Freelance Vietnamese Interpreter and Translator

SILA Linguists; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 34,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Freelance flexibility

Remote & on-site assignments

Fair pay reflecting skills and time

Operations support

Diverse assignments across sectors

Job summary

SILA Linguists is recruiting freelance Vietnamese interpreters and translators for legal, healthcare, immigration and safeguarding assignments across the UK. Work spans police, court and modern slavery settings with on-site and remote options.

You’ll handle Vietnamese-English translation, transcription and interpretation, maintaining neutrality and confidentiality on sensitive cases. Qualifications include DPSI/DPI or translation degree, or equivalent experience; CIOL/ITI/NRPSI membership is

Qualifications

• Full professional fluency in Vietnamese and English.
• DPSI, DPI or a translation degree, or equivalent experience; CIOL/ITI/NRPSI membership welcome.
• Understanding of northern, central and southern Vietnamese pronunciation.
• Willingness to undergo a DBS check for certain assignments.
• Right to work in the UK for on-site work.
• Reliable internet and suitable equipment for video/phone work.

Responsibilities

• Interpret in police, court and modern slavery settings with neutrality and care.
• Translate Vietnamese statements and civil documents with accurate diacritics.
• Follow professional standards of accuracy, impartiality and confidentiality.
• Prepare for each booking by reviewing the brief and researching terminology in advance.
• Check translations against the source and meet deadlines.
• Take on-site assignments and remote sessions by video or telephone.
• Take on transcription and translation of Vietnamese recordings for legal, research and media clients.

Skills

Fluent Vietnamese-English

Vietnamese pronunciation variants

Education

DPSI

DPI

translation degree

CIOL membership

ITI membership

NRPSI membership

Job description

We are recruiting freelance Vietnamese interpreters and translators for legal, healthcare, immigration and safeguarding assignments. Some of the work involves sensitive criminal or safeguarding matters.

Vietnamese speakers in the UK include long-settled families, students and more recent arrivals. Northern, central and southern Vietnamese differ in pronunciation and some vocabulary, and interpreters should be comfortable with all three. Some recent arrivals have been affected by trafficking or exploitation, so trauma‑aware, impartial interpreting is essential.

Assignments take place in police and court settings, immigration matters, modern slavery support, health care and local authority services. Translators work on legal documents, statements and civil records.

Responsibilities

• Interpret in police, court and modern slavery settings with neutrality and care.
• Translate Vietnamese statements and civil documents, keeping all diacritics accurate.
• Follow professional standards of accuracy, impartiality and confidentiality on every assignment.
• Prepare for each booking by reviewing the brief and researching specialist terminology in advance.
• Check every translation against the source before delivery and meet agreed deadlines.
• Take on-site assignments at hospitals, courts, offices and other venues, and remote sessions by video or telephone.
• Take on transcription and translation of Vietnamese recordings for legal, research and media clients, if this work interests you.

Requirements

• Full professional fluency in both Vietnamese and English.
• Relevant qualifications such as the DPSI, DPI or a translation degree, or equivalent professional experience; CIOL, ITI or NRPSI membership is welcome.
• Understanding of northern, central and southern Vietnamese pronunciation.
• Willingness to undergo a DBS check, which is required for some assignments, such as those involving children or vulnerable adults.
• For on‑site work in the UK, the right to work in the UK.
• Reliable internet access and suitable equipment (computer or phone with headset) for video and telephone work.

What we offer

• Freelance flexibility, accepting work when it suits you.
• Remote and on‑site assignments.
• Fair pay that reflects your skills and time.
• Support from our operations team.
• Assignments across sectors, including healthcare, legal and public services.

Vietnamese work with SILA Linguists

SILA Linguists is a language services company providing interpreting, translation and transcription across the UK, North America, Australia, New Zealand and beyond, in more than 350 languages and dialects. As a Vietnamese linguist with us, you can take on the full range of work we offer in Vietnamese:

• Vietnamese interpreting of every type: face‑to‑face, telephone (OPI) 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, video (VRI) through the SILA Linguists app or the client's platform, consecutive, simultaneous, conference and remote simultaneous (RSI), community and escort interpreting.
• Vietnamese translation of documents into and out of English, from letters, medical reports and school records to contracts, research and websites.
• Certified Vietnamese translation with a signed statement of accuracy, accepted by UK authorities such as courts, the Home Office, universities and employers.
• Vietnamese transcription of audio and video recordings, with time stamps, translation of the transcript and subtitling.

Our vetted, trained and qualified linguists work in legal, police and court settings, immigration and asylum matters, NHS and private healthcare, social care, schools and universities, charities and business. Every assignment is covered by confidentiality agreements and UK GDPR.