You can ask for an interpreter when you see a doctor in Australia, and it is usually free to you. You do not need to bring anyone with you, and you do not need to apologise for asking.
TIS National. Say the language you need, wait while the operator finds an interpreter, then tell the operator which organisation you want to call. Open 24 hours a day, every day of the year, for the cost of a local call anywhere in Australia — a call from a mobile may cost more, depending on your provider. From outside Australia, call +613 9268 8332.
📋 Sources: TIS National and the Department of Home Affairs (numbers, hours, call cost, scale, NAATI credentials, Free Translating Service); Department of Home Affairs, Free Interpreting Service for private medical practitioners (eligibility, client code, exclusions); Queensland Health, Right to an interpreter and the Queensland Guide to healthcare; NSW Health, NSW Health Care Interpreting Services and its standard procedures for working with health care interpreters, plus local health district and Multicultural Health Communication Service pages; Victorian Better Health Channel; Primary Health Network guidance for medical practitioners on working with patients when there are language barriers; ANU Medical School research on children interpreting; Health Translations (Victorian Government). State arrangements differ — the three named above are examples, so check your own state health service. Information about how the system works, not medical advice.
Getting an interpreter for a GP appointment
Say so when you bookTell the receptionist you would like an interpreter, and name the language and the dialect. Dialect matters — it is the difference between understanding and nearly understanding.
The practice arranges it, not youDoctors register once with the Free Interpreting Service and get a client code. From then on they can connect to an interpreter by phone during the consultation, or book one ahead.
Nothing for you to payThe Free Interpreting Service covers general practice, so there is no cost to you. One condition to know about: it applies where the practitioner is delivering a Medicare-rebatable service to someone eligible for Medicare. If you do not have Medicare, see below.
Ask for a different interpreter if you need toIf you would prefer an interpreter of a particular gender, or you know the interpreter personally and would rather not discuss your health in front of them, say so. It is a reasonable thing to ask.
At a public hospital or emergency department
A different service, and worth knowing separately. Interpreters in the public health system are run by your state, not by TIS National, and they are free to patients. NSW Health says it plainly in both directions: its Health Care Interpreter Services do not cover doctors in private practice, and members of the public cannot book them directly. So at a hospital your job is to ask — the staff arrange it.
You can insist. NSW Health policy states that both providers and patients have the right to request a health care interpreter, and that an interpreter will be provided when the patient, their advocate or their representative asks for one — even if the health professional does not consider one is required. You do not have to win an argument about whether your English is good enough.
Queensland — Queensland Health states you have a right to a qualified interpreter when you access a Hospital and Health Service, free of charge. Its guide to healthcare says it is free to ask for one with a GP, a specialist, a pharmacist, an ambulance, in the emergency department, in hospital and in maternity care.
New South Wales — interpreters are free to public health patients across all public health facilities, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in person, by phone or by video, in around 120 languages including Auslan. Patients, their families and carers who do not speak English as a first language or who are Deaf have the right to them.
Victoria — the Better Health Channel states interpreters are available free of charge in all health services in Victoria, and advises asking when you book your hospital visit.
Ask early if you can. NSW Health procedure notes interpreters are in high demand and may not be available at short notice, so providers are told to book as far ahead as possible. Mentioning it when you make the appointment, rather than on the day, gives them room to find the right language and dialect.
If you need to ring a hospital and cannot do it in English, call 131 450, say your language, and give the operator the name and phone number of the service or staff member you want to reach.
If you do not have Medicare
The Free Interpreting Service your GP uses cannot be used for patients who are not eligible for Medicare. That is a real limit, and it affects exactly the people most likely to need an interpreter. Two things still apply:
Public hospitals and public health services run their own interpreter services, free to patients, and those are not tied to Medicare.
You can still call 131 450 yourself. Most organisations registered with TIS National accept the charge, so there is usually nothing to pay. Where an organisation does not, TIS National lets you open a personal account and pay for the service.
It is worth telling the practice up front that you do not have Medicare, so they can tell you how they will handle the interpreter rather than it coming up at the desk.
One honest caveat: sources word the eligibility slightly differently. The Department of Home Affairs, which runs the service, describes it as covering Medicare-rebatable services to anyone in Australia eligible for Medicare. Some state health pages describe it more narrowly, as applying to Australian citizens or permanent residents. If your situation sits between the two, the practice is the one to confirm it with.
What to say when you book
Copy this, or show it to the receptionist.
“I would like an interpreter for my appointment, please. The language is [your language] and the dialect is [your dialect].”
Carry a card
There is a small practical thing that solves the hardest moment — walking up to a desk and having to explain, in English, that you cannot explain in English. NSW health services point patients to an “I need an interpreter” card, also called a language identification card: you carry it, you show it, and it says which language you speak and that you need an interpreter. Several health districts publish them in a range of languages.
Ask your GP practice or your local health service whether they have one, or search for “interpreter required card” along with your state health service. It is useful in an emergency department, where you may not have planned the visit at all.
Why not ask a family member?
Because it puts the wrong job on someone who loves you. Guidance for Australian practices says family and friends should not interpret during a consultation, for four reasons: they may not have the language competency, they may not understand complex health issues, they may lack impartiality, and they are not bound by a code of conduct the way a qualified interpreter is. There is a fifth reason that belongs to you rather than them — you may not want to say everything in front of a relative.
Helping you book the appointment is fine. Interpreting the consultation is not.
