Book an Aboriginal interpreter
Christmas closure
The Aboriginal Interpreter Service (AIS) will have reduced operations over the Christmas and New Year period.
Offices will close on Wednesday, 25 December 2024 and reopen on Thursday, 2 January 2025.
Emergency interpreter services will still be available through our after-hours on-call service.
For emergency bookings, call 1800 334 944.
You can book an Aboriginal interpreter for on-site, phone or video interpreting services as well as scripting and recordings.
AIS doesn't assist with translating written documents.
These services are available from 8am to 4:21pm, Monday to Friday.
If your request is urgent, call 1800 334 944 (24-hour service).
Before you book
To help AIS find a suitable and culturally-appropriate interpreter, you must provide the following information:
- your business organisation and section
- name of the non-English speaker (NESP) who needs an interpreter
- name, skin name, age and gender of the Aboriginal person who needs the interpreter
- Aboriginal language to be interpreted
- location/address of interpreting assignment
- date and time the service is needed
- topic of the interpreting assignment.
If you don't provide this information, AIS may cancel your request or may not be able to provide an appropriate service.
For questions about how your personal information will be handled, read the privacy policy on the Department of the Chief Minister and Cabinet website.
How to book
You can book online or by email.
Online
To apply by email, fill in the relevant form below and submit it to ais@nt.gov.au.
General matters PDF (563.3 KB)
General matters DOCX (66.6 KB)
Civil matters - legal PDF (568.2 KB)
Civil matters - legal DOCX (67.5 KB)
Criminal matters - legal PDF (570.7 KB)
Criminal matters - legal DOCX (68.1 KB)
After you submit booking request
Your booking request will be subject to availability and confirmation by AIS.
Once AIS receive your booking, they will contact you to discuss your request.
If your booking is confirmed, they will also:
- email you a booking receipt with an AIS job number referenced
- organise travel and transport arrangements for interpreters if required.
If your booking is confirmed
Once your job is confirmed, you must brief the interpreter about the interpreting job.
You can do this in person or over the phone.
After the interpreting job
You will receive an email from AIS to confirm the job has been completed.
If the job is complete
To ensure the interpreter is paid on time, you must reply with the job start and end times including any travel time and lunch breaks:
- in the email with any feedback
- using the timesheet provided.
You will be charged based on the hours submitted. Other fees may also apply.
To ensure the interpreter is paid on time, you should do this as soon as possible.
If the job is not complete
You must let AIS know in the email and explain why the job has not been completed.
A cancellation fee may apply if the interpreter attended the job, but the job was unable to proceed as planned.
You may also be charged for any travel costs applicable at time of cancellation.
How to pay
Within 30 days of the job's completion, you will receive an invoice which will include instructions on how to pay.
Read more about fees for AIS.
Change or cancel your booking
To change your booking, contact AIS by calling 1800 334 944 or emailing ais@nt.gov.au.
You must quote the job number provided in the confirmation email.
To cancel your booking, you must email ais@nt.gov.au at least 24 hours before the interpreting job was supposed to start.
If you don't provide 24 hours' notice, you may be charged a cancellation fee.
Contact
For more information, call 1800 334 944 and follow the prompts to select your region, or email ais@nt.gov.au.
Give feedback about this page.
Share this page:
URL copied!