Asylum Interpreter
Trusted by solicitors, immigration advisers and asylum applicants across the UK. Every interpreter is NRPSI registered with a minimum of five years’ professional experience, DBS enhanced checked, and bound by a strict code of conduct on impartiality and confidentiality.
Looking for an asylum interpreter? We provide NRPSI-registered interpreters for solicitor consultations, asylum interview preparation, and First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) hearings, in over 200 languages, UK-wide. If you need an interpreter for asylum interview preparation with your legal representative — rather than the interpreter the Home Office provides on the day — this is the service to book. Free quote in 30 minutes.
Request an Asylum Interpreter
Response within 30 minutes during business hours.
Asylum Interpreter Costs
All rates are guide prices — exact quotes confirmed before booking. No hidden fees.
Quick answer: On-site asylum and immigration interpreting starts from £45–55 per hour. Video remote interpreting (VRI) is £40–48 per hour. Telephone interpreting (OPI) is available 24/7 from £0.90 per minute with no minimum charge. Every booking gets a clear, itemised quote before we confirm.
On-Site Interpreting
Solicitor consultations, interview preparation and tribunal hearings, attended in person by an NRPSI registered interpreter.
- NRPSI registered interpreter
- Tribunal & consultation experience
- UK-wide travel available
Video Remote (VRI)
Video interpreting for remote solicitor meetings, video-conference tribunal hearings and consultations from anywhere in the UK.
- Zoom, Teams & secure platforms
- Accepted for VC tribunal hearings
- Available UK-wide
Telephone (OPI)
Instant telephone interpreting for urgent calls, short consultations and out-of-hours situations. No minimum charge.
- Available 24 hours, 7 days
- Instant connection
- No minimum charge
What Does an Asylum Interpreter Do?
Quick answer: An asylum interpreter we provide supports solicitor consultations, interview preparation, screening interview support, and First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) hearings. We do not supply the interpreter used inside the Home Office’s own asylum interview — that is booked directly by the Home Office.
Solicitor Consultations
Private, confidential interpreting for meetings with your immigration solicitor or adviser, so you can explain your case fully and understand the advice you’re given.
- Confidential & impartial
- Immigration & asylum terminology
- In person or by video
Asylum Interview Preparation
An interpreter for asylum interview preparation with your solicitor — going through your statement and the interview process together, in your own language, before the day itself.
- Statement & evidence review
- Process explained clearly
- Booked around your solicitor’s availability
First-tier Tribunal Hearings
Interpreters for First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) appeal hearings, working alongside your barrister or solicitor, in person or by video conference.
- Tribunal hearing experience
- In person or VC hearings
- Works alongside your barrister
Screening Interview Support
Interpreting support around your initial screening appointment — including explaining the process to you and your family beforehand, where a solicitor has instructed us to assist.
- Process explanation
- Family-sensitive approach
- Solicitor-instructed
Video Remote Interpreting
Video interpreting for remote consultations and video-conference tribunal hearings, wherever you or your solicitor are based in the UK.
- Zoom, Teams & secure platforms
- UK-wide, no travel needed
- Same-day often possible
Telephone Interpreting
Instant telephone interpreting for urgent calls with your solicitor, a support organisation, or anywhere a quick conversation is needed without a booked appointment.
- Available 24/7
- Instant connection
- No appointment needed
Who Books an Asylum Interpreter Through Us?
Quick answer: We work with immigration solicitors and barristers, NGOs and refugee support charities, and asylum applicants and their families booking directly. Every interpreter is matched to the specific setting — a tribunal hearing, a solicitor’s office, or a sensitive consultation — with relevant experience and language expertise.
Immigration Solicitors & Barristers
Client conferences, statement-taking and tribunal hearings, with interpreters familiar with asylum casework and terminology.
NGOs & Refugee Support Charities
Casework appointments and advice sessions for organisations supporting asylum seekers and refugees across the UK.
Asylum Applicants & Families
Private bookings for individuals who want their own interpreter for a solicitor meeting or personal support, independent of any institution.
How Interpreting Works at a Home Office Asylum Interview
Quick answer: The Home Office books and pays for the interpreter used at your screening and substantive asylum interviews — you cannot supply your own. You can request a male or female interpreter in advance, and the interview is usually conducted in the language used at your screening interview unless there’s a good reason to change it.
According to current Home Office guidance for caseworkers (Asylum interviews, updated 16 October 2025), an interpreter is arranged by the Home Office through its Interpreter & Language Services Unit for every asylum interview conducted in a language other than English. This is set out under paragraphs 339NA to 339ND of the Immigration Rules, which cover the interview process and confidentiality requirements.
You can request a male or female interviewer and interpreter — you’re asked at the screening interview, and again in your invitation to the substantive interview. The Home Office will try to accommodate this where operationally possible.
If a claimant and the Home Office’s interpreter don’t understand each other clearly, the interview must be suspended and rearranged. Interview transcripts are sent to the claimant and their immigration adviser, usually within 7 days.
This is why our role sits around the Home Office interview rather than inside it — preparing you beforehand with your solicitor, and representing your language needs at the stages where you do choose the interpreter, such as tribunal appeals.
Why Solicitors Choose Our Asylum Interpreters
Quick answer: Every interpreter is NRPSI registered with a minimum of five years’ experience, DBS enhanced checked, and bound by a code of conduct on impartiality and confidentiality. We cover 200+ languages, work UK-wide, and are direct about what we can and can’t provide for Home Office asylum interviews.
- Every interpreter we place holds NRPSI accreditation — the National Register of Public Service Interpreters — with a minimum of five years’ professional experience. This is the benchmark UK courts and public bodies expect.
