Spanish CV format 2026, with free template

What does a Spanish CV look like?

A Spanish CV, usually called a currículum vitae, currículum or simply CV, is a clear, well laid-out document of no more than two A4 pages. EURES, the European Commission's job mobility service, says there is no single template and that you should adapt the CV to each job offer, changing the order of sections when that makes your case stronger.

Most experienced candidates use reverse chronological order, most recent first. EURES also describes a functional layout, grouped by professional field, for people whose experience spans sectors that look unrelated, and the European Europass format. Whichever you choose, use direct language and simple sentences, and avoid acronyms and abbreviations.

Unless the advert says otherwise, write the CV and the cover letter in Spanish. That one rule shapes everything else in this guide, including the template, which uses Spanish headings.

How is a Spanish CV different from a UK CV?

The structure of a good UK CV transfers well. The differences are language, the languages section, a few personal details and the right to work line that every UK applicant now needs.

Do you need a photo on a Spanish CV?

No. EURES says it is not compulsory to attach a photograph, although it may be useful for some jobs. That makes it a judgement call, not a rule.

Our view for UK applicants: leave it off for corporate, technical and international roles, where it adds nothing and can trip up some online application systems. Consider one for roles where presentation is part of the job, such as hospitality, sales or front of house, if the advert asks for it. If you include one, use a recent, plain head and shoulders photo.

Should a CV for Spain be in Spanish or English?

In Spanish, unless the advert is in English or says otherwise. EURES states that both the letter and the CV should be drafted in Spanish unless otherwise indicated, and that knowledge of Spanish is essential for working in Spain.

If the advert is in English, send an English CV, but keep a Spanish version ready in case an interviewer asks for one. Do not machine-translate and send. A CV in poor Spanish tells the reader your Spanish is poor.

State your level on the Common European Framework scale, A1 to C2, and back it up where you can. The Instituto Cervantes DELE diplomas certify Spanish at every level from A1 to C2, are official and do not expire. If you have no certificate, write that your level is self-assessed, and expect an interviewer to switch to Spanish to check.

How do you write each section of a Spanish CV?

Use Spanish headings. These are the standard ones, with what goes under each and the English meaning in brackets:

• Datos personales (personal details): name, city, phone with the +44 or +34 code, email and LinkedIn. Add nacionalidad británica, your NIE if you have one, and your work status.
• Perfil profesional (professional profile): three or four lines on your profession, years of experience, sector and the role you want.
• Experiencia profesional (work experience): job title, employer, city and dates, most recent first. Under each role, three to five bullets with results and numbers.
• Formación académica (education): your qualification as it appears on the certificate, the institution, the country and the year, plus a short Spanish description of the level.
• Idiomas (languages): each language with its A1 to C2 level and any certificate, such as a DELE.
• Informática y competencias (IT and skills): named software, systems and methods.
• Formación complementaria (further training): relevant courses and professional certifications.
• Otros datos de interés (other relevant information): driving licence, willingness to relocate and when you can start.

What should you leave off a Spanish CV?

Two pages fill quickly once you add a languages section and a work status line. Cut anything that is not evidence for this job, starting with these:

• Photocopies of qualifications and certificates. EURES says these are not normally attached unless requested; bring them to the interview.
• Acronyms and abbreviations. Spell out UK terms such as NHS trust, FCA or HMRC, or replace them with a short description.
• Lists of soft skills and personal adjectives with nothing to prove them.
• Referee contact details. Offer them when asked.
• A generic version sent to every employer. EURES advises adapting the CV to each job offer.
• Salary history and reasons for leaving each job. Keep them for the interview.

How do you present UK qualifications and employers?

Keep the original title and explain it. Write, for example: BA (Hons) Business Management, University of Manchester, Reino Unido, 2015, followed by a Spanish description such as título universitario británico de tres años. Do not describe your degree as a Spanish Grado unless you hold an official equivalence.

Spain has two official procedures. Homologación gives a foreign degree the same effect as the Spanish degree needed for a regulated profession, and lets you practise it. Declaración de equivalencia recognises the academic level, such as Grado or Máster, without professional effects. If your job is a regulated profession, you will need homologación, and the EU Blue Card requires it for regulated professions.

For employers, add one line under each name: what the organisation does, its size and where it operates, in Spanish if the CV is in Spanish. A Spanish recruiter will not know a UK regional firm, and a line such as constructora británica, 2.000 empleados, 30 obras gives the scale at a glance.

What goes in a Spanish cover letter?

Send one. EURES says a CV accompanied by a cover letter, the carta de presentación, is the usual way to apply, whether for an advertised job or speculatively, and that the letter and CV are the first contact between a company and a candidate. Write it in Spanish unless the advert says otherwise, in concise, formal language and A4 format. We keep it to one page.

Avoid standard letters. Read the advert, work out what the company needs, and choose the parts of your CV that answer it. For a speculative application, find out as much as you can about the company and give a clear reason for wanting to work there.

Add one sentence on your right to work and your move: when you can start and which authorisation you would need. An employer weighing a UK candidate wants that answered early.

Do Spanish employers use applicant tracking systems?

Many take applications online. EURES notes that companies increasingly advertise vacancies on the internet, usually on their own websites under headings such as Recursos Humanos, Empleo or Trabaja para nosotros, as well as on job portals.

So write for software and people. Use one column, standard Spanish headings, no text boxes and no graphics for key information. Use the job title and skills from the advert, in the language of the advert, and save as Word or a text-based PDF.

Expect silence if you are not shortlisted. EURES says Spanish companies often contact only the candidates who pass the selection stage. Selection is usually by interview and may include psychometric or job-related tests, group exercises or an assessment centre.