Vehicle imported from Japan or outside the EU: which translations for single-vehicle approval (RTI) at the DREAL?
By Keran Chaussard, administrator of the Directory of Sworn Translators of France — updated on
A vehicle imported from a country outside the European Union, such as Japan, can generally only be registered in France after a single-vehicle approval (réception à titre isolé, RTI) issued by the DREAL (the DRIEAT in the Île-de-France region), unless it has an EC type certificate of conformity. The foreign documents in the file, in particular the registration document or export certificate and the purchase invoice, must be understandable to the authority: when they are written in Japanese, a French translation by a court-appointed expert translator is the safest option.
When the Japanese document comes with an English version, the safest translation is still one made directly from the Japanese: the translator certifies that the translation matches the original document. A translation made from the English version must say so expressly and may be refused. Ask the DREAL handling the file what it accepts before ordering.
The steps for a vehicle imported from outside the EU
- Customs clearance: French customs collect duties and VAT and issue customs clearance certificate no. 846 A, which is essential for registration.
- Single-vehicle approval (RTI): the DREAL checks that the vehicle meets French and European technical requirements (lighting, braking, emissions, noise, etc.), on the basis of a file and an inspection of the vehicle. A technical certificate from a laboratory or the manufacturer may be needed.
- Roadworthiness test (contrôle technique), depending on the vehicle’s age.
- Registration online on the ANTS website, with the RTI report, the 846 A and the foreign document.
The translator comes in at the very start: foreign documents are requested by customs, by the DREAL and by the ANTS. A single, well-made translation serves for all three steps.
Which documents need translating?
| Document | Role in the file | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese export certificate (Export Certificate, certificate of temporary cancellation of registration for export) | Replaces the Japanese registration certificate, cancelled before export; identifies the vehicle (chassis number, date of first registration, specifications) | Almost always required |
| Purchase invoice or sale contract | Proves ownership and the vehicle’s value | Required if it is neither in French nor in readable English |
| Manufacturer’s technical documents or Japanese type-approval sheet | Support the technical specifications for the RTI | As requested by the DREAL |
| Pre-shipment inspection report, transport documents | History, mileage, shipping | Rarely needed |
Checks focus above all on the chassis number: Japanese vehicles built for the domestic market often carry a short chassis number, different from the 17-character European VIN format. It must be reproduced exactly, character by character, in every translation.
Japanese document with an English translation: which language should be translated?
This is the most common situation for a vehicle from Japan: the export certificate is in Japanese, and the exporter supplies an English version, prepared in-house, by a translator, or on an “Export Certificate” form issued by a Japanese chamber of commerce. The client then asks for a “certified translation” into French, country of origin Japan, with an English translation.
There are two options:
- Translate directly from the Japanese, by a court-appointed expert translator registered for Japanese. This is the safest option: the translation is certified as matching the original document, the one the DREAL and the ANTS actually see. There are fewer experts for Japanese than for English, which can affect turnaround time.
- Translate from the English version, by an expert registered for English. The translator can then only certify that the translation matches the English version, and must say so in the certification statement (“translation made from the attached English version”). If the English version does not come from an official body, the DREAL may refuse it, and any error in the English version will carry over into the French translation.
A translation from English that does not state that it was made from an intermediate version is not compliant: the translator would be certifying fidelity to a document they did not translate. Insist on an explicit statement.
No national rule settles the question for the RTI, and practice varies from one DREAL to another. Before ordering, ask the authority handling the file in writing whether it accepts a translation made from English.
Sworn translation or not?
DREAL RTI forms ask for perfectly legible copies and for the originals to be produced, without always specifying who must translate. In practice, for a document in Japanese, a translation by a court-appointed expert translator on a court of appeal’s list is the one that raises no questions: it bears the translator’s signature, stamp and certification statement. A machine translation or one made by the importer is likely to trigger a request for further documents.
Mistakes that hold up the file
- A chassis number that differs from one document to another, or that has been wrongly converted to the VIN format.
- Japanese dates converted incorrectly: Japanese documents often give dates by imperial era (Reiwa, Heisei). The translation must give the date in the Gregorian calendar.
- A partial translation that leaves out stamps, remarks or the name of the issuing authority (the district transport bureau of Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism).
- A translation from English that does not mention the intermediate version.
- Ordering too late: the translation is needed from customs clearance onwards, not just for the registration certificate.
Finding a translator for an RTI file
The Directory of Sworn Translators of France lets you search for a court-appointed expert translator for Japanese, English or any other language, by département, region and court of appeal. Send the translator a legible scan of every page, the English version if there is one, and the list of documents requested by the DREAL. The express file submission service lets you hand the request over to the Directory, particularly for a language with few experts.
Frequently asked questions
- Is a sworn translation required for an RTI at the DREAL?
- For a document written in Japanese or any language other than French, a translation by a court-appointed expert translator is the safest option. Requirements can vary from one DREAL to another: check with the authority handling the file.
- Can the English version of a Japanese document be translated?
- Yes, provided the translation expressly states that it was made from the English version, but the DREAL may refuse it. A direct translation from the Japanese is the safest option.
- Which Japanese document replaces the registration certificate for export?
- The export certificate, issued by the district transport bureau when the Japanese registration is cancelled. It is the document presented in France as the original title.
- Does the 846 A certificate need translating?
- No: it is issued in French by French customs.
- Does a vehicle with an EC certificate of conformity need an RTI?
- In principle, no: an EC type certificate of conformity, or a certificate of identification to an EC type, exempts the vehicle from the RTI.
Sources
- Service-Public, “Quelles obligations pour immatriculer un véhicule acheté à l’étranger ?” (in French)
- French Highway Code, Article R. 321-15 (single-vehicle approval) and Articles R. 322-1 et seq. (registration)
- Order of 19 July 1954 on the approval of motor vehicles; Order of 9 February 2009 on vehicle registration procedures
- DREAL Nouvelle-Aquitaine, single-vehicle approval application form RTI01.2 (in French and English)
- Yokohama Chamber of Commerce and Industry, “Export Certificate” template (in English and Japanese)
- Law No. 71-498 of 29 June 1971 on court-appointed experts
