OndLingua

Interpret with OndLingua

Join the network.

We're building a UK network of qualified interpreters. On-call and scheduled work, remote and on-site across the UK. You contract directly with OndLingua — no second agency in between.

Apply nowHow we pay

01What we ask

Standards that protect everyone.

Six baseline requirements. Specialty work may add language- or sector-specific qualifications on top.

  • Qualification: DPSI · DPI · ITI · CIOL or equivalent — plus NRPSI / NRCPD registration where applicable
  • Standard DBS check — we cover the application fee
  • Native or near-native proficiency in source and target languages
  • Experience in at least one sector you want to work in
  • Reliable internet · headset · quiet workspace
  • Right to work in the UK for on-site assignments

02Rates and payment

Paid monthly, and sooner when you're busy.

Late payment is the complaint interpreters make most often about agencies. These are the terms we hold ourselves to.

  • Every month

    Paid monthly

    Everything you earn in a month is settled at month end and reaches your account by the 7th of the following month — the next working day if that falls on a weekend or bank holiday.

  • £500

    Paid sooner when you're busy

    If your balance reaches £500 at any point during the month, we pay it out the following Monday rather than making you wait for month end.

  • Up front

    Your rate, agreed in writing

    Agreed with you before your first assignment and set out in your interpreter agreement. Out-of-hours work is charged at out-of-hours rates.

Rates depend on language, mode and sector, and are agreed with you individually rather than published as a tier table. Minimum durations and out-of-hours rates are set out in the interpreter agreement.

03Interpreter FAQ

What the bench asks first.

  • 01

    How are jobs allocated?

    Instant requests go out at the same time to every cleared interpreter who matches the language, the mode and any gender preference on the booking — the first to accept takes it. Scheduled work is posted to a board: you express interest, and our team decides who is assigned. A person makes that call, not an algorithm.

  • 02

    How and when am I paid?

    Monthly. Everything you have earned in a month is settled at month end and reaches your account by the 7th of the following month, or the next working day if that falls on a weekend or bank holiday. If your balance reaches £500 at any point during the month, we pay it out the following Monday rather than making you wait. Payments are in GBP by bank transfer.

  • 03

    Am I employed or self-employed?

    Self-employed, contracting directly with OndLingua. There is no PAYE and no second agency in between. If you are not VAT-registered we raise a self-billed invoice on your behalf, so you never have to invoice us; if you are VAT-registered you invoice us in the normal way, with VAT. We confirm which applies to you during onboarding.

  • 04

    Is onboarding paid?

    Yes — two paid orientation sessions, plus a graded assessment. Vetting comes first: qualifications, registration, a Standard DBS check and references are all verified before you are cleared to take assignments.

  • 05

    Where can I work?

    We are UK-based. On-site assignments are across the UK; telephone and video work is remote and needs only a quiet space, a headset and a reliable connection. Working remotely from outside the UK is confirmed case by case.

04Apply

Apply to interpret.

Take three minutes. We'll reply within one working day with next steps — onboarding window and your first scheduled assessment.

Prefer email? Write to our recruitment team at [email protected].

We can only take on interpreters living in the UK for clinical work — a Standard DBS check is required and it cannot be obtained from outside the UK.

We respond within one working day · Declarations only, no documents