Welsh interpreters and translators for councils, health boards, courts, schools, charities and businesses anywhere in the UK. We arrange face-to-face, telephone and video interpreting, including simultaneous interpreting for meetings, certified translation between Welsh and English, and take bookings 24/7.
- 8,000+ linguists
- 350+ languages
- Bookings 24/7, every day of the year
- Free quotes
Welsh interpreting services
Most Welsh interpreting is simultaneous: the interpreter listens and speaks at the same time, into a microphone, while those who need English follow on headsets. It is the normal arrangement in the Senedd, council chambers and many public meetings in Wales, and it lets Welsh speakers talk at their natural pace. Consecutive interpreting suits a one-to-one appointment or a witness interview.
Spoken Welsh is more informal than the written standard, and a speaker may also be a confident learner rather than a first-language speaker; a good interpreter adjusts to both. Before a technical meeting, send the papers: the Welsh Government's TermCymru database settles many official terms, but a planning committee or a clinical review has vocabulary of its own.
Face-to-face interpreting
The interpreter comes to you: a hospital ward, a courtroom, a council office, a home visit or a business meeting. It is the best choice when people need to read expressions as well as words, or when the conversation is long or sensitive.
Telephone interpreting
The quickest option to set up. It works well for short calls, triage, appointment reminders and quick checks with a client.
Video interpreting
A Welsh interpreter joins by video for remote hearings, consultations and meetings, which helps when there is no interpreter near you.
We also provide medical interpreting and conference interpreting.
Certified Welsh translation
Documents come to us in Welsh from many directions: letters and reports from Welsh-medium schools, council and board minutes, chapel and family records, wills, deeds and old correspondence. Birth, marriage and death certificates from Wales can be issued in a bilingual form, which removes the need for translation of the certificate itself, though not of Welsh-only papers that sit alongside it. Each translator works into their native language.
Keep an eye on names. The circumflex in Siân or the double letters in Llewelyn are part of the spelling, and mutated forms in running text are put back to the base form wherever a name is recorded. For indexes and glossaries, note that Welsh alphabetises ch, dd, ll and ng as single letters.
- Certified translation of birth, marriage and death certificates, passports, driving licences, degree certificates and bank statements, for the Home Office, courts, universities and employers.
- Legal translation: witness statements, court bundles, contracts and immigration papers.
- Document translation of medical reports, letters, leaflets and patient information.
- Urgent translation when a deadline is close.
- Transcription of Welsh audio and video recordings, with an English translation if you need one.
English to Welsh translation
English to Welsh translation for Welsh readers should use clear, modern Welsh rather than the heavy formal style of older official prose; the Cymraeg Clir guidelines exist for exactly this. Many public bodies place the Welsh text first or on the left, and under the Welsh Language Standards the Welsh version must not be treated less favourably than the English. Tell us the audience, whether it is pupils, patients, tenants or a formal consultation, and we will match the register.
Welsh court and police interpreters
In Wales, a witness, party or defendant may choose to give evidence in Welsh, and HM Courts and Tribunals Service has its own Welsh Language Unit to support that. Outside the courts, Welsh interpreting is also needed at tribunals, police interviews, inquests and solicitors' meetings. We look for Welsh interpreters who have worked in legal proceedings, and, where holders of them exist for Welsh, prefer those with the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (Law) or entry on the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI). Say in advance whether a hearing needs simultaneous interpretation with equipment or consecutive interpretation for a single witness.
How to book a Welsh interpreter
- Tell us about the assignment: the date, time and address, or that you need telephone or video; how long it should last; and what it is for, such as a hospital appointment, a hearing or a business meeting.
- Tell us about the speaker: their country or region and, if you know it, their dialect. Mention any preference for a male or female interpreter.
- Get your quote. We email you a quote, with no obligation to book.
Call 0800 2425 125, email info@uklinguisticservices.co.uk or request a quote online.
About the Welsh language
Welsh is a Celtic language of the Brythonic branch, spoken mainly in Wales. It is an official language of Wales under the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011.
Welsh is written in the Latin alphabet.
At the 2021 Census, about 538,000 usual residents of Wales aged three or over, 17.8% of them, said they could speak Welsh. Source: Office for National Statistics.
Before you book: Public bodies in Wales must meet the Welsh Language Standards, so their letters, forms, signs and meetings often need Welsh translation or interpreting.
| Name in Welsh | Cymraeg |
|---|---|
| Language family | Celtic language of the Brythonic branch |
| Where it is spoken | Wales |
| Writing system | Latin alphabet |
| Language code | cy |
| People in Wales who speak Welsh (Census 2021) | About 538,000 (17.8%) |
Related languages
Welsh interpreters near you
We send Welsh interpreters to appointments across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and telephone and video interpreting work wherever you are. Choose a town for its local page.
Welsh interpreter and translator FAQs
How quickly can I book a Welsh interpreter?
We take bookings 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Telephone and video interpreting are usually the quickest to arrange. For a face-to-face appointment, give us as much notice as you can: same-day cover is often possible, but it depends on where you are and how many Welsh interpreters work nearby.
How much does a Welsh interpreter cost?
The price depends on the type of interpreting (face-to-face, telephone or video), how long the appointment lasts, where it is and how much notice you give. We quote before anything is booked, and quotes are free: call 0800 2425 125 or use our online quote form.
Can you certify Welsh translations for a UK visa or immigration application?
Yes. We translate and certify documents such as birth and marriage certificates, passports and police certificates for visa, settlement and citizenship applications. UK Visas and Immigration asks for each translation to confirm that it is accurate and to show the date and the translator's full name, signature and contact details, so tell us when you order that the document is for an immigration application.
Do you provide Welsh interpreters for courts, tribunals and police interviews?
Yes. Tell us the setting when you book, for example a Crown Court trial, an immigration tribunal hearing or a police interview under caution, so we can match a Welsh interpreter with the right legal experience and qualifications.
How many people speak Welsh in the UK?
At the 2021 Census, about 538,000 usual residents of Wales aged three or over, 17.8% of them, said they could speak Welsh. The figure covers people living in Wales; Welsh speakers elsewhere in the UK are not included.
