Vlach Interpreter Services

Prism Linguistics offers Vlach interpreter services UK-wide, mostly by video or telephone, for hospitals, GPs, solicitors, police and councils. Vlach is a name rather than one language: it can mean Aromanian, Megleno-Romanian or the Vlach spoken in Serbia, so we pin down which before searching for an interpreter.

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

• UK-wide Vlach 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

Two Balkan censuses show how slippery the label is. Serbia's 2022 count recorded 23,216 people whose mother tongue was Vlach, out of 6,647,003 residents, according to the Statistical Office of Serbia's mother tongue release. In North Macedonia's 2021 census, 0.44% of the 2,097,319 people enumerated declared themselves Vlachs, yet only 0.17% named Vlach as their mother tongue (State Statistical Office, first census dataset). Identity and first language do not always line up, which is exactly why a Vlach booking needs a short conversation before anyone is assigned.

No UK figure exists. The 2021 Census main-language table for England and Wales carries no separate line for Vlach, Aromanian or Megleno-Romanian, and we have found no other official UK count. So this page makes no claim about how many Vlach speakers live here or where.

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

Vlach interpreting services provide a trained interpreter who carries spoken Vlach into English and English back into Vlach during a live appointment, either on the phone, over a video link or in the room. Work is consecutive: the speaker finishes a point, then the interpreter renders it. The Vlach-specific work, as with all our interpreting services in rare languages, is matching the variety first.

English to Vlach interpreter (and Vlach to English)

One English to Vlach interpreter handles both directions in a direct booking, so the clinician's questions and the patient's answers pass through the same person. Interpreters who pair English directly with Aromanian or Timok Vlach are likely to be scarce, though. The practical fallback is a relay through a language the speaker also uses, such as Greek, Albanian, Macedonian, Serbian or Romanian, depending on where they grew up. A relay adds a second interpreter and some delay, so we suggest it only when no direct match exists.

A relative who happens to speak English is not a substitute. The GOV.UK migrant health guide on language interpretation tells health professionals to use a professional interpreter rather than family or friends, and says children should not be asked to interpret.

Vlach court interpreters and HMCTS work

A Vlach court interpreter must give the court everything that is said, in both languages, without softening, summarising or adding. The GOV.UK page on getting an interpreter at a court or tribunal sets out who arranges one: a defendant in a criminal case is provided with an interpreter, the family court provides one where a case involves children, domestic abuse or forced marriage, civil courts do so for certain hearings, and a friend or family member can interpret only if the judge agrees.

For Vlach the question that matters early is whether the person really understands the language they were interviewed in. Someone from North Macedonia may have answered police questions in Macedonian or Albanian; a Timok Vlach speaker may have been offered Serbian or Romanian. If there is doubt, raise it with the court before the hearing. Solicitors who need conferences or proof-taking sessions can book through our legal sector interpreting team. Prism Linguistics is a private language-services provider and does not present itself as a court-appointed supplier.

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

Vlach NHS interpreter for GP and hospital appointments

NHS England's commissioning guidance for primary care says patients should not be charged for interpreting. Ask the practice to record the specific variety, Aromanian or Timok Vlach for example, so the next booking starts from the right place (see healthcare interpreting).

Vlach medical interpreter for mental health and consent

An older patient who managed a routine check in a national language may still want Vlach when the topic is a diagnosis, a care plan or an operation.

Vlach police interpreter

Victim and witness statements, voluntary interviews and interviews under caution (more on police interpreting). Record which language the person chose.

Councils, schools and housing

Care assessments, school meetings and housing interviews with a parent or older relative. Check first whether the family would be better served in Greek, Albanian, Macedonian, Serbian or Romanian, and book Vlach where they say so.

Business and employers

North Macedonia's constitution names the Vlach people in its amended preamble, but its official-language rule covers Macedonian plus any language spoken by at least 20 percent of the population, a threshold Vlach falls far short of nationally. For an induction or disciplinary meeting with a Vlach-speaking worker, our business interpreting team can help.

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

For Vlach, remote work is usually the realistic choice, because suitable interpreters are scarce and unlikely to live near the appointment. A video interpreter suits consultations and legal meetings where facial expression helps; a telephone interpreter is fine for short practical calls. Keep face-to-face interpreting for long hearings or for someone who struggles with a screen.

Vlach interpreting modes at a glance

Mode	Best for	Typical notice
Vlach telephone interpreter	Rearranging appointments, test results, short housing calls.	Book ahead; same day rarely, subject to availability
Vlach video interpreter	Clinic reviews, solicitor conferences, social care assessments.	Allow several working days
Vlach face-to-face interpreter	Trials, tribunals, capacity assessments.	A week or more, travel permitting

Lead times for Vlach bookings

Expect a Vlach search to take days, not hours. You can shorten it by telling us at the outset which country the speaker comes from, which other languages they are happy to use, and whether a relay would be acceptable for a brief appointment.

Qualified, professional Vlach interpreters: what to look for

With a language this small, credentials often belong to a neighbouring language pair. These are fair questions to put to any interpreter you are offered:

A DPSI, and in which language

The Level 6 Diploma in Public Service Interpreting is awarded by CIOL Qualifications and regulated by Ofqual, and it runs only in some languages and options. Ask which specialism and language the holder passed; a Greek or Romanian diploma says nothing about Aromanian.

