CNDA Appeal Evidence Translation Requirements in France
The practical challenge in a French asylum appeal is sorting three things correctly: which evidence needs a French translation, which documents must have a traduction assermentée, and when the court’s written investigation closes. The CNDA appeal evidence translation requirements come from a national rule, but the filing channel and deadline depend on the procedure and your court notice. The key distinction can also prevent paying for sworn translations of every item in a file.
Key takeaways
- Every foreign-language item submitted as evidence to the CNDA must be accompanied by a French translation.
- Under CESEDA Article R. 532-7, translations of civil-status, judicial and police records must be certified as conforming to the original by a traducteur assermenté. The rule does not impose that same sworn-translator requirement on every other type of evidence.
- A detailed, exhaustive evidence inventory must use clear descriptions and continuous numbering. Keep each entry matched to its source document and French translation.
- The deadline for lodging an appeal is separate from the case-specific deadline for additional evidence. Keep original documents: CNDA guidance recommends filing copies and presenting originals at the hearing.
Who this guide is for
This France-wide guide is for people challenging an OFPRA asylum decision before the Cour nationale du droit d’asile (CNDA), and for family members, support workers and legal advisers helping them assemble evidence. It is most useful when the file combines foreign civil records, police or court documents, medical or psychological records, and messages or letters that arrived after the OFPRA decision. The usual translation direction is the document’s source language into French. The CNDA’s 2025 activity report lists hearing-interpreter languages including Lingala, Bengali, Turkish, Pashto, Soussou, Tamil, Portuguese, English and Arabic. These are language-planning clues, not statistics about written translation orders or translator availability. The common pinch points are identifying which documents legally require a sworn translator, paying for translation, matching translations to the inventory, and preparing a newly received item before the case deadline.
Where translation fits in the CNDA appeal
The CNDA reviews appeals from OFPRA decisions. At this stage, the case is mainly handled through written submissions and exchanges of evidence, with a hearing in some cases. The translation work therefore needs to make each submitted item readable in French and easy to identify in the case file. A lawyer or qualified asylum support adviser should decide what evidence is relevant and how it supports the appeal; a translator cannot make that legal assessment.
The core translation rule is national. France does not have a separate city or regional standard for CNDA evidence translation. Practical differences arise from the case’s procedure, access to legal and language support, and the time needed to obtain a translator for a particular language pair.
CNDA appeal evidence translation requirements: French translation versus sworn translation
Article R. 532-7 of the CESEDA says that foreign-language evidence must be accompanied by a translation into French. It separately requires the translation of civil-status acts, judicial acts and police acts to be certified as conforming to the original by a sworn translator under the rules cited in that article.
| Evidence type | What the rule says | Practical preparation |
|---|---|---|
| Civil-status records: for example, birth, marriage or divorce certificates and records of family relationship | French translation by a traducteur assermenté, certified as conforming to the original | Ask who will sign the translation and verify that person in an official French translator or court-expert directory. |
| Judicial or police records: for example, court decisions, summonses, arrest records or police documents | The same sworn-conformity requirement applies | Include stamps, handwritten entries and every relevant page; flag any text the translator cannot read. |
| Medical or psychological records, correspondence, witness letters, screenshots and social-media material | They need a French translation if submitted in another language. R. 532-7 does not apply its specific sworn-translator clause to these categories. | Ask your lawyer whether the item belongs in the appeal and what translation form is suitable. Make sure dates, names and context remain clear. |
| OFPRA decision and other material already in French | No translation into French is needed for material already in French | Do not order a translation simply because the document is part of a foreign-language evidence bundle. |
This distinction is the useful counterpoint to a common assumption: not every page in an asylum appeal file must automatically be sent for sworn translation. Conversely, an English or US-style certified translation, a company stamp, a notarial certificate or an ISO claim does not by itself establish the French sworn status required for the listed document types. The operative French terms are traduction en français and, for the specified records, traduction certifiée conforme à l’original par un traducteur assermenté.
The regulation does not set out the same sworn-translator requirement for every medical record, letter or digital message. That does not mean a weak, partial or unreadable translation is useful. Machine output should not be treated as a sworn translation for a civil, judicial or police record; for any other evidence, have your legal adviser assess the document and make sure the French version is accurate and understandable.
