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Writing "willing to relocate" on your CV can open doors, but only if it sits where an employer looks first and is backed by real details. Put it in the wrong place, or leave it vague, and a recruiter in another city or country may assume you are a local-only applicant and move on to the next CV.
This article shows you exactly where to say you are willing to relocate, how to word it so it sounds like a plan rather than a wish, what to add when you are moving to another country, and the mistakes that make the line do more harm than good.
Why "willing to relocate" matters more than it looks
When a job is in a different city or country from your address, the first question in a recruiter's mind is simple: will this person actually move, and when? If your CV does not answer it, they have to guess. Many will guess "no", because hiring someone who later changes their mind costs the employer time.
A clear relocation line removes that doubt. It tells the reader three things at once: you know the job is somewhere else, you have thought about moving, and you can say when you could start. For skilled workers applying abroad, it also sits next to the other facts employers check early, such as work rights, licences and language test results.
When you do not need it
If you already live in the city where the job is, leave it out. It adds nothing and takes space. The line earns its place only when your current address and the job location are far apart, or when you are open to several locations.
Where to say you are willing to relocate on your CV
There are four good places. Most people use two of them: one near the top and one in the cover letter.
1. Next to your location in the header
Under your name, after your city and country, add a short note. This is the spot a recruiter reads in the first few seconds.
Example: Manila, Philippines (relocating to Auckland, available from March 2027)
Keep it to one line. If you are open to several places, name a region rather than a list of ten cities: "open to relocating anywhere in Australia".
2. In the last line of your career profile
The career profile (also called a personal statement or summary) usually ends with what you want next. That is a natural place to name the move.
Example: Qualified electrician with seven years of commercial fit-out work, holding a current electrical licence. Planning to relocate to Perth and available to start within six weeks of an offer.
3. In an availability or work rights section
If you are applying abroad, a short section near the top that lists your target countries, work rights, availability and language tests keeps every "can this person actually start?" fact in one place. Your relocation plans belong here too. The article on showing your work rights on an Australian resume explains how to word the visa part of that section.
4. In the cover letter, with the reason
The CV states the fact. The cover letter gives the reason in one or two sentences: family nearby, a partner's job, the industry in that region, or a long-term plan to settle there. A reason makes the move believable. The guide to writing a cover letter for a job abroad covers the other questions that letter should answer.
How to word it: weak lines and strong lines
The words "willing to relocate" on their own are a start, but they sound passive. A stronger line adds where and when.
| Weak line | Why it is weak | Stronger line |
|---|---|---|
| Willing to relocate. | No place, no date: the reader still has to guess. | Relocating to Brisbane; available from 1 February 2027. |
| Open to opportunities anywhere. | Sounds like you have no plan. | Open to relocating within New Zealand, with a preference for Canterbury. |
| Can move if the company pays. | Puts a condition first, before the employer has even read your skills. | Ready to relocate to Calgary at my own arrangement; four weeks' notice with my current employer. |
| Relocation: yes. | Looks like a form field, not a decision. | Moving to the UK in spring 2027 and available for video interviews now. |
Phrases that work
- "Relocating to [city] in [month and year]"
- "Open to relocating within [country or region]"
- "Available to start [time] after an offer, including the move"
- "Available for video interviews from [current country]"
Only write a date you can keep. If you do not know your exact moving date yet, give a notice period instead: "available to start eight weeks after an offer" is honest and still useful.
Relocating to another country: what to add
A move across borders raises more questions than a move across town. A short, factual block near the top of your CV answers them before the employer has to ask.
- Target country. Name it clearly so the reader knows this CV was written for them, not sent everywhere.
- Work rights or visa status. State what you have now, in plain words: "Australian working holiday visa, valid until June 2027" or "Will require employer sponsorship". Never claim a visa you do not hold. For the rules on any visa, check the official government website of that country.
- Availability. When you could start, and your notice period.
- Skills assessment or registration. If your trade or profession needs one in the new country, show its status: completed, in progress or planned.
- Language test results. The test, your score and the date, if the job or the country asks for one.
In the Build AI CV editor, the Migration & Work Rights section has fields for target countries, skills assessments, visa and work rights, availability and language tests, and its availability field covers when you can start and whether you are willing to relocate. That section is free on every plan. If you want those facts at the very top of the page, the Global Mobility template puts work rights, skills assessments, language tests and licences up front. It is a Pro template, so downloading a CV in it needs an active Pro Pass; the free Classic and ATS Plain templates can still show the same section. You can see every section on the features page.
Five mistakes that make a relocation line backfire
Hiding it on page two
A relocation note at the bottom of the CV, under interests or references, is often never read. If the move matters to the application, it belongs in the top third of the first page.
Leaving your old address with no explanation
A full street address in another country, with no mention of a move, tells the reader you are local to somewhere else. Show your city and country only, and add the relocation note beside it.
Demanding a relocation package up front
Some employers help with moving costs and some do not. Raising it on the CV, before they know your skills, can make you look like a cost rather than a fit. Discuss it later in the process, once there is interest on both sides.
Saying you will move anywhere
"Willing to relocate anywhere in the world" sounds keen, but it can also sound like you have not looked into any one place. Name the country or region you have actually researched.
Making promises you cannot keep
Do not give a start date that depends on a visa you have not applied for, and do not say you have work rights you are still waiting on. If an employer plans around a date and it slips, you lose their trust. Plain, honest wording is safer: "subject to visa approval".
Tailoring the line for each application
The relocation line should change with the job. A CV sent to an employer in Christchurch should say Christchurch, not "New Zealand or Australia". Changing one or two words for each application makes the CV feel written for that employer.
If you keep a few versions of your CV, one per target city or country, you avoid sending the wrong one by mistake. Name each file clearly, for example by job and city. With a saved CV in Build AI CV, Tailor to this job makes a new copy with a career profile, skills and duties suggested for one job ad, for 2 credits, and your original CV is not changed. The AI suggests and you choose what to keep, so check that the relocation line still names the right city.
Video and profiles
When an employer cannot meet you in person, a short self-introduction video can help them picture you in the job. You can say in it where you are moving and when. SelfIntroVideo helps you record one with a teleprompter. A candidate profile on Talent Tabloid is another place to state your target country and availability in the same words as your CV.
A quick checklist before you send
- The relocation note is in the top third of page one, next to your location or in your career profile.
- It names a place (city, region or country) and a time (date, month or notice period).
- Your work rights are stated honestly, with no visa you do not hold.
- The cover letter gives one short reason for the move.
- No demand for a relocation package on the CV.
- The city in the line matches the job you are applying for.
Ready to add it? Build my CV, it's free and fill in the availability field in the Migration & Work Rights step.
Frequently asked questions
Should I put "willing to relocate" on my CV if the job ad does not mention it?
Yes, if you live far from the job. The ad may not mention relocation, but the recruiter will still notice your address, so it is better to answer the question for them.
Is it better to use a local address if I am moving?
Only if you will genuinely live there by the start date and can be reached there. Otherwise, keep your real city and add a clear relocation note; a false address can come out at the first interview.
How do I say I am willing to relocate in a cover letter?
Say it in the first or second paragraph, with the place, your timing and one short reason, for example a partner's job or family in the area. Keep it to two sentences.
Does saying I am willing to relocate mean I expect the employer to pay?
No. The line only says you are ready to move. Whether the employer helps with costs is a separate conversation for later in the process.
