While writing your resume, it’s a good idea to think about what pieces of information the hiring manager might use to make a decision about whether you’re qualified for an interview. Candidates are generally asked to include some personal information on a resume or CV including name and contact information. But what about your passport details? Could they be useful to an employer or are they simply too personal to share?
In this blog, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about when to include your passport details on your resume or how to share them with an employer. Here’s what we’ll look at in the following chapters:
- Should you list your passport details on your resume?
- How should you share your passport information with an employer?
- Should you add visa details to your resume?
- When and why might an employer ask for your passport?
Should you list your passport details on your resume?
The short answer is no, you should never list your passport details on your resume. Why? Passport details are highly sensitive pieces of information. You don’t want your passport number to be floating around on others’ computers where it could fall into the wrong hands and spell big trouble for you.
Furthermore, in the U.S. and Canada, personal information like birthdate, citizenship, or marital status are not only not needed on a resume, they are highly frowned upon. Your resume for work in these countries should focus solely on your contact details and professional history.
However, other countries may require more specific information about the background of a candidate. If it is accepted and common in the country where you intend to work, you may include a photo, your date of birth, your full address, or other more personal details. However, you should not include your passport number.
How to add passport details to my resume
In very specific situations, a company may want to know more about your citizenship and passport. For example, in Europe, where there are many cross-border workers, adding your nationality to your CV is considered acceptable. If the job requires travel or a specific type of passport, you may include a line like this:
Nationality: Polish, valid passport
Or
Nationality: Greek, diplomatic passport holder
Why would a job need your passport?
While you should never add your passport details to your resume, there are occasions where a job may ask to see your passport. This is fairly common either towards the end of the interview process or once you’ve accepted the job. An employer may want to see your passport to confirm your citizenship, to see how many years of validity you have left if the job requires travel, or to see if you have the right visa needed to work in the country.
Should I include visa details on my resume?
If a job offer stipulates a certain type of visa or the right to work in the country as a condition of employment, then it is OK to mention that you have a valid visa and the category of visa that you hold. You can list this information in your skills or education section, or in the summary of your CV or resume if it is absolutely imperative to the job. Here’s an example of how to include it:
Nationality: Argentinian, Valid EB-2 visa holder
Key takeaways
- We do not recommend including your passport number or other sensitive details on your resume.
- Make sure to check what is appropriate to include on your CV or resume header in the country where you plan to work. Details like birthdate, nationality, or marital status may be commonplace in one country but highly inappropriate in another.
- If you need to add your nationality, you can do so while mentioning that your passport is valid. Visa details should only be included if required for the job.
- Personal information can often be placed in the resume header, but you may choose to add it to the skills section if you’d like to list it more discreetly.
