Romani Interpreter Services

Prism Linguistics provides Romani interpreter services UK-wide, by telephone, by video and, where a matched interpreter can travel, in person. We interpret for Roma families and for the NHS teams, schools, councils, police and courts working with them, and we confirm which Romani variety, or which second language, the speaker prefers before anyone is booked.

Get a Romani interpreter quote or call +44 (0) 20 3880 6688

• UK-wide Romani cover
• Face-to-face, telephone or video
• Fixed quote, usually within the hour (office hours)
• Published price ranges
• Since 2017

Settings we interpret in NHS and private healthcare · courts and tribunals · police · local authorities · solicitors · businesses · private appointments

How we work UK GDPR · client terms · published price ranges · purchase-order invoicing for NHS and public bodies

The costliest mistake in a Romani booking often happens before an interpreter is even contacted: somebody guesses the language. In an ONS study of Roma lived experiences, released in September 2026, community workers said that services which did not see Roma as a distinct group could make inaccurate assumptions about a person's first language. So a mother from Slovakia can end up with a Slovak interpreter when Romani would have suited her better, or the other way round.

The census shows how mixed the picture is. In the ONS analysis of Roma populations from Census 2021, the commonest main languages among people identifying as Roma were English (27.8%), Romanian (23.0%) and Italian (22.0%). Romani was not on that list. Each person could record one main language only, so a family talking Romani at home and Romanian with officials would rarely register as Romani speakers. Asking is the only reliable test.

Romani interpreting services: face-to-face, telephone and video

Romani interpreting services give a Romani speaker and an English-speaking professional one shared conversation, relayed in full by a trained interpreter who sits with them, joins by phone or appears on a video call. Nearly all of it is consecutive, in short turns. Romani adds one step at the start: a minute of ordinary chat so the interpreter and the speaker can confirm they understand each other's variety.

The ONS research also noted that communication could suffer where specialist or complex vocabulary was used. A speaker may drop a Slovak, Czech or Romanian word into a Romani sentence, and the interpreter should follow the switch, explaining a term like care plan in plain Romani where no single word fits. Letters and forms are rarely written in Romani, so reading an English document aloud (sight translation) is often part of the appointment.

English to Romani interpreter (and Romani to English)

An English to Romani interpreter also works Romani to English within the same appointment, turning round with each exchange. Which way carries the risk changes with the setting. At a child protection conference it is the parent's Romani coming into English that gets minuted and may be quoted later. At a postnatal check the danger runs the other way, because feeding advice and a follow-up date have to reach the mother in words she will remember.

When no interpreter is booked, a teenager often fills the gap. The ONS study heard that many adults with limited English relied on their children to interpret, sometimes at a service's own request, which put young people in roles beyond their age and occasionally kept them out of school. GOV.UK guidance for health professionals is plain on the point: offer a professional interpreter rather than family or friends, and do not use children to interpret.

Romani court interpreters and HMCTS work

A Romani court interpreter renders every question, answer and direction in both languages, word for word, and takes no side. GOV.UK guidance on court and tribunal interpreters explains who pays for one. Criminal defendants receive an interpreter, although a defence witness has to get one through the defence solicitor. In the family court one is arranged where a case concerns children, forced marriage or domestic violence, and civil courts provide one for possession and committal hearings. A relative may step in only if the judge agrees ahead of the hearing.

Family proceedings are where a Romani interpreter can matter most, since a care case may run through many hearings over several months. The conferences, parenting assessments and contact meetings around those hearings usually fall outside the court's own arrangements, so the solicitor or the local authority books them (see legal interpreting for solicitors). Keep the same interpreter from first hearing to last if you can. Prism Linguistics is a private language-services provider and does not present itself as a court-appointed supplier.

Romani interpreters for NHS, police, solicitors, councils and business

Romani interpreters are most often asked for in healthcare, schools and children's services, with police, housing and immigration advice close behind.

Romani NHS interpreter: maternity, health visiting and the GP

Participants in the ONS study said some families avoided discussing health in front of relatives of a different age or sex, which could lead to a wrong diagnosis. A professional interpreter lets the relatives step back. Under NHS England guidance for commissioners, a GP practice should not charge the patient for it.

Romani medical interpreter: consent on the ward

One account in the ONS research described a relative agreeing to ventilation without understanding what she had agreed to. Consent, discharge and medicines need an interpreter who checks understanding, not one who just swaps words.

