Interpreting Services

Interpreting services

Professional interpreters in more than 350 languages, across the UK and abroad

Our service is only as good as the interpreting our qualified linguists provide, so that is where the effort goes. We choose the interpreter for each assignment by language and subject, and our interpreters prepare for every job so they can give the highest quality of service. Our commitment to high-quality interpreting is what makes us the best choice.

We work 24/7 with a strong network of experienced interpreters in the UK and abroad, so we can meet your requirements on the same day, to your deadline. Our interpreters understand the importance of security and confidentiality, and our full range of interpreting services includes medical, legal, consecutive, telephone, conference and simultaneous interpreting.

Ways to work with an interpreter

Face to face. The interpreter is in the room. This is still the best choice for anything long, sensitive or physical: medical examinations, hearings, difficult conversations, and meetings where people need to read each other.

By telephone. Quick to arrange and good for short calls, first contact and urgent questions. See telephone interpreting.

By video. Faces and expressions without the travel, for spoken languages and British Sign Language. See video interpreting.

Consecutive, simultaneous or whispered

Consecutive interpreting is the everyday mode: the speaker says a few sentences and stops, and the interpreter repeats them in the other language. It is used in appointments, interviews, meetings and for witness evidence, and it roughly doubles the time a conversation takes.

Simultaneous interpreting happens at the same time as the speech, usually from a soundproof booth into headsets. It is used at conferences and large meetings, where doubling the time is not an option. See conference interpreting.

Whispered interpreting is simultaneous interpreting spoken quietly to one or two people, such as a defendant in the dock or a visitor in a board meeting.

Our interpreting services

Court interpreting

Interpreters for criminal, civil, family and tribunal hearings, for short and long cases throughout the UK.

Medical interpreting

Certified medical interpreters for consultations, hospital care and surgery.

Telephone interpreting

A professional interpreter on the line with a single call, in more than 350 languages.

Conference interpreting

Simultaneous and consecutive interpreters for conferences, seminars, press briefings and negotiations.

Video interpreting

Remote interpreting by video, from a laptop, computer or smartphone.

Private interpreting

Interpreters for individuals and families: appointments, weddings, property and personal matters.

For interpreting in a particular field, see our pages for the legal, healthcare, police, government and business sectors.

Who our interpreters are

All our interpreters are experienced, qualified and fully vetted professionals, and most are native speakers of the language they interpret. They hold accreditation from bodies such as the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI) and the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL), including the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (DPSI). A professional interpreter interprets everything that is said, in the first person, and keeps what they hear confidential.

What to tell us when you book

• The language, and the dialect or country
• The date, start time and likely length
• The address, and who to ask for on arrival
• What the appointment is about
• Face to face, telephone or video
• Names of the people involved
• Any need for a male or female interpreter
• Any security clearance or vetting needed

The names let us check that the interpreter does not know anyone involved, which matters more than you might think in smaller language communities.

Languages and dialects

We provide interpreters in more than 350 languages. Ask for the dialect as well as the language, because the right match makes a real difference: Sylheti rather than Bengali for many British Bangladeshi families, Sorani or Kurmanji rather than just Kurdish, and the right form of Arabic for a speaker from Sudan, Syria or Morocco. We also cover British Sign Language. The full list is on our languages page, and every town we cover, with its courts and hospitals, is on our interpreters near you page.

Questions about interpreting

How much notice do you need?

We work 24/7 and can meet requests on the same day. For rarer languages, long bookings and anywhere remote, the more notice you give, the wider the choice of interpreter.

Can we have the same interpreter every time?

Ask when you book. For a series of appointments or a long case, continuity helps everyone, and we will do our best to arrange it.

Do you provide interpreters outside the UK?

Yes. Our network includes experienced interpreters abroad, and we can connect you with local interpreters in any part of the world.