Hong Kong CV format: photo, age, HKID, salary, notice period and languages
Hong Kong CVs used to carry a lot of personal detail — photo, age, marital status, even an HKID number. Official guidance for employers now points the other way, and a modern Hong Kong CV is lean: what you can do, where you have done it, and when you can start.
Quick answer
| Item | Put it on your CV? |
|---|---|
| Photo | No, unless the employer specifically asks |
| Age / date of birth | No |
| HKID number or copy | No |
| Marital status, children | No |
| Expected salary | Usually not on the CV; give it in the form or cover letter when asked |
| Notice period / availability | Yes, one short line |
| Languages | Yes — Cantonese, English, Putonghua with levels |
| Right to work | Yes, if you need a visa or have one |
Photo
Many older Hong Kong templates include a photo. The Labour Department’s Practical Guidelines for Employers on Eliminating Age Discrimination in Employment advise employers that requests for photographs should not be made until the interview stage, because they may give the impression of age discrimination. Photos also cause practical problems: applicant tracking systems such as Greenhouse list photos and graphics among the reasons a CV fails to parse (see our ATS guide). Leave it off unless the job ad asks for one, as some customer-facing or creative roles do.
Age and date of birth
The same Labour Department guidelines suggest employers review whether they need a “Date of birth” item on application forms at all, and recommend against age limits in job advertisements. You do not need to state your age or date of birth on your CV. If an application form asks for it, answer the form; the CV itself can stay age-neutral. Graduation years are fine — they are part of your education history.
HKID number: never on the CV
The Privacy Commissioner’s Code of Practice on Human Resource Management says employers should collect personal data from job applicants that is adequate but not excessive for recruitment, and should not collect a copy of a job applicant’s identity card during recruitment unless and until the person has accepted an offer of employment. The Code allows an employer to collect an applicant’s HKID number only in specific circumstances.
A CV is sent to many people and often stored for a long time, so there is no reason to put your HKID number or a copy of your card on it. If an employer needs it after you accept an offer, they will ask. Be wary of job ads that ask for HKID copies with the first application, especially when they do not identify the employer.
Expected salary and current salary
There is no rule that a CV must show salary, and putting a number on the CV fixes it before you know the full package (bonus, allowances, MPF arrangements, leave). Our advice:
- Leave salary off the CV itself.
- If the application form or job ad asks for expected salary, give a researched monthly range, for example “HK$[X]–[Y]k per month, negotiable depending on the overall package”.
- If asked for current salary, answer honestly; you can add context such as a recent bonus or a role change.
Notice period: one short line
Hong Kong recruiters usually ask when you can start, so answer it on the CV: “Availability: one month’s notice” or “Available immediately”. Your notice period depends on your contract. The Labour Department’s Employment Ordinance FAQ explains the baseline for a continuous contract: within the first month of probation, no notice is required; after that, notice is as agreed but not less than 7 days; and after probation, if the contract does not say, it is not less than one month. Check your own contract and state that period.
The same FAQ notes that when an employee resigns, the employee may choose to take statutory annual leave during the required notice period, though each case turns on its own facts. If that will shorten your real start date, you can say so at interview rather than on the CV.
Languages: Cantonese, English and Putonghua
For most Hong Kong roles the language line matters. Give a level for each language and evidence where you have it:
Languages: Chinese, English.
Languages: Cantonese (native); English (fluent — IELTS [score]); Putonghua (professional working); written Traditional and Simplified Chinese.
Fictional example. “Chinese” alone is ambiguous in Hong Kong; name the spoken and written forms.
Other details
- Marital status, religion, health: not needed for most roles. The PCPD Code’s principle of collecting data that is “adequate but not excessive” is a good test for anything personal.
- Address: district is enough (“Kwun Tong, Kowloon”).
- Right to work: if you hold a visa, a line such as “Right to work: IANG visa holder” helps. Fresh graduates should see our graduate CV guide.
- References: “Available on request”, or leave the line out. Do not list referees’ phone numbers on a CV you send widely. Applying to a bank? Read about reference checks in our banking CV guide.
- Length and file: one to two pages; a text-based PDF unless the employer asks for Word.
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Frequently asked questions
Should I put a photo on my CV in Hong Kong?
Generally no, unless the employer asks for one. The Labour Department advises employers that requests for photographs should not be made until the interview stage, and photos can also stop applicant tracking systems from parsing your CV.
Should I include my HKID number on my CV?
No. The PCPD Code of Practice on Human Resource Management says employers should not collect a copy of a job applicant’s identity card unless and until the person has accepted an offer, and HKID numbers may only be collected from applicants in specific circumstances.
Do I need to put my expected salary on a Hong Kong CV?
No. Leave it off the CV and give a researched range in the application form or cover letter if the employer asks.
What notice period should I write on my CV?
Write the notice period in your current contract, for example one month. Under the Employment Ordinance, a continuous contract with no agreed notice after probation needs not less than one month’s notice; agreed notice cannot be less than 7 days.
Should I write my age on my CV?
No. Leave age and date of birth off. The Labour Department’s guidelines encourage employers to review the need for a date-of-birth item on application forms.
Sources
- Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data — Code of Practice on Human Resource Management (recruitment)
- Labour Department — Practical Guidelines for Employers on Eliminating Age Discrimination in Employment (PDF)
- Labour Department — Employment Ordinance FAQ: length of notice
This guide is general career advice, not legal advice. Rules and official guidance can change; follow the linked official pages for the current position.
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