Schools and children's services

Admissions, attendance meetings, early help and child protection work. Participants in the ONS study named poor access to interpretation as one cause of high school absence among Roma pupils, so a Romani interpreter at an attendance meeting can change the outcome.

Romani police interpreter

Statements from victims and witnesses, interviews under caution and the custody suite; our police interpreting page has more. Each force sets its own vetting level, and we check it before confirming an interpreter.

Housing, councils and immigration advisers

Homelessness interviews, tenancy problems and EU Settlement Scheme advice. The ONS study found people struggling with the step from pre-settled to settled status, and women finding continuous residence hard to prove because bills were in a husband's name.

Employers and business

Occasional induction, safety or disciplinary meetings for a worker who follows Romani better than English (see business interpreting).

Face-to-face, telephone or video: which one fits?

Remote interpreting is often the practical choice for Romani, because it lets us pick the best-matched interpreter wherever they live. A short call about a repair or a vaccination needs no more than a telephone interpreter. A video interpreter helps when a speaker is uneasy talking to a voice alone. A care hearing or a first home visit is better in person, given notice.

Romani interpreting modes at a glance

Mode	Best for	Typical notice
Romani telephone interpreter	Appointment reminders, housing officer calls, pharmacy questions, a quick school update.	Frequently same day after the variety is confirmed, subject to availability
Romani video interpreter	Health visitor follow-ups, solicitor calls, settlement advice, a parent who wants to see a face.	Same or next working day, subject to availability
Romani face-to-face interpreter	Family court, child protection conferences, maternity, long assessments at home.	Several working days, longer for a specific variety

Lead times for Romani bookings

Romani is a small interpreting language in the UK, and interpreters who combine the right variety with court or clinical experience are few and widely scattered. We'd rather say that plainly. In-person cover is limited, so at short notice telephone or video is usually the realistic route. For a hearing or a planned conference, a week or more of notice gives us a proper choice.

Qualified, professional Romani interpreters: what to look for

A qualified Romani interpreter is hard to judge by certificate alone, so put a few direct questions to whoever you book:

A public service interpreting diploma

The DPSI is a Level 6 award from CIOL Qualifications, with Ofqual as regulator, and only some languages and options are offered. Ask in which language and specialism the interpreter passed it, or which other interpreting assessment they hold.

A place on the NRPSI

Entry to the National Register of Public Service Interpreters depends on its published qualification and experience requirements. Ask if the interpreter is listed, and for which language.

Enhanced DBS

Children's services, schools and custody work often call for an Enhanced DBS check, and GOV.UK eligibility guidance sets out which roles can have one.

Neutrality

Some participants in the ONS research distrusted non-Roma interpreters from their countries of origin, and one community worker warned of biased interpretation. Ask how the interpreter keeps strictly to what is said, and mention any preference the family has.

Setting experience, variety and sex

Ask how many family hearings or clinic appointments they have done in Romani. Pass on the speaker's country of origin, and say if a female interpreter would make the conversation easier.

For our part, each Romani interpreter we send is professionally qualified and background-checked. Court work goes to court-experienced interpreters, and Enhanced DBS is in place where the setting requires.

Romani dialects and varieties: why it matters at booking

Romani is far from uniform: the ONS researchers describe substantial variation within Romanes itself, with participants speaking different variants. Much of that difference tends to follow the country a family came from. Before booking, ask which country and region the person comes from, which language they used at school, and whether they would choose Romani or that language for a hard conversation.

Bilingualism is normal. At Czechia's 2021 census, 28,102 people named Romani as a mother tongue but only 4,280 named it alone, according to the Czech Statistical Office census results. One British wrinkle is worth knowing. The ONS treats Romani Gypsies as an ethnic group distinct from Roma, and the 2021 Census coded Romany English as a UK language, separately from Romani. So don't assume a British Romany Gypsy client needs a Romani interpreter; ask what they speak.

How to book or hire a Romani interpreter

Tell us the brief

Give us the appointment date and start time, the venue or video link, what the meeting is about and how long it may take, the speaker's country of origin, whether they prefer Romani or another language, and any request for a female or male interpreter.

We match and price

Our team finds a Romani interpreter whose variety and experience fit the case and replies with a fixed price, normally within the hour during UK office hours, stating whether they will attend or work remotely.

Confirm and the interpreter attends

When you accept, the interpreter receives a briefing on the setting and any papers to read aloud, then arrives or dials in; public bodies and solicitors are invoiced, and families can pay by card.

