Finding an Interpreter in Scotland

If you have family members moving to Scotland it's possible they may need an interpreter in some situations. This is how to find interpreters for free in Scotland.

The Interpreting and Translating Service (ITS)

Interpreters are provided free of charge for health, education and council department appointments in Scotland. In Edinburgh the ITS can provide interpreters. This means if an interpreter is needed for the National Health Service or the council, it will be arranged for you. You would not need to contact the ITS yourself.

For example, if an interpreter was needed for a hospital appointment, the GP would make a request to the ITS. If parents wanted to go to their child's school, but needed some help with talking to the teachers, the school would get in touch with the ITS. Organisations, which are funded by the Scottish Government, such as the Citizens' Advice Bureau, use the ITS as well.

The only exception would be for court cases because courts have their own interpreters.

Languages translated

The main languages the ITS translate in are:

• Polish
• Cantonese
• Mandarin

It is more difficult to find translators in:

• Turkish
• Romanian
• Other Eastern European languages, such as Bulgarian and Hungarian
• South African languages
• Asian languages, especially Punjabi

Glasgow Translation and Interpreting Service

The Glasgow Translation and Interpreting Service (GTIS) have similar popular languages to the ITS. They get most requests for Polish, Chinese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Urdu and Punjabi.

Apart from providing interpreters for the NHS, Social Work and education, they also supply interpreters for private interpreting agencies.

Generally, if there is a large community of people who speak a particular language, there will be more interpreters available for that language. The GTIS only have a small number of interpreters for languages that have a small community of speakers in Scotland.

Related links

• Becoming an interpreter/translator in Scotland
• Find out more about living in Scotland
• The healthcare system in Scotland
• The Scottish education system
• Glasgow Translation and Interpreting Service
• The Interpreting and Translation Service