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German interpreters in Portland, OR
Yes: we book German–English interpreters in Portland in person at $110 an hour (two-hour minimum) or by video at $80 an hour (one-hour minimum), plus $0.70 a mile of travel for in-person work, confirmed before you pay. A German interpreter for a USCIS interview in Portland, booked for the two-hour minimum, is $220 plus travel. 3,160 people in Portland speak German or other West Germanic languages at home, according to the U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey 2024 5-year (2020–2024), table C16001, Language Spoken at Home for the Population 5 Years and Over, Portland city, Oregon.
In person in Portland
$110 an hour per interpreter, two-hour minimum, plus $0.70 a mile from the interpreter's location.
By video or phone
$80 an hour, one-hour minimum, no travel. Zoom, Google Meet, Teams or a phone call.
3,160
People in Portland who speak German or other West Germanic languages at home (U.S. Census Bureau).
A German interpreter for a USCIS interview in Portland
USCIS does not supply one for a green card or marriage interview: applicants who are not fluent in English bring an interpreter, who shows ID, takes an oath and interprets word for word (USCIS Policy Manual), and you both sign Form G-1256 in front of the officer. The interpreter should be a disinterested party, not your spouse or a witness in the case (G-1256 instructions).
Booked with us, a German interpreter for a two-hour USCIS interview in Portland is $220; with a 30-mile round trip of travel, $241. If the interview runs past two hours, the extra time is billed at the same hourly rate. What to expect at each kind of USCIS interview is on the page about interpreters for USCIS interviews.
3,160 people in Portland speak German or other West Germanic languages at home
That is the count in the U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey 2024 5-year (2020–2024), table C16001, Language Spoken at Home for the Population 5 Years and Over, Portland city, Oregon. The other languages most spoken at home in Portland, from the same table:
| Language | People who speak it at home |
|---|---|
| Spanish (Spanish interpreters) | 41,273 |
| Vietnamese (Vietnamese interpreters) | 13,332 |
| Other Asian and Pacific Island languages | 10,270 |
| Chinese (incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) (Mandarin interpreters, Cantonese interpreters) | 9,697 |
| Russian, Polish, or other Slavic languages (Russian interpreters, Polish interpreters) | 8,822 |
| Other Indo-European languages | 6,641 |
| Other and unspecified languages | 5,848 |
| French, Haitian, or Cajun (French interpreters, Haitian Creole interpreters) | 3,601 |
| German or other West Germanic languages | 3,160 |
| Tagalog (incl. Filipino) (Tagalog interpreters) | 1,957 |
Where a German interpreter is needed in Portland, and who provides one
Some of these places must provide the interpreter themselves, and then you should not be paying for one. Where that is so, the official page is linked.
| Place | Who provides the interpreter |
|---|---|
| Portland Immigration Court (EOIR), 1220 SW 3rd Avenue, Suite 500 | The court provides the interpreter for the hearing, at government expense, if the request comes 30 days ahead (ICPM 3.10). Attorneys book us to prepare the respondent and witnesses and to read declarations back. |
| USCIS Portland Field Office, 1455 NW Overton Street, Suite 1 | For a green card interview the applicant brings the interpreter, who shows a government-issued ID, takes an oath and interprets word for word; the officer can disqualify one who is not competent (USCIS Policy Manual). |
| Multnomah County Circuit Court: Multnomah County Courthouse, 1200 SW 1st Avenue, and Justice Center, 1120 SW Third Avenue | The state pays for the interpreter in court (ORS 45.275). The party or attorney asks the county's Court Interpreter Services for each proceeding, no later than four judicial days ahead (UTCR 7.070 and Multnomah SLR 7.071). Depositions are arranged by the attorneys. |
| Portland Public Schools, Language Access Services, 501 N. Dixon Street | The district says it provides qualified interpreters and translated materials to families and supports over 100 languages, including ASL. Ask the school or the department what it will supply for a particular meeting; we book for what it does not. |
| OHSU, including Doernbecher Children's Hospital | Free interpreter services for deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind and limited-English-proficient patients and their families, 24 hours a day by phone, on site or video. Tell staff when you register. |
German is a standard-availability language
German is one of the languages we can normally staff within the week, including for in-person work in most metropolitan areas, and it is priced at the standard rate with no availability surcharge.
Short notice is still worth flagging when you enquire. A next-day virtual assignment is usually possible; a next-day in-person assignment outside a major city frequently is not, and we will say so rather than accept and hope.
