CV for Portugal: the Expected Format for Emigration

The CV for Portugal follows the European format: no photo, no place of birth, no marital status, single page, with "experience" and "skills" sections. Anyone presenting the usual Mozambican CV to the Portuguese market — 2x3 photo in the corner, marital status, place of birth — is delivering a document that Portuguese recruiters do not expect.

In 2026, the movement is real: over 1,500 Mozambicans left the country for Portugal in the first half of the year. Demand is concentrated in three sectors — transport, metalworking, and civil construction (Lusa, July 2026).

In Inademy's Guide, we show below the format that Portuguese recruiters expect, when to adapt your document, and where the opportunities are. The foundation is in the complete guide on how to write a CV in Mozambique — what follows is the version for the European market.

The 30-second answer

• The format: one page, no photo, no place of birth or marital status; "experience" and "skills" sections. Europass, the official European template, is acceptable.
• The movement: over 1,500 Mozambicans left for Portugal in the 1st half of 2026; around 800 via the Portuguese Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP) (Lusa, July 2026).
• The opportunity: 100 vacancies for young Mozambicans in the transport sector in Portugal, 700 applicants, partnership between the Mozambican and Portuguese IEFP (MZNews, 24-06-2026).
• Sectors with shortages: transport, metalworking, and civil construction (Lusa, July 2026).
• The channel: the application starts from Mozambique — the Portuguese IEFP's "non-residents" portal accepts candidates from outside the country; deadlines and rules should be checked at the time of application.
• When to adapt: whenever applying for a job opening in Portugal or the European Union — in that case, do not send the CV you use in Mozambique.

The European format: what changes in the CV for Portugal

The European model, of which Europass is the official benchmark, reverses the structure of the Mozambican document in four key points.

• No photo. In Mozambique, a 2x3 photo in the top corner is standard; in Portugal, no photo is the norm. The exception is highly visual roles — actors, models, presenters. In those cases, the job posting explicitly asks for it; check at the time of application.
• No place of birth or marital status. A Portuguese document does not start with "Marital status: single, Place of birth: Maputo". It starts with your name, contact details, and at most, your address. The rest is personal data recruiters do not use to make hiring decisions.
• One page. Profiles with over 10 years of experience can extend to two pages; all others, one page. If you need to trim content, remove older experience — never the most relevant for the job opening.
• The "experience" and "skills" sections. Experience in reverse chronological order with measurable achievements; skills split into technical, language — with level, for example "English B2, certified" — and soft skills, always backed by evidence.

Europass, the official European Union model, follows these sections and is accepted in Portugal. If you prefer your own layout, the end result is the same: the structure changes, not the purpose.

The header keeps the essentials: name, phone number — which can be the M-Pesa number you use daily — and email. If you have a LinkedIn profile, include it as a link; check if the job ad asks for your profile before applying. What does NOT belong in the European version: age, marital status, number of dependents, and full home address.

The Mozambican standard: what is usually included

In Mozambique, a CV opens with a 2x3 photo, place of birth, marital status, ID card (BI) number, and contact details — and many local job ads ask for references. This standard serves the local market and is not wrong; it is simply not what Portuguese recruiters expect.

The rules of the local standard — photo, ID card, place of birth, and references, with examples — are in the guide on what to put on a CV in Mozambique. The following section compares both standards so you can see where each field goes and what to remove when applying for a European vacancy.

When to adapt — and how, without starting from scratch

Adapt your CV when applying for a job opening in Portugal or for a European organization operating in Mozambique — NGOs, energy sector, EU institutions. The rule of thumb is simple: one market, one document. Sending the same Mozambican CV to Maputo and Lisbon means giving Portuguese recruiters data they didn't ask for: photo, marital status, place of birth.

Adapting doesn't mean rewriting everything. Keep your achievements and trim the frame. Two example lines, already in the European format:

• "Machine operator, 3 years, metalworking unit in Matola. Operated 4 CNC milling machines and reduced line downtime from 40 to 25 minutes." (example — replace with your own numbers)
• "Skills: technical drawing reading; SAP, operational level; English B2, certified in 2024." (example — replace with your own numbers)

If the vacancy requires English, the content is the same in another language: structure and example sentences are in the guide to writing an English CV in Mozambique.

One factor changes the document's impact: in Portugal, a clear structure matters more than fancy design. Clearly labeled sections, reverse chronological order, and quantified achievements — that is what recruiters read first. Before changing the layout, rewrite your achievements into short sentences with key metrics.