Public health services put it more firmly. Queensland Health says friends and family should be used only in emergencies when an interpreter is unavailable. One NSW local health district tells patients plainly that a family member cannot be their interpreter — while adding that they are welcome to come to the appointment with you. Both things are true at once: present, not interpreting.
The guidance is firmest of all about children. Research from the ANU Medical School described children in refugee families being asked to organise procedures and carry their parents’ medical decisions. A child should get to be a child in that room.
Reading about your health in your own language
Health Translations
A free Victorian Government directory, managed by the Centre for Culture, Equity and Health, linking to translated health and wellbeing information in over 130 languages. It does not host the material — it points to resources on other organisations’ sites, which must meet its published editorial guidelines. healthtranslations.vic.gov.au
Free Translating Service
Up to 10 eligible documents translated into English for people settling permanently in Australia — permanent residents and some temporary or provisional visa holders, within two years of the visa grant date. Ask about it on 131 450.
Screening questionnaires
If your doctor gives you a questionnaire, validated translations exist for many of them. See which languages — written for clinicians, but worth pointing your doctor at.
Common questions
Can I ask for an interpreter at my doctor's appointment?
Yes. Tell the practice when you book, and name the language and the dialect. The practice arranges it — you do not book it yourself. TIS National, run by the Department of Home Affairs, can draw on over 2,700 interpreters covering more than 150 languages, and the practitioners it appoints hold NAATI credentials. Interpreting can be done by phone, by video, or in person.
Does an interpreter cost me anything?
At a GP or private specialist, the Free Interpreting Service covers it, so there is nothing for you to pay — but that service only applies where the practitioner is delivering a Medicare-rebatable service to someone eligible for Medicare. At a public hospital or public health service it is a different service entirely, run by your state, and it is free to patients regardless. TIS National also says the majority of its interpreting services are free to non-English speakers, because the organisation you are contacting accepts the charge.
What if I do not have Medicare?
The Free Interpreting Service cannot be used for patients who are not eligible for Medicare, so a private GP cannot use it for you. Two things still apply. Public hospitals and public health services run their own interpreter services, free to patients, and those are not tied to Medicare. And you can still call 131 450 yourself to reach a service — most organisations registered with TIS National accept the charge. If an organisation does not, TIS National lets you open a personal account and pay for the service yourself.
What is 131 450?
The TIS National number for people who need an interpreter. It runs 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and costs the same as a local call anywhere in Australia — though calls from a mobile may cost more, depending on your provider. Say the language you need, wait while the operator finds an interpreter, then tell the operator which organisation you want to call. From outside Australia the number is +61 3 9268 8332.
What about at a hospital or emergency department?
Hospitals arrange their own. Interpreters in the public health system are a state service, separate from TIS National, and free to patients. Queensland Health states you have a right to a qualified interpreter when you access a Hospital and Health Service, free of charge. NSW Health policy makes interpreters available to public health patients free of charge, and the local services say only the health care provider can book one — so you tell staff, and they arrange it. Victoria's Better Health Channel says interpreters are available free of charge in all health services in Victoria, and advises asking when you book your hospital visit. Queensland's guide to healthcare goes further and says it is free to ask for an interpreter with a GP, a specialist, a pharmacist, an ambulance, in the emergency department, while in hospital, and in maternity care.
What if the doctor or nurse does not think I need an interpreter?
You can still have one. NSW Health policy states that both health care providers and patients have the right to request a health care interpreter, and that an interpreter will be provided when the patient, their advocate or their representative requests one, even if the health professional does not consider one is required. You do not have to justify the request.
Is there a card I can carry?
Yes. NSW health services point patients to an “I need an interpreter” card, also called a language identification card, which shows which language you speak and that you need an interpreter. Several health districts publish them in a range of languages. Ask your GP practice or local health service, or search for “interpreter required card” with your state health service. It is most useful where you have not planned the visit, such as an emergency department.
Can my husband, wife or child interpret for me instead?
They can help with simple things like booking, and they are welcome to come with you. But interpreting the consultation itself is a different job. Guidance for Australian practices says family and friends should not interpret, because they may not have the language competency, may not understand complex health issues, may lack impartiality, and are not bound by a code of conduct the way a qualified interpreter is — and because you may not want to say everything in front of a relative. Public health services put it more firmly still: Queensland Health says friends and family should be used only in emergencies when an interpreter is unavailable, and one NSW local health district tells patients plainly that a family member cannot be their interpreter, while remaining welcome to attend. The guidance is firmest of all about children. Research from the ANU Medical School described children in refugee families being asked to organise procedures and carry their parents' medical decisions.
I speak some English. Do I still need one?
That is your call, but guidance for practices says interpreters should be used for people who speak some English but may not know enough to follow a medical consultation. A consultation moves fast and uses words that do not come up in everyday life. Asking is not a judgement on your English.
Where can I find health information in my language?
Health Translations is a Victorian Government initiative, managed by the Centre for Culture, Equity and Health, that links to translated health and wellbeing information in over 130 languages. It does not host the resources itself — it points to material on other organisations' sites, and resources must meet its published editorial guidelines.
Can I get my documents translated?
The Free Translating Service, delivered by TIS National for the Department of Home Affairs, translates up to 10 eligible documents into English for people settling permanently in Australia — permanent residents and some temporary or provisional visa holders, within the first two years of the visa grant date. To ask about it with an interpreter, call 131 450 and ask for the Translating Services team.