Build the inventaire so every translation can be checked
R. 532-7 requires a detailed and exhaustive inventaire, with a continuous increasing number for each item and a sufficiently clear label. The numbering is not decoration: it gives the court and the other party a way to locate a particular source document and its translation. Ask your lawyer how to format the inventory for the case; the example below shows the information that helps prevent mismatches, not a mandatory court template.
- Pièce 01 — Police summons, issued 4 March 2025, original in Dari, 2 pages; French sworn translation, 2 pages.
- Pièce 02 — Hospital discharge report, issued 12 March 2025, original in Arabic, 3 pages; French translation, 3 pages.
- Pièce 03 — Message screenshots, 8–10 March 2025, original in Lingala, 4 images; French translation with visible dates and sender labels.
Keep the number identical in the inventory, file name, translation and any legal submission referring to the item. Do not place two unrelated records under one number if that makes them hard to identify. If one record has several pages, preserve their order and label the full document clearly. Ask the translator to note illegible words rather than silently guess. For names, dates, place names and transliterations, use a consistent spelling across the file and flag differences from the OFPRA record for your adviser.
Prepare messages, screenshots and medical records as evidence
For WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS, email or social-media evidence, preserve enough of the original image to show who sent the item, when it was sent, and the relevant surrounding conversation. Translating only one threatening sentence while cropping out the account, date or context can make the item harder to understand. Keep the original language visible and place the French translation beside or immediately after it, with the same piece number.
A translation can communicate what a message says; it cannot authenticate who created a screenshot or prove that it was not edited. Preserve original files where safe, avoid editing the source image, and ask your lawyer what supporting explanation or corroboration is appropriate. Our guide to translating digital-message and screenshot evidence offers general document-handling ideas; its US procedure references do not set French CNDA rules.
For medical and psychological records, retain headings, dates, provider details, diagnoses, measurements and any handwritten notes that bear on the appeal. A translator should translate the record, not make a medical conclusion about it. Ask the clinician or your lawyer to explain clinical significance where needed. For a broader checklist of evidence types and packet organization, see CertOf’s international-protection evidence preparation guide; the Croatian procedure described there is not the rule for France.
Do not confuse the appeal deadline with the evidence deadline
Under the ordinary procedure, the CNDA currently says an appeal is generally due within one month of notification of the OFPRA decision. For asylum applications lodged on or after 12 June 2026, a ten-day appeal period applies to certain accelerated-procedure and inadmissibility decisions and to the new border procedure. These changes do not apply to every case. Match the date and procedure shown on your decision to the current CNDA guidance on the 2026 asylum changes and get legal help promptly if you are unsure.
After the appeal is lodged, additional submissions are governed by the written-instruction closure date for that case. The CNDA says the notice or order will tell you the date. In the ordinary timetable, if no separate order sets a date, written instruction normally closes three clear days before a single-judge hearing or five days before a case heard by a panel. The CNDA says submissions must be sent no later than 23:59 on the day before closure; material sent after closure is not communicated to the parties unless the court reopens the instruction. Check the actual wording in your notice: the general timetable is not a substitute for the date in your case. See the CNDA’s current page on how an appeal is examined and when written instruction closes.
There is a significant exception for border-procedure cases under the 2026 rules. For decisions notified from 19 July 2026, the CNDA says the appeal must be filed through Télérecours, the appeal and later submissions must carry the designation Procédure d’asile à la frontière or PRAF, and instruction closes at the hearing. Do not apply the ordinary three- or five-day timetable to that route without checking the court’s current instructions. Translation should begin as soon as your adviser identifies the evidence to submit; the appeal filing window and the later evidence cutoff are separate clocks. Read the CNDA’s updated border-procedure instructions.
Use the right submission route and keep your originals
For the ordinary procedure, the CNDA lists registered post, fax and in-person delivery as ways to send the appeal. Its page on examination of the case also says additional written submissions and evidence can be sent by post or fax or delivered in person. A fax does not have to be followed by a duplicate postal copy according to the court’s fax FAQ. See the CNDA’s current instructions for the ordinary route. Do not assume ordinary email or the lawyer’s CNDém@t platform is an applicant filing channel. Special procedures may use different channels.