Sectors with labor shortages in Portugal

The sectors with recorded labor shortages in Portugal, according to a statement published by Lusa in July 2026, are transport, metalworking, and civil construction. This is where job opportunities for Mozambican profiles are concentrated — explaining the movement of over 1,500 departures in the first half of the year.

In June 2026, MZNews reported 100 job openings for young Mozambicans in Portugal's transport sector, attracting 700 candidates through a partnership between both countries' employment institutes. The same source reported in 2026 a list of 12 shortage occupations in Portugal, with salaries up to 170,000 MT (MZNews conversion).

Three warnings before applying: a job opening does not guarantee a visa or contract; metical conversions change with exchange rates; and today's sector shortage does not guarantee tomorrow's job opening. The CV is the foundation of your application — check official rules and deadlines on the official portal at the time of applying.

In practice, align your skills with the target sector: for transport, driver's license and vehicle types; for metalworking, technical drawing reading and tools mastered; for civil construction, site experience and safety training. Recruiters look for a match between your skills section and the job requirements — when it aligns, screening goes smoother.

How Inademy helps you

On Inademy, you create a free profile, upload your PDF CV, and submit your application in a single step. New job alerts arrive via email and WhatsApp — useful when the right opening appears in a shortage sector. To choose your target before rewriting your document, start from the open job listings on Inademy in your sector.

The rest of the journey — salaries, interview preparation, labor law — is available in the Inademy Guide, and ready-made templates in Word and PDF are in the free CV templates hub.

Read also

• IEFP Non-Residents: How to Apply from Mozambique

Frequently asked questions

Should I include a photo on my CV for Portugal?

No. In Portugal, not including a photo is the standard; the exception is highly visual roles, and in those cases the job posting explicitly requests one. Keep the photo for your local CV; leave it off the European version.

Is the Europass CV accepted in Portugal?

Yes. Europass is the official European Union model and is recognized by Portuguese recruiters. If you use it, follow the sections carefully: experience, education, skills, languages.

Can I apply for a job in Portugal from Mozambique?

Yes, there are official channels: partnerships between employment institutes of both countries and the Portuguese IEFP's "non-residents" portal, which accepts applications from abroad. In the process, the employer receives your CV by email and the application proceeds to visa processing at the consulate — deadlines and rules change, check the official portal at the time of application.

Should I include place of birth and marital status in the European version?

No. These fields belong to the Mozambican standard. The version for Portugal should only include your name, contact details, and at most, your address — alongside the experience and skills sections.

Does the CV have to be in English?

No: in Portugal the working language is Portuguese. English is only required when specified in the job posting — NGOs, energy sector, European institutions — and in that case the structure remains the same, just in another language.

How many versions of my CV do I need?

Two, at minimum: the local version, with a 2x3 photo, place of birth, and marital status for Mozambique — and the European version, without these fields, on one page, for Portugal and the EU. The content is the same; only the structure changes. Save both versions with distinct names — "CV_Local" and "CV_Europe" — and always send the right one.

Where these numbers come from

• 1,500+ departures for Portugal in the 1st half of 2026; around 800 via Portuguese IEFP — statement by the President of the Republic in an interview with Lusa, republished by TV Sucesso Moz on 15-07-2026. Verbatim quote from Lusa: recruitment "involves the Portuguese Institute for Employment and Vocational Training under labor mobility agreements" — and, adds the same report, also through private agencies (retrieved 13-09-2026).
• 100 transport openings; 700 applicants; IEFP Mozambique × IEFP Portugal partnership — MZNews, 24-06-2026 (retrieved 13-09-2026).
• 12 shortage occupations in Portugal; salaries up to 170,000 MT — MZNews, 2026; metical conversion is from the same source, and values fluctuate with exchange rates (retrieved 13-09-2026).
• Sectors with shortages: transport, metalworking, civil construction — Lusa, July 2026, statement republished on 15-07-2026 (retrieved 13-09-2026).
• European format and Europass — public reference to the official European model; visa and application deadlines vary and should be verified on the official portal at the time of application.

In summary, what to do today

1. Choose your target market. Opening in Portugal or the EU? You will need the European version. Opening in Mozambique? Keep the local version.
2. Remove unnecessary fields. Photo, place of birth, marital status, and ID card number stay out; standard is one page with "experience" and "skills" sections.
3. Quantify achievements. One line per role with numbers: "reduced downtime from 40 to 25 minutes". (example — replace with your own numbers.)
4. Upload to Inademy. Free profile, PDF CV, apply in a single step, and receive job alerts via email and WhatsApp for your sector.
5. Verify at the time of application. Application deadlines and visa rules change: check the official portal on the day you apply — never on the day you save the draft.