TIS National's immediate phone interpreting service is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year by calling 131 450.

The service is available to any individual or organisation in Australia, enabling non-English speakers to independently access services and information over the phone.

How to access an immediate phone interpreter

If you are a non-English speaker

1. Call TIS National on 131 450.
2. An automated prompt will ask you which language you need. Please state the language that you require.
3. When you are connected to a TIS National operator, say the language you need again.
4. Stay on the line while the operator finds an available interpreter for you.

Information required

The operator will connect you with an interpreter in the language you asked for. You will be asked to provide:

• your name
• the name of the organisation you need to contact
• the phone number of the organisation you need to contact.

Stay on the line while the operator connects you and the interpreter through to the organisation.

TIS National can't guarantee the organisation you need to contact will accept calls from TIS National. The majority of TIS National services are free to non-English speakers as the organisation you are contacting will accept the charges for the service. If the organisation you are trying to contact will not accept the charges for the service, you may choose to register a personal account with TIS National and pay for the service yourself.

Business hours also vary between organisations. Most organisations in Australia operate during standard business hours between 9 am and 5 pm, Monday to Friday. Many organisations will not be available on public holidays. 

If you are an agency client or organisation

1. Call TIS National on 131 450, you will hear the privacy statement and an automated prompt will ask you which language you need.
2. You will be given an option to use our automated service, ATIS.
3. If you do not wish to use ATIS, simply say 'no' and you will be placed in the queue to speak with a TIS National Contact Centre operator who can allocate the interpreter for you.  

Information required

When your call is answered, the TIS National operator will ask you for the following information:

• to confirm the language you have requested
• your TIS National client code
• your agency's name and the section you work in
• your name and phone number
• the non-English speaker's name
• the non-English speaker's phone number (if you require TIS to conference them into the call)
• any required information your agency has requested be recorded by TIS National (for example, an identification number or claim number).

To help our operators process your request as quickly as possible, please have this information ready to provide when requested.

For more information, please contact our Client Engagement Team.