NRPSI registration

Ask whether they are on the National Register of Public Service Interpreters, and for which language.

Enhanced DBS

Commonly needed for hospital wards, custody and safeguarding work; ask how recent the check is.

Proof of the right variety

Ask which Vlach they speak, where they learned it, and whether they have interpreted it in a clinic or courtroom before.

Every Vlach interpreter we put forward is professionally qualified and background-checked. Hearings go to court-experienced interpreters, and Enhanced DBS is arranged where the setting requires it.

Vlach dialects and varieties: why it matters at booking

Three different things travel under the Vlach name, and a fourth is easily confused with it. Glottolog's Aromanian entry (ISO 639-3 rup) lists Vlach among the English names and places the language in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, Romania and Serbia. Megleno-Romanian (ruq) is a separate language of Greece and North Macedonia, with probably few if any child speakers.

In Serbia the picture changes again. Glottolog gives Timok Vlach (the Timok is a river in eastern Serbia) as another name for Ungureni, a dialect it classes within Romanian, so a Romanian interpreter may serve that speaker better than an Aromanian one. Finally, Vlax Romani has its own ISO code (rmy) and belongs to the Romani group, not to Romanian. If a referral just says Vlach, ask the person where their family comes from before booking.

How to book or hire a Vlach interpreter

Tell us the brief

Give us the date, time and address or video link, the type and length of appointment, the speaker's home country and variety if known, any other languages they use, and whether a female or male interpreter is preferred.

We match and price

We look first for a direct match in the right variety, then send a fixed price, normally within the hour during UK office hours, stating plainly if the offer is remote or a relay.

Confirm and the interpreter attends

Once you accept, the interpreter is briefed and dials in, joins your video call or arrives in person; organisations receive an invoice and private clients pay by card.

Book a Vlach interpreter

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

No official source maps Vlach speakers across the UK, so we will not list towns where they supposedly live. Telephone and video sessions reach anywhere in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. If you want a Vlach interpreter near you in person, we search for that job specifically and show the travel cost in the quote.

How much does a Vlach interpreter cost in the UK?

A Vlach interpreter is priced on mode, duration, notice, travel and setting. Our 2026 pricing guide gives £40 to £75 an hour face-to-face plus travel, with a two-hour minimum (three hours for court), £1.10 to £2.50 a minute on the phone, and £60 to £120 per 30-minute video session. As a rare language, Vlach is normally quoted towards the upper end.

A relay needs two interpreters, so it costs more than a direct match. For a firm figure, send the details through our quote request form.

Confidentiality and GDPR for Vlach interpreting

What a Vlach interpreter hears stays private, and personal data is handled under UK GDPR. In a community this small the interpreter may know the client's relatives back home; if that is a concern, tell us and we will look for someone else.

Need a Vlach translator instead?

Interpreting covers speech only. For written work, see Vlach translation services, Vlach document translation or the Vlach language services overview.

Vlach interpreting FAQs

How much does a Vlach interpreter cost in the UK?

Vlach usually sits near the top of our 2026 bands: 40 to 75 pounds an hour face-to-face plus travel, 1.10 to 2.50 pounds a minute by phone, and 60 to 120 pounds per half-hour video session. A relay costs more. We send a fixed quote, normally within the hour during UK office hours.

How quickly can you book a Vlach interpreter?

Allow several working days for remote Vlach cover and a week or more for in-person work. Same-day help is rare and always subject to availability; accepting a relay language can speed things up.

Are your Vlach interpreters qualified for court and tribunal work?

Court and tribunal work goes to court-experienced interpreters who are professionally qualified and background-checked. You can ask which qualifications they hold and in which language before the hearing. Prism Linguistics is a private provider, not a court-appointed supplier.

Do you provide Vlach interpreters for NHS appointments?

Yes, we search for one for each booking, usually by video or telephone, and in person where an interpreter can reach the surgery or hospital. Patients should not be charged for interpreting at their GP practice.

Can I book a Vlach interpreter by telephone or video?

Yes, and for Vlach it is often the only practical route, since a remote session can use a suitable interpreter wherever they are based.

Is a Vlach interpreter the same as a Romanian or Romani interpreter?

Not necessarily. Aromanian and Megleno-Romanian are separate languages, Glottolog classes Timok Vlach in Serbia as a dialect of Romanian, and Vlax Romani is a Romani language. Tell us where the speaker comes from so we can match the right one.

Do you cover Vlach interpreting across the whole UK?

Yes. Remote Vlach interpreting reaches every part of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and in-person requests are sourced job by job with travel included in the price.

Do you interpret both Vlach to English and English to Vlach?

Yes. A direct interpreter works in both directions throughout the appointment. If only a relay through another language is possible, we tell you before you confirm.

About the Vlach language

In English, Vlach most often refers to Aromanian, an Eastern Romance language that the ISO 639-3 standard lists under the reference name Macedo-Romanian, with Aromanian and Arumanian as other names. Glottolog records its status as shifting, citing Campbell and colleagues (2022), and classes it as threatened. Serbia's census records Vlach as a mother tongue in its own right, while Glottolog groups Timok Vlach with Romanian.