For evidence copies, the counterintuitive but safer approach is usually not to mail your only original. The CNDA recommends sending copies of documents and bringing the originals to the hearing. Keep clear scans and an organized set of originals so you can identify the source if asked. The court’s guidance on originals and copies explains this recommendation.
The hearing interpreter is not your document translator
The CNDA provides an interpreter free of charge for the hearing, in an available language from its official list. The court says interpretation is available in around one hundred languages and that the language selected when the asylum application was registered normally remains the hearing language during the appeal. This is oral language access; it does not produce a written French translation of your police report, medical file or messages. The CNDA explains the distinction on its page about having an interpreter at the hearing.
Cost, timing and language availability in France
The appeal procedure itself is free, but a private translation can be an additional expense. French public guidance on appealing an OFPRA decision warns applicants that they may have to pay translation costs, and the CNDA’s ordinary-procedure page says applicants who arrange document translation are responsible for the cost. Legal aid can help with a lawyer; do not assume it automatically pays a commercial translator. Newer routes introduced in 2026 have different legal-aid arrangements, so check the rule for your case.
There is no single CNDA tariff or guaranteed turnaround time for commercial translation. Ask for a written estimate that separates standard French translation from a sworn translation, identifies the exact language pair and pages, includes stamps and handwritten text, and states when the signed or paper version will be ready. A rare language, poor scan, handwriting, or a request for hard copies can affect timing and price. CNDA hearing scheduling itself takes interpreter and lawyer availability into account, so it is sensible to start the document review early rather than wait for a hearing date.
The CNDA’s 2025 activity report lists Lingala, Bengali, Turkish, Pashto, Soussou, Tamil, Portuguese, English and Arabic among frequently chosen hearing-interpreter languages. This describes oral interpreter demand, not the number of written translations ordered or the supply of sworn translators for each language. It is a useful planning signal: if a source language is less common, search the official directory early and confirm the exact language direction before sending sensitive records.
Public help and official qualification checks
| Resource | What it can help with | Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| CNDA legal-aid office and court guidance | Understand the appeal route, legal-aid process, hearing and filing instructions. | It does not choose your evidence strategy or promise that an item will be accepted. |
| France Terre d’Asile, La Cimade, GISTI and Forum Réfugiés | The CNDA lists these specialist associations among organizations that may accompany people through the court process. Ask a local branch what help is available with deadlines and assembling a file. | Being listed does not guarantee a place, legal representation or free document translation. |
| Service-Public translator search | Search for a recognized translator and consult official court-expert lists; the search itself is free. | The translator’s service is paid. Check the individual’s name, language direction and current court-list status. |
The CNDA’s normal-procedure guidance lists associations and submission options. For the three document classes that require sworn translation, use the government’s official translator and court-expert search and the Cour de cassation’s court-expert lists to verify the person who will sign your translation. A business saying it has sworn translators is not enough if it will not identify the assigned translator before you pay.
Comparing commercial translation options
The examples below are commercial services, not CNDA endorsements. Their websites describe their own offerings; they are not independent measures of quality. Use the official directory to verify the individual translator for a document that must be assermentée. Online reviews can describe customer service, but they do not prove court-list status or guarantee acceptance of evidence.
| Provider | Publicly stated service signal | When to ask for a quote | What to verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transdoc | Publishes a dedicated asylum/OFPRA/CNDA translation page and advertises sworn translators. Public contact number shown on that page: 01 84 80 21 20. | When you want a provider that publicly addresses asylum evidence and both sworn and non-sworn translation routes. | Ask which assigned translator will sign each civil, judicial or police translation and check the name in the official directory. Confirm privacy, delivery date and whether the quote covers each page and stamp. |
| Alphatrad France | Publishes sworn-translation services and describes a France-wide agency network. Its customer page lists +33 9 62 72 90 37. | When you need a national provider to quote a language pair or a legal, medical or official document. | Its public service information is broad rather than specific to a CNDA appeal. Confirm the exact translator, the French court-list entry, the document category, deadline and paper delivery. |
For either service, send only the pages the legal adviser says are relevant, ask about secure transfer and retention of sensitive records, and request a clear revision policy. No provider can promise that the CNDA will accept evidence or grant protection.