Book a Romani interpreter

Find a Romani interpreter near me: cities and towns across the UK

A Romani interpreter near you can be arranged anywhere in the UK, though the census only points loosely at demand. Just 160 usual residents of England and Wales gave a Romani language as their main language in the 2021 Census main-language table, spread so thinly that no English region or Wales recorded more than 28. Roma ethnicity is a better guide: 100,981 people identified as Roma in the 2021 Census ethnic group table, 37,689 of them in London.

The ONS Roma analysis also found that Sheffield had more Roma residents than any other local authority (2,710) and Cardiff the most in Wales (605). The second language shifts by region too: Slovak was the commonest main language among Roma in Yorkshire and The Humber, Romanian in the West and East Midlands. Scotland and Northern Ireland are covered as well, by remote or travelling interpreters.

How much does a Romani interpreter cost in the UK?

Romani interpreting is priced on how it is delivered, how long it lasts, how much notice we get, travel and the type of work. In our 2026 interpreting price guide, someone attending in person costs £40 to £75 an hour with travel charged separately, for at least two hours (three in court); telephone work is £1.10 to £2.50 a minute, and each 30-minute video session £60 to £120. Romani is a rare language here, so expect the upper end of those ranges and longer travel on an in-person job. Use the quote form and a fixed figure comes back, normally within the hour during UK office hours.

For an NHS appointment, ask the surgery or hospital to arrange the interpreter rather than paying yourself. If a solicitor is acting under legal aid, mention it when requesting the quote.

Confidentiality and GDPR for Romani interpreting

What a Romani interpreter hears at work goes no further, and we process personal data under UK GDPR. That matters here: the ONS study found that fear of social services involvement led some Roma to avoid seeking help, and that participants wanted clearer information on confidentiality and on why referrals were made. The interpreter relays that explanation in full but never gives it on the professional's behalf. If the family might know the interpreter, tell us and we will look for someone from elsewhere, often by video.

Need a Romani translator instead?

Interpreting covers speech. For written work, our Romani translation services and Romani document translation pages explain what we can do, though official papers issued abroad are usually in the state language rather than Romani. The Romani language services hub brings our Romani work together, and our general interpreting services page covers every language.

Romani interpreting FAQs

How much does a Romani interpreter cost in the UK?

It depends on mode, length, notice, travel and the type of work. As a guide for 2026, an in-person Romani interpreter costs 40 to 75 pounds per hour with travel extra, a telephone interpreter 1.10 to 2.50 pounds per minute, and video 60 to 120 pounds for each half-hour session, with rare languages such as Romani near the top. We send a fixed price, normally within the hour during UK office hours.

How quickly can you book a Romani interpreter?

Once we know which variety is needed, a remote Romani interpreter is often available on the day you ask, subject to availability. Romani interpreters who can attend in person are scarce, so allow several working days, and a week or more for a court hearing.

Are your Romani interpreters qualified for court and tribunal work?

We assign court-experienced Romani interpreters to hearings, all professionally qualified and background-checked, and you are welcome to ask the interpreter about their qualifications and NRPSI listing in advance. Prism Linguistics is a private agency, not a court-appointed supplier.

Do you provide Romani interpreters for NHS appointments?

We do, for GP surgeries, midwives, health visitors and hospital clinics, in person or remotely. NHS services book and are invoiced directly, and a patient can ask the NHS to arrange the interpreter instead of paying for one.

Can I book a Romani interpreter by telephone or video?

You can, and for Romani it is often the best option. Remote work lets us choose an interpreter who speaks the right variety wherever they live, which is far easier than finding one within travelling distance at short notice.

Can I request a female Romani interpreter?

Yes. Ask when you book, particularly for maternity care, health matters or a statement about abuse. Because the pool is small, a female interpreter with the right variety may need more notice or may join by video.

Do you cover Romani interpreting across the whole UK?

England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are all covered. A Romani interpreter attends in person when one with the right variety can get there, and otherwise works by phone or video.

Is Romani the same language as Romanian?

No. Romani, also called Romanes, is the language of Roma people and is spoken in several variants across Europe, while Romanian is the national language of Romania. Many Roma from Romania speak both, so ask the person which one they want before booking.

About the Romani language

Romani, which many speakers call Romanes, belongs to Roma communities who, in the ONS's words, have lived in Europe for over six centuries. It is spoken in several variants, usually beside the language of wherever a family settled. Some ONS participants felt Romanes was disappearing among their groups, a decline they linked to historic persecution, pressure to integrate and migration. For a UK interpreter, where the speaker grew up says more about the Romani they will hear than any label does.