Key takeaways
- Most UK interpreting is charged per hour, with a minimum booking period and separate travel time and expenses for on-site work.
- Criminal legal aid rates in England and Wales set interpreter fees at £32 per hour outside London and £29 per hour in London.
- Professional Interpreters for Justice recommends £35 per hour for police and criminal justice work on weekdays, with a £70 minimum payment.
- The Scottish Legal Aid Board pays interpreters up to £30 per hour with a one-hour minimum.
- Simultaneous interpreting usually costs more overall because it needs a team of interpreters and equipment.
Anyone budgeting for an interpreter in the UK quickly discovers that there is no single price list. Commercial providers set their own rates, and the total depends on how the interpreting is delivered as much as on the hourly rate.
This guide explains how interpreting is usually charged, gives published UK benchmarks from public bodies, and sets out the factors that raise or lower a quote. It is written for businesses, HR teams, clinics and event organisers. For the different formats you might be pricing, see our guide to types of interpreting and how to choose.
How is interpreting charged in the UK?
Interpreting in the UK is usually charged by time, not by word. A quote normally combines several elements:
- Attendance or interpreting time, charged per hour or per half day or full day.
- A minimum booking period for on-site work, because the interpreter cannot easily take other work around a short assignment.
- Travel time and travel expenses for on-site interpreting.
- Unsocial hours supplements for evenings, weekends and public holidays.
- Cancellation charges if the booking is cancelled at short notice.
- Equipment and technician costs for simultaneous interpreting, or platform costs for remote events.
Telephone interpreting is commonly charged in short blocks, such as the 15-minute units used in PI4J's recommended rates, which makes it cheaper for brief calls.
What are the published UK rates for interpreters?
Commercial interpreting rates are not published centrally, but several public bodies publish the rates they pay. These are useful reference points for publicly funded work, not market prices for private bookings.
| Source | Setting | Published rate | Key terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Criminal Legal Aid (Remuneration) Regulations 2013, Schedule 5 | Criminal legal aid, England and Wales | £32 per hour outside London; £29 per hour in London | Rates for experts, including interpreters, paid under legal aid |
| Professional Interpreters for Justice (PI4J) recommended rates | Police and criminal justice, outside London | £35.00 per hour, Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 20:00 | £70.00 minimum payment; travel time at 66% of the attendance rate; rates "at least 10% higher in London" |
| Scottish Legal Aid Board guidance | Legal aid, Scotland | Up to £30 per hour, face to face or by telephone | One-hour minimum, then quarter hours; £30 cancellation fee if the client does not attend |
PI4J's guidance also sets higher weekend rates (£52.50 per hour on Saturdays and £70.00 on Sundays and public holidays) and recommends £9.30 per 15 minutes for weekday telephone interpreting. The Scottish Legal Aid Board states that face-to-face and telephone interpreting "are paid at the same rates" and that the hourly rate includes travel expenses for the first 60 miles of a round trip.
What affects the cost of an interpreter?
The hourly rate is only one part of the cost. The professional standards published by AIIC Italia, part of the International Association of Conference Interpreters, list the main factors:
"Remuneration for services rendered shall be determined by factors such as interpreter skill sets, training and experience, specialised and technical subject matter, conference duration and workload, as well as any necessary preparation, expenses incurred and additional statutory charges." (AIIC Italia Professional Standards, Article 4)
In practice, these factors change a quote most:
- Language pair: languages with fewer qualified interpreters in your area usually cost more, or require travel from further away.
- Mode: consecutive, simultaneous, whispered, telephone or video.
- Subject matter: technical, legal or medical content needs specialist interpreters and preparation time.
- Notice period: same-day and next-day bookings limit the choice of interpreters.
- Timing: evenings, weekends and public holidays attract supplements.
- Location: travel time and expenses can exceed the interpreting time for short on-site assignments.
Why does simultaneous interpreting cost more than consecutive?
Simultaneous interpreting usually costs more because it needs a team and equipment, not because the hourly rate is different. AIIC Italia's standards state: "As a general rule, a team is composed of at least two interpreters per language and per booth." They add that each booth working non-stop needs at least two interpreters.
A one-day conference with interpreting into two languages may therefore need four interpreters, two booths, consoles, receivers and a technician. A consecutive meeting of the same length may need one interpreter, but it takes longer because each passage is heard twice. Our guide to consecutive vs simultaneous interpreting compares the two in detail.
Is remote interpreting cheaper than on-site interpreting?
Remote interpreting is often cheaper for short assignments, because it removes travel time, travel expenses and long minimum booking periods. For a 20-minute conversation, telephone or video interpreting can cost a fraction of an on-site booking that includes a two-hour minimum and travel.
For long or complex events, the saving is smaller. Remote simultaneous interpreting still needs a team of interpreters, and a professional platform and technician add costs. Our guide to remote interpreting by video and phone explains the set-up.
How to budget for an interpreter: step by step
- Define the event. Note the languages, format, number of participants, date, start and end time, and location.
- Choose the mode. Decide whether consecutive, simultaneous, telephone or video interpreting fits the event.
- Estimate the time realistically. Add the extra time consecutive interpreting needs, plus breaks, lunches and any tours.
- Ask for an itemised quote. Request separate lines for interpreting time, minimum charges, travel, expenses, equipment and preparation.
- Check the terms. Confirm cancellation charges, overtime rates and what happens if the meeting overruns.
- Compare like with like. A lower hourly rate with a longer minimum booking or separate travel charges may cost more overall.
Common mistakes when budgeting for an interpreter
- Budgeting for the meeting time only. Travel, minimum charges and overruns are often a large share of the cost.
- Booking one interpreter for a full day of simultaneous interpreting. It looks cheaper, but it breaches professional working standards and puts quality at risk.
- Booking at the last minute. Short notice narrows the choice and can add urgent supplements.
- Choosing an unqualified bilingual person to save money. Errors in negotiations, HR hearings or medical appointments cost far more than the interpreter; see why a professional interpreter is better than a bilingual person.
- Not sending preparation material. Interpreters may charge preparation time for complex subjects; good briefing material makes that time productive. See how to brief an interpreter.
How TranslationWorks can help
TranslationWorks is a UK-based language services agency that provides professional interpreting with native-speaking linguists in more than 150 languages, and gives a free quote within 24 hours. TranslationWorks is certified to ISO 17100, the international standard for translation services. To get an accurate price, tell us the languages, date, duration, location or platform, the type of meeting or event, and the subject. We will recommend a suitable interpreting mode and set out what the quote includes, so you can compare options on the same basis. See our interpreting services for the formats we cover, or request a free interpreting quote.