What field reports and applicant accounts can—and cannot—tell you
Forum Réfugiés’ 2025 France country report for the European Council on Refugees and Exiles draws on interviews with field practitioners and lawyers as well as NGO feedback. That is useful qualitative context for understanding how applicants rely on legal and support networks, but it is not a survey of translation providers or translation outcomes. One public first-person account by a person seeking asylum in France also described a CNDA hearing date being rescheduled. That single story is not a wait-time estimate; it is a reminder to work from the notice in your own case, not an online prediction. The legal rule and deadline come from the CESEDA and CNDA notices, not forum advice.
Protect sensitive evidence and know where to complain
Asylum records can expose family members, political activity, health history or allegations of harm. Before uploading them, ask a provider who can access the files, how long they are retained, and how they are deleted. Keep a copy of the quote, order and delivery record. If a commercial company misrepresents its service, misses a contracted delivery or disputes a refund, first use its complaint process and consumer mediator. France’s DGCCRF consumer-dispute guidance explains the process, and SignalConso is the public reporting service. These consumer routes cannot change a CNDA deadline or a court decision.
Frequently asked questions
Do all foreign-language documents need a French translation for a CNDA asylum appeal?
Yes, if you submit them as evidence: R. 532-7 says foreign-language pieces must be accompanied by a French translation. The rule reserves a specific sworn-conformity requirement for civil-status, judicial and police acts. The Conseil d’État has also held that applicants should not rely on the CNDA to request a translation for them; see Decision no. 436759.
Which documents require a traducteur assermenté?
Translations of civil-status acts, judicial acts and police acts must be certified as conforming to the original by a sworn translator. If a document is mixed or its category is unclear, ask your lawyer before ordering; do not rely on a translation company’s generic certified label.
Can I submit copies, or must I mail the original?
The CNDA recommends communicating copies and bringing originals to the hearing. Keep your only original safe and check any case-specific direction from the court or your lawyer.
When is the deadline for translated evidence before a CNDA hearing?
Use the closure date in your notice or order. Under the ordinary default timetable, written instruction closes three clear days before a single-judge hearing or five days before a panel hearing; CNDA guidance says submissions are due by 23:59 the day before closure. Border-procedure cases under the 2026 rules have a different timetable, with closure at the hearing. See the linked CNDA guidance above.
Does the free CNDA hearing interpreter translate my written evidence?
No. The court interpreter provides oral language assistance at the hearing. Your submitted documents need their own French written translations.
How much does translation for a CNDA appeal cost?
The court does not set a single commercial translation price. Ask for itemized quotes based on language pair, page count, handwriting or scan quality, sworn status, paper copies and deadline. Public guidance says translation costs may fall to the applicant.
Can I use an overseas certified translation or a notarized translation?
For civil-status, judicial and police records, verify that the person signing the French translation has the required French sworn-translator status. A foreign company’s certificate or notarization does not by itself prove that requirement. For other evidence, ask your lawyer what translation format is appropriate.
Prepare the translation after your adviser selects the evidence
First ask your lawyer or qualified support adviser which documents should be filed. Then separate items requiring a sworn translator from other French translations, build the continuous inventory, and set a translation deadline ahead of the court’s closure date. CertOf can help with document translation and preparation for language pairs it supports, but its general certified-translation certificate is not proof that the signer is a French traducteur assermenté. Do not use it as a substitute for the required sworn translation unless that status is confirmed for the assigned translator.
If the language pair and document type fit, you can request a translation quote or review how to upload and order a certified translation online. For file format and paper delivery questions, read PDF, Word and paper delivery options and CertOf’s revision and delivery policy. Review the service’s privacy terms before sending sensitive asylum evidence. CertOf does not provide asylum legal representation, choose evidence for your case, file submissions with the CNDA, or guarantee court acceptance.
Related reading: For the distinction between an interpreter and a written translation in asylum work, see interpreter versus written evidence translation; Romania’s rules are not France’s rules.
Disclaimer: This article is general information, not legal advice. CNDA procedures and deadlines can depend on the decision type, notification date and applicable transitional rules. Follow your own court notice and get advice from a lawyer or qualified asylum support organization.