into an editable file with PDF to Word and move the content into the right country template. Need a photo for a German, French or Gulf CV? The passport photo maker gives you a plain-background head-and-shoulders shot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there one CV format that works in every country? No. A one-column CV with no photo is the safest neutral choice, but recruiters in Germany, France and the Gulf often expect a photo, Australia expects referees, and the US expects one page on Letter paper.
Which countries expect a photo on a CV? A photo is common in Germany, France, much of continental Europe and the Gulf countries (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar). It is not expected in the UK, US, Canada, Ireland or Australia, and including one can count against you.
What is the difference between a CV and a resume? In the US and Canada, a resume is a short summary (usually one page) for most jobs, and a CV is a long academic record. In the UK, Europe, the Gulf and most of Asia, "CV" means what Americans call a resume. Australians use both words for the same thing.
Should my CV be A4 or US Letter? Use US Letter (8.5 × 11 in) for the United States and Canada, and A4 almost everywhere else. The templates in the FileConvy library are already set to the right size for each country.
Are these CV templates free? Yes. Every template can be downloaded in Word and PDF or edited online in the browser for free, with no signup and no watermark.
Can I edit the templates without Microsoft Word? Yes. Click "Edit online" on any template page to open it in the browser editor, or open the Word file in Google Docs or LibreOffice.
All 33 templates, including invoices, offer letters, experience letters and salary slips, are in the free templates library. Pick your country, fill it in, and send it as a PDF.