HOW TO HIRE · BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL

How to hire an interpreter in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No licence applies to interpreters. Here is how to check the language, the setting and confidentiality before you book.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring an interpreter in five steps

  1. Name the language and dialectExactly, and the region if it matters.
  2. Describe the settingMedical appointment, solicitor's interview, business meeting or conference.
  3. Send background in advanceTerms, names and documents the interpreter should know.
  4. Agree the booking termsHourly rate, minimum booking, travel time and cancellation.
  5. Confirm confidentialityIn writing for sensitive meetings.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No law licenses interpreters for private bookings in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland; public bodies may use their own registers for public-service work. Experience in your setting, references and the booking terms matter most.

Ask the interpreter for experience in your setting and a client you can contact.

Confidentiality and personal data

Interpreting often involves health, legal or financial information. Data protection rules require businesses to keep personal data secure and use it only as people were told; most must pay the ICO fee.

Ask the interpreter to confirm confidentiality and how any notes are destroyed. gov.uk →

Remote or in person, and the booking

If you book online or by phone, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 usually give a 14-day cancellation right for a service, but an interpreter booked for a fixed date may have their own cancellation terms; read them.

Check the cancellation and minimum-charge terms before confirming. legislation.gov.uk →

Documents need a translator

Written documents for official use need a certified translation, with the translator's written statement, effectively a certificate, that it is true and accurate. That is a separate service from interpreting.

If documents are involved, book a translator as well. gov.uk →

VAT

Interpreting is standard-rated, so a registered interpreter adds 20% to the hourly rate, the minimum booking and travel time. Registration becomes compulsory once an interpreter has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the interpreter for the VAT number with the booking and for hours, travel and VAT listed one by one. gov.uk →

“Do you interpret my exact language and dialect?”

A good answer: A clear yes, with the regions they work with.

“Have you interpreted in this setting before?”

A good answer: Medical, legal, business or conference experience, as needed.

“What is the interpreter's minimum booking and hourly rate?”

A good answer: Figures in writing, with travel time.

“Will you interpret consecutively or simultaneously?”

A good answer: The right mode for a meeting, a hearing or a conference.

“How will you keep what you hear confidential?”

A good answer: A professional duty and secure handling of notes.

“What do you need from me before the session?”

A good answer: Background, terms, names and the agenda.

“What is your cancellation policy?”

A good answer: Notice period and charges stated.

Getting the quote right

  • Hourly rate and minimum booking
  • Who actually attends the appointment: the interpreter you booked, or a substitute an agency subcontracts
  • Travel time and expenses
  • Remote, telephone or in person
  • Preparation time if charged
  • Cancellation terms
  • The VAT number, with VAT at 20% on the hours and travel time

Walk away if

  • Different dialect from the one you need
  • No experience in a legal or medical setting
  • Unclear about confidentiality
  • A family member offered as the interpreter for a sensitive meeting
  • Minimum charges hidden until the invoice
  • No written booking
LOW
£80
TYPICAL
£95
HIGH
£120

What an interpreter costs: £80–£120 per hour

Interpreters charge by the hour with a minimum booking, plus travel for in-person work; remote sessions usually cost less. Interpreter price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Interpreters near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you, or book by the hour.

  1. BookingLanguage, setting, date and terms agreed.
  2. PreparationBackground reading on terms and context.
  3. IntroductionsThe interpreter explains their role to everyone present.
  4. InterpretingAccurate two-way interpreting during the session.
  5. CloseNotes destroyed and the invoice sent.

Consecutive interpreting
The speaker pauses while the interpreter renders each part.
Simultaneous interpreting
Interpreting at the same time as the speaker, usually from a booth.
Whispered interpreting
Simultaneous interpreting quietly to one or two people.
Language pair
The two languages the interpreter works between.
Minimum booking
The shortest time charged, often an hour or more.
Sight translation
Reading a document aloud in another language.

AFTER

When the job is done

Check the invoiceHours, minimum charge and travel against the booking.
Note anything unclearAsk the interpreter while the meeting is fresh.
Rebook the same personFor follow-up meetings, continuity helps.
Review it on LocufySay what the interpreter did well and what could be better, once the work is finished. A problem goes through the make-it-right step first, so they can put it right.

STEP 1Write to the interpreter firstA short, dated message works best: the problem, the proof and the remedy you want from the interpreter. Your rights come from the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which requires a trader to use reasonable care and skill and gives you repeat performance or a price cut where they did not.
STEP 2Let Locufy follow it upGive the interpreter fewer than four stars and Locufy offers to pass the complaint on first. The make-it-right step is followed through before you publish.
STEP 3Get consumer adviceNobody licenses interpreters, so the route is consumer advice: Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland. They can refer the interpreter to Trading Standards.
STEP 4The small claims routeFor money the interpreter owes you, the small claims courts handle claims up to £10,000 in England and Wales, up to £5,000 through simple procedure in Scotland and up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring an interpreter: questions people ask

Not for private bookings in any UK nation; public bodies may set their own requirements.

Data protection rules require personal information to be kept secure; agree confidentiality in writing too.

Interpreters work with speech; translators work with written documents.

£80–£120 per hour, with a typical figure of £95. Rare languages, specialist settings, in-person travel and short notice push the hourly rate up. Read the interpreter price guide for the factors, or search your town above for interpreters nearby.

For anything sensitive or legal, a professional interpreter is safer and more accurate.

Most run from one hour to a full day, often with a minimum charge.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in business & professional

How to hire: Translation ServiceHow to hire: Transcription ServiceHow to hire: Immigration LawyerHow to hire: SolicitorHow to hire: Notary PublicHow to hire: Proofreading ServiceHow to hire: Market ResearchHow to hire: Business ConsultantAll 701 hiring guides →

Interpreters near you

Interpreters in LondonInterpreters in ManchesterInterpreters in BirminghamInterpreters in GlasgowInterpreters in BelfastAll interpreters on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — data protection and your business
  2. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — cancellation period
  3. gov.uk — certifying a document
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  5. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  6. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  7. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  8. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register