CV photo in Bern: prices, studios and tips

Bern is the federal city, and its job market looks different from Zurich’s or Geneva’s: hospitals, federal offices, schools and the university weigh more than banks. Here is what that means for your CV photo, what Bern studios charge, and how to get a professional headshot without a photo session.

Do you need a photo on your CV in Bern?

There is no legal obligation, but a photo is customary in Switzerland. The ZHAW’s career services call it “very common and expected”, and jobs.ch advises including one unless the job ad says otherwise. Bern is no exception. National rules, size and format are covered in our guide to professional headshots in Switzerland.

Federal jobs are a special case worth knowing. You apply online with the “apply now” button in each ad on the federal job portal, and each office decides which documents it wants. Some are explicit: for its customs and border security specialist training, the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG) asks for a “current passport or portrait photo” as a separate upload, next to the CV and certificates. A clean, recent portrait is therefore worth having ready, as a file.

Bern also sits on Switzerland’s language border. Under the cantonal constitution, German and French are both official languages of the canton of Bern: French in the Bernese Jura, both in Biel/Bienne, German elsewhere, including the city of Bern. The federal Languages Ordinance requires federal offices to ensure an appropriate representation of the language communities among their staff. If you apply in French, nothing changes for the photo: it is common practice in Romandie too.

What CV photo style works in Bern

In 2023 the city of Bern counted 201,800 jobs. The sectors with the most jobs were health and social work (34,420), public administration, defence and social security (23,470), education (19,040) and professional, scientific and technical services (18,930), according to the city’s statistics office. Finance and insurance accounted for 12,480.

That profile calls for a portrait that looks competent and approachable rather than corporate:

Sector	Outfit	Background
Federal and cantonal administration	Blazer or dark knit, plain shirt or blouse; tie optional	Light grey or white
Health, social work, education	Neat shirt, blouse or knit; no uniform	Light, neutral
Finance, insurance, consulting, law	Dark suit or blazer	Plain grey or white studio
IT, communication, research	Smart casual	Neutral or softly blurred office

The basics are the same everywhere: recent, in colour, head and shoulders, friendly expression. For colours and outfits, see what to wear for a professional headshot.

How much does a CV photo cost in Bern?

Prices published by Bern-area studios, October 2026:

Studio	What you get	Price
Select Fotostudio (Ryffligässchen, near the main station)	5 min, 1 edited photo (apprentices and interns) / 15 min, 5 edited photos / 30 min, 10 edited photos / 60 min, 15 edited photos	CHF 49 / 69 / 89 / 139 (promotional prices, regularly CHF 59 to 159)
CV Pics (Liebefeld)	15-minute session, skin and background retouching included; files within 48 hours	CHF 59.90 (CHF 39.90 for a 10-minute session for apprentices and students)
Aloco (Hirschengraben)	Personal session, selection and retouching, 2 photos chosen	CHF 120
Gabriel Design (Altenberg)	30-minute shoot, 3 retouched photos in two resolutions, about 60 minutes in total	CHF 150

In Bern, expect CHF 49 to 150 for a CV photo, with most packages that include at least two retouched photos between CHF 69 and 150. That’s somewhat below the top of the Zurich range.

The hidden costs are time. Every studio in this list works by appointment, some only through online booking, and you have to get there: CV Pics’ studio is in Liebefeld, outside the city centre. Then you wait for the files: about an hour after arrival at Gabriel Design, within 12 to 24 hours at Select, up to 48 hours at CV Pics. To weigh the options, see AI headshot vs photographer.

A CV photo without a photographer

If you’d rather not book a slot, LinkPro turns your phone into a studio:

1. Take 8 guided selfies. On-device face detection checks your distance, angle and light live.
2. Direct your shoot. Choose your field, a studio or office backdrop and a formal or business casual outfit; business casual often suits Bern’s public sector.
3. Get your headshots in seconds, pick the most natural one and save it in HD.
4. Ask friends or colleagues to vote with a poll link before you upload your application.

Your first session is free, with 3 watermarked previews and no account. To keep one in HD without watermark, buy a single headshot as a one-time purchase, with no subscription, or choose LinkPro Unlimited, a weekly subscription you can cancel anytime. LinkPro is a web app: open it in your browser at app.linkproapp.ai, on your phone or a computer, in English, German, French and Italian.

Keep the result honest: your photo must look natural and like you. Some career advisers warn that AI-edited photos can look artificial, so pick the most realistic headshot. Your selfies are not kept on our servers after generation, your headshots are stored on your device, and your images are never used to train AI models. You can delete your account and photos from the app; see our privacy policy. A LinkPro headshot can’t be used for a passport or ID card.

Sources

• ZHAW Career Services: application documents guide
• jobs.ch: Bewerbungsfoto für den Lebenslauf
• jobup.ch: la photo sur le CV
• Federal job portal: frequently asked questions
• BAZG: how to apply (customs and border security specialist)
• Constitution of the canton of Bern, Art. 6 (LexFind)
• Languages Ordinance, SR 441.11 (Fedlex)
• Statistik Stadt Bern: Statistik der Unternehmensstruktur 2023
• Studio price pages (October 2026): Select Fotostudio, CV Pics, Aloco, Gabriel Design