Europass CV: How to Fill It In, With 6 Completed Sections

By Mustafa Tarabya, founder of CVBooster · Published 2026-10-25 · Updated 2026-10-25

7 min read

A Europass CV is the free, standard CV format of the European Union, built online at europass.europa.eu from a profile you fill in once and then reuse for every application. The one constraint is the fixed layout: you choose the content and a design, but you cannot move sections around the way you would in a word processor. The official Europass CV page says you can "create, store and share CVs in 31 languages". Below are the steps and six completed sections to copy. Written by Mustafa Tarabya, who hired for his own company, read every application himself and now writes CVBooster's guides.

The Europass form asks for everything you have ever done, in boxes. Twenty minutes in, you are typing the address of a school you left at fifteen. You do not have to fill every box, and the best Europass CVs leave most of them empty.

A completed Europass "About me" section

This is the box most people leave blank or fill with a list of adjectives. It is the first thing the reader sees under your name, so write it for the job.

Five lines: what you are, how long, where, what you can do, and what you want. The Europass site asks for the same thing in its own words: "Do not include a full detailed history. Focus on facts and main points that match the job you have in mind."

Tailor my CV to this job

What Europass is, beyond the CV

Europass is a set of free tools run by the European Commission. The About Europass page states that "The European Commission provides this service free of any charge and in 31 different languages." The same account holds your profile, the CV builder, a cover letter editor and a digital skills self-assessment.

Wikipedia's Europass entry dates the framework to Decision 2241/2004/EC of 15 December 2004. Alongside the CV, Europass includes the Europass Mobility record, the Certificate Supplement and the Diploma Supplement, which a school or training body issues, not you.

How to make a Europass CV, step by step

• Create an account on europass.europa.eu and open "My profile".
• Fill the profile once. Work experience, education, languages, digital skills, driving licence, and anything else you might use.
• Click "Create CV", choose which profile entries go into this CV, and pick one of the designs.
• Write the About me box for this job. It is the only section you rewrite every time.
• Download the PDF or share it from your Europass Library.

The official page explains the profile logic: "After you complete your Europass profile, you can create as many CVs as you want with just a few clicks." Keep the profile complete and each CV short.

A Europass work experience entry, done right

Europass gives each job a title, employer, city, country and dates, then a free text box. Use short bullets in that box, starting with a verb, and list the newest job first. The site's own tip: "Always list the most recent experience on the top followed by previous ones."

A Europass education and training entry

The EQF level field belongs to qualifications issued in Europe. If your degree comes from outside Europe, leave it out rather than guessing a level, and let the recognition body in the destination country decide.

Europass language skills, filled in with CEFR levels

Europass rates languages on the Common European Framework of Reference, the six-level scale from A1 to C2 published by the Council of Europe. Rate yourself honestly; an interview in that language will test it.

A certificate next to the level does more than the level alone. If you have one, add it.

Europass digital skills and other skills

Name tools, not adjectives. "Good computer skills" says nothing; "Excel pivot tables and Tally ERP 9" tells an accounts manager exactly what you can sit down and do.

A short Europass CV, start to finish

Tailor my CV to this job

When a Europass CV is the wrong choice

Europass is common for EU-funded programmes, public bodies, universities and applications across borders, and many Nepali and Indian applicants use it for European study and work. It is not the best format everywhere. Private employers in the UK and Ireland usually expect a plain two-page CV, and an American employer wants a resume; our guide to the European CV vs American resume shows what changes country by country. When the advert names a format, follow the advert.

If you need a CV that you can tailor to each job outside the Europass layout, CVBooster lets you fill any of the 99 templates free after you sign in, with the ATS score and the gap list; the PDF and Word download is Pro. For the photo question, see resume with a picture, and for language levels on a normal CV, our CV language guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Europass CV free?

Yes. The European Commission runs Europass free of charge. You create an account, fill in your profile once, and build as many CVs as you need from it. You can download each CV as a PDF or share it from your Europass Library with an employer or a job board.

Is Europass CV still used?

Yes. It is widely recognised by universities, public bodies and EU programmes, and many applicants moving between countries use it. Some private employers prefer a shorter custom CV, so check the advert. If it names Europass, use it; if it names no format, a clear two-page CV is also fine.

Can I add a photo to a Europass CV?

Yes, the builder has a photo field, and the official tips suggest a professional photograph. Whether to use it depends on the country and the job: photos are common in parts of continental Europe and usually left off in the UK and Ireland. When in doubt, follow the norm of the country you are applying in.

How long should a Europass CV be?

Aim for two pages at most. The builder lets you include everything from your profile, but the reader only needs the entries that match the job. Choose the relevant jobs and courses when you create the CV and leave the rest in your profile for another application.

How do I write my language level in a Europass CV?

Use the CEFR scale from A1 to C2 for listening, reading, spoken production, spoken interaction and writing, and add any certificate with its score and year, such as IELTS or a Goethe certificate. Rate yourself honestly, because an interviewer will check the level in a short conversation.

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