Professional CV Template
A clean two-column CV with a blue header, photo and a skills sidebar. Our most popular template for office, banking, sales and admin jobs.
With photoTwo-column
Free CV maker with photo
Make a professional CV with your photo in minutes. Choose one of 10 photo templates, upload your picture and download a PDF — free, with no sign up.
- Click to upload your photo
- Photo stays on your device
- Free PDF download
Creative CV Template
A dark header with a round photo, orange accents and dot-style skill ratings. Built to stand out for marketing, design and media roles.
With photoTwo-column
Intern CV Template
Puts education, projects and skills before work experience. Perfect for students, interns and freshers applying for their first job.
With photoTwo-column
Academic CV Template
A classic single-column CV with a centred header. Ideal for research, teaching, PhD and scholarship applications that run to several pages.
ATS-friendlyWith photoSingle-column
Tech CV Template
A modern CV with a dark right-hand sidebar for skills, certifications and languages. Designed for software, IT and engineering profiles.
With photoTwo-column
Executive CV Template
A polished single-column CV with skill tags under the header. Made for managers, directors and senior professionals.
ATS-friendlyWith photoSingle-column
Neutral CV Template
A soft beige sidebar with a large name and photo. Elegant, minimal and suitable for almost any corporate or formal application.
With photoTwo-column
Modern CV Template
A navy sidebar with personal info and skills, plus orange highlights. A modern classic that suits most industries.
With photoTwo-column
Minimalist CV Template
A clean, concise CV with lots of white space, a light sidebar and blue accents.
With photoTwo-column
Traditional CV Template
A formal single-column CV with serif fonts, perfect for detailed CVs and traditional employers.
ATS-friendlyWith photoSingle-column
Should your CV have a photo? (By country)
| Country / region | Photo on CV? |
|---|---|
| UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain | Expected |
| India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal | Common (optional) |
| Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Japan | Common |
| Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Spain, Italy | Common (optional) |
| Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey | Common |
| South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya | Optional |
| United Kingdom, Ireland | Not recommended |
| USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand | Avoid |
When in doubt, check the job advert or the company's careers page. Large multinational employers increasingly prefer CVs without photos to reduce bias, even in countries where photos are common. For those roles, use a photo-free template such as Analyst or Strong.
How to choose a good CV photo
- Head and shoulders, facing the camera, with a natural smile.
- Plain, light background – white, light grey or soft blue.
- Professional clothing you would wear to the interview.
- Good, even lighting – daylight from a window works well.
- Recent and sharp – at least 400 × 400 px; no filters, sunglasses or group crops.
How to add your photo in MakeFreeCV
- Choose a template above with a photo area.
- Click the sample photo on the CV.
- Select your image — it is placed in the photo frame automatically. A square photo fits best.
- Fill in the rest of your CV and press Download PDF.
The Professional template is our most popular CV with photo.
Use ProfessionalCV with photo FAQs
How do I add a photo to my CV?
Open any template with a photo area, click the placeholder photo and choose an image from your phone or computer. It is placed in the photo frame automatically, and it appears in your downloaded PDF.
Is the CV maker with photo free?
Yes. All photo templates are free to edit and download as a PDF, with no sign up and no watermark. Your photo stays in your browser and is not uploaded to our servers.
Should I put a photo on my CV?
Add one if you are applying in the Gulf (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain), most of Asia, and countries such as Germany, France or Spain where it is common. Leave it out in the USA, UK, Canada, Ireland and Australia.
What size should a CV photo be?
A square or passport-style head-and-shoulders photo of at least 400 × 400 pixels works well. In the CV it usually appears about 3–4 cm wide.