- We’re upfront that the Home Office provides the interpreter inside your asylum interview itself. We tell you clearly where our interpreters fit — preparation, consultations and tribunal hearings — so you book the right service.
- Our interpreters regularly work First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) hearings and immigration solicitor consultations, so they understand the process, the terminology, and what’s at stake.
- Coverage includes the languages most represented in UK asylum claims — Arabic, Farsi/Persian, Dari, Pashto, Tigrinya, Kurdish (Kurmanji and Sorani), Somali, Amharic and Albanian — alongside 200+ others.
- All interpreters hold current DBS enhanced certificates and are covered by professional indemnity insurance — essential where sensitive personal disclosure is involved.
- For any appointment where you choose the interpreter — a consultation, preparation session or tribunal hearing — we ask your gender preference at the time of booking and do our best to match it.
NRPSI Interpreter vs Unregistered Alternatives
Quick answer: An NRPSI-registered interpreter provides verifiable accreditation, DBS clearance and a formal code of conduct that a friend, family member, or unregistered interpreter cannot offer. For legal consultations and tribunal hearings, this can materially affect how your case is understood and presented.
| Feature | Our NRPSI Interpreter | Family Member / Friend | Unregistered Interpreter |
|---|---|---|---|
| NRPSI registered | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| DBS enhanced checked | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | Unverified |
| Impartial, no personal interest in outcome | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | Varies |
| Bound by formal code of conduct | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Professional indemnity insurance | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Experienced in asylum/tribunal terminology | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | Varies |
| Accepted by solicitors & tribunals | ✅ Yes | ❌ Usually not | ❌ Usually not |
Asylum Interpreting in the UK — Key Data
- Immigration Rules, paragraphs 339NA–339ND — the provisions governing asylum interviews, including the requirement to provide an interpreter. Source: GOV.UK, Immigration Rules Part 11: Asylum
- 7 days — the target timeframe for the Home Office to send an interview transcript to the claimant and their immigration adviser. Source: GOV.UK, Asylum Interviews guidance
- Claimants can request a male or female interviewer and interpreter, asked at both the screening stage and the invitation to interview. Source: GOV.UK, Asylum Interviews guidance
- From £45 per hour — our published on-site legal and immigration interpreting rate, itemised quotes with no hidden fees. Our published rates, September 2026
- 200+ languages covered across our interpreter network, including the languages most common in UK asylum claims. Our current coverage, September 2026
- Company No. 17089852 — IM Translation Services Ltd, registered in England & Wales. Source: Companies House
Frequently Asked Questions About Asylum Interpreters
Quick answer: We provide NRPSI-registered interpreters for solicitor consultations, asylum interview preparation, screening support and tribunal hearings — not for the Home Office’s own asylum interview, which the Home Office books directly. Rates start from £45/hour on-site, £40/hour VRI, and £0.90/minute by phone.
No — under Home Office guidance, the Interpreter & Language Services Unit (ILSU) books and pays for the interpreter used inside the asylum interview itself, and you cannot bring your own. Our interpreters support you around that interview: preparation with your solicitor, private consultations, tribunal hearings, and any stage where you or your representative choose the interpreter.
An interpreter for asylum interview preparation sits with you and your solicitor before the Home Office interview, so you can go through your statement, understand the process, and communicate fully with your legal representative in your own language. This is separate from the interpreter the Home Office provides on the day.
Yes. Home Office guidance confirms claimants can request a male or female interviewer and interpreter, both at the screening stage and again in the invitation to interview. The Home Office will try to accommodate this request for the interpreter it provides; where you’re booking your own interpreter for a consultation or tribunal hearing, we ask your gender preference at the time of booking.
Yes. We provide NRPSI registered interpreters for First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) hearings, working alongside your barrister or solicitor. This is separate from Home Office asylum interviews, where the interpreter is provided by the Home Office itself.
On-site interpreting for legal and tribunal settings, including asylum-related work, starts from £45–55 per hour. Video remote interpreting is £40–48 per hour. Telephone interpreting is available from £0.90 per minute with no minimum charge. Every booking receives an itemised quote before confirmation.
Over 200 languages and dialects, including Arabic, Farsi/Persian, Dari, Pashto, Tigrinya, Kurdish (Kurmanji and Sorani), Somali, Amharic, Albanian, Vietnamese, Urdu and Punjabi — reflecting the countries of origin most represented in UK asylum claims. If your language is rare, contact us and we’ll confirm availability, usually within the hour.
For the Home Office interview itself, the interpreter is provided by the Home Office, not chosen by you. Separately, using a family member to interpret for legal advice or sensitive disclosure is generally discouraged, since it can compromise confidentiality, impartiality, and a claimant’s willingness to disclose sensitive information such as experiences of persecution or sexual violence.
The fastest way to book an asylum interpreter in the UK: tell us your language, the type of appointment and the date — we confirm cost and interpreter availability within 30 minutes. NRPSI registered, DBS checked, UK-wide coverage.
Get a Free Quote in 30 Minutes →Book an Asylum Interpreter
Whether you need an interpreter for asylum interview preparation with your solicitor, a private consultation, or a First-tier Tribunal hearing — tell us your language, the type of appointment and your deadline.
We work with immigration solicitors, barristers, NGOs and refugee support charities, and individuals booking directly, across the whole of the UK.
Office 17690, 182-184 High Street North, East Ham, London E6 2JA · UK-wide coverage
Get a Free Asylum Interpreter Quote
Response within 30 minutes during business hours.