diff --git a/Homogeneous_kernel/include/CGAL/Homogeneous/Aff_transformationH3.h b/Homogeneous_kernel/include/CGAL/Homogeneous/Aff_transformationH3.h
index 1ee88421490..fb06bfd0d1c 100644
--- a/Homogeneous_kernel/include/CGAL/Homogeneous/Aff_transformationH3.h
+++ b/Homogeneous_kernel/include/CGAL/Homogeneous/Aff_transformationH3.h
@@ -139,6 +139,9 @@ public:
   virtual  bool
            is_even() const;
 
+  virtual  bool
+           is_translation() const;
+
   virtual  RT
            homogeneous(int i, int j) const ;
 
@@ -273,6 +276,9 @@ public:
   virtual  bool
            is_even() const;
 
+  virtual  bool
+           is_translation() const;
+
   virtual  RT
            homogeneous(int i, int j) const ;
 
@@ -548,6 +554,14 @@ Aff_transformation_repH3<R>::is_even() const
                                               t20, t21, t22 ) ) == POSITIVE );
 }
 
+template < class R >
+CGAL_KERNEL_INLINE
+bool
+Aff_transformation_repH3<R>::is_translation() const
+  return false;
+}
+
+
 template < class R >
 CGAL_KERNEL_LARGE_INLINE
 typename Aff_transformation_repH3<R>::RT