How to become a client

Benefits of becoming a TIS National client

TIS National’s resources and depth of experience makes it ideally placed to provide professional interpreting services for all Australians.

TIS National:

  • provides telephone interpreting services 24 hours, every day of the year 

  • has over 70 years of experience in the industry

  • helps your organisation provide equitable access to services to non-English speakers in the community

  • provides the highest credentialed interpreter available in the language requested.

TIS National is a leader in the interpreting industry and uses contracted interpreters who:

Register your organisation

To access Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) services your agency needs to register an account with TIS National.

There are no administration fees for registering an account with TIS National. You will only be charged for individual interpreting services. 

To register an account with TIS National you should complete the register for a TIS National client code form. Alternatively, you can contact a Client Engagement account manager by phone or email and provide:

  • a contact name and phone number

  • if possible, a secondary contact

  • your email address

  • the name of your agency

  • the phone number you would like our operators to call when a non-English speaker requests to speak to your agency

  • an Australian mailing and postal address

  • any required information you need recorded on individual job records.

You will also need to decide if your agency would like to accept calls to your agency initiated by your non-English speaking clients.

Once you have registered an account for your agency you will be provided with a TIS National client code.

Free interpreting services through TIS National

The Australian Government, through TIS National, offers free interpreting services to approved groups and individuals when communicating with non-English speaking Australian citizens and permanent residents.

Medical practitioners and pharmacists 

Medical practitioners (defined as general practitioners and medical specialists) are eligible for free interpreting services and access to the Doctors Priority Line (DPL) when providing services that are Medicare-rebateable, delivered in private practice, and provided to non-English speakers who are Australian citizens or permanent residents.

Pharmacies are eligible for free interpreting services for the purpose of dispensing the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medications.

Medical practitioners and pharmacies who meet this criteria can apply for access to free services and access to the DPL by completing the register for a TIS National client code form. 

Other approved groups for free interpreting services

Incorporated, not-for-profit, community based, non-government organisations providing casework or emergency services (that are not substantially government funded) to Australian citizens and permanent residents are also eligible for free interpreting services.

To find out if your agency is eligible for free services through TIS National, please refer to the Free Interpreting Service eligibility calculator.  

There are several other groups and individuals eligible for free interpreting services through TIS National. A full list is available on the Department of Social Services website.

If you would like more information about free services through TIS National, or need help completing the client registration form for free services, please call the Free Interpreting Service Team on 1300 575 847 or email TIS.FreeInterpreting@homeaffairs.gov.au