The standard-availability languages are: Spanish, Portuguese, French, Mandarin, Cantonese, Arabic, Russian, Korean, Vietnamese, Haitian Creole, Polish, Italian, German, Japanese, Hindi, Urdu, Persian, Turkish, Ukrainian, Tagalog, Bengali, Punjabi, Tamil, Armenian, Greek, Hebrew, Romanian, Serbian, Bosnian, Somali and Nepali. Every other language we offer carries the 25–30% limited-availability rate, except the rare languages — Mam, K’iche’, Q’anjob’al, Tzotzil, Mixtec, Fuzhounese, Hakka, Hakha Chin, Kachin, Balochi, Bambara, Soninke, Tigre, Chaldean Neo-Aramaic and Assyrian Neo-Aramaic — which carry 75%. If a language is not on the standard list it is not because we cannot do it — it is because the pool of qualified interpreters in the United States is small enough that we will not promise a date without checking.
What a German interpreter costs, worked out
These are the published rates multiplied out: $80 an hour by video or phone, $110 an hour in person, $0.70 a mile of travel.
| Booking | How it is worked out | Total |
|---|---|---|
| One-hour video or phone call | 1 hour × $80 | $80 |
| Two-hour video interview | 2 hours × $80 | $160 |
| Two-hour meeting in person, 20-mile round trip | 2 hours × $110 + 20 miles × $0.70 | $234 |
| Three-hour deposition or closing in person, 40-mile round trip | 3 hours × $110 + 40 miles × $0.70 | $358 |
| Full day in person (six hours), two interpreters in relay | 2 interpreters × 6 hours × $110 | $1,320 plus travel |
The quote confirms the interpreter, the exact travel figure and the total before you book; nothing is charged until you confirm.
How the travel charge works out
Travel is charged at $0.70 per mile from the interpreter's location, which means you can work it out rather than wait for a quote: a 20-mile round trip is $14, a 60-mile round trip is $42, a 150-mile round trip is $105. There is no separate call-out fee on top.
We will not pretend to know in advance where the interpreter will be coming from — that depends on the language, the date and the venue. What we do is confirm the interpreter and the exact travel figure before you book, so it is never a surprise on the invoice. Virtual assignments carry no travel charge at all, which is one reason most of what we do is virtual.
How booking an interpreter works
- You send the request with the form below: the language, the setting, the format, the date and how long it should last.
- We confirm before you commit: the interpreter, the exact price and the travel figure if there is one. We reply within minutes, four business hours at most, and no payment is taken at this stage.
- You confirm and pay, and the interpreter is booked for your date. The interpreter's name and credentials are sent to you once the booking is paid.
What to have ready
The more of this comes in the first message, the fewer exchanges before you have a price:
- The language, the date, the start time and how long it should run.
- Virtual or in person: the platform, or the city and the venue.
- The setting and the subject matter.
- How many people need interpreting for.
- Any credential the venue requires of the interpreter. We confirm before you book whether we can staff it; the interpreter's name and credentials follow once the booking is paid.
Request an interpreter
Tell us the date, the language and the setting and we will come back with the interpreter, the exact price and the travel figure if there is one — before you commit to anything.
Thank you — we have your request
We will reply within minutes, four business hours at most, with the interpreter, the exact price and the travel figure if there is one, before you commit to anything.
German interpreters in nearby cities
- German interpreters in Sacramento, CA
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- German interpreters in Fresno, CA
- German interpreters in Salt Lake City, UT
- German interpreters in Las Vegas, NV
- German interpreters in Henderson, NV
- German interpreters in Long Beach, CA
- German interpreters in Huntington Beach, CA
- German interpreters in Mesa, AZ
- German interpreters in Colorado Springs, CO
- German interpreters in Albuquerque, NM
Sources
What this page says about Portland was checked against these sources on November 3, 2026, and the USCIS rules on October 21, 2026. Rules change; the source is always the authority.
- U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey 2024 5-year (2020–2024), table C16001, Language Spoken at Home for the Population 5 Years and Over, Portland city, Oregon
- USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 7, Part A, Chapter 5
- USCIS, Form G-1256
- Executive Office for Immigration Review — Immigration Court Administrative Control List
- EOIR — Immigration Court Practice Manual, chapter 3.10, Interpreters
- USCIS — Find a USCIS Office (field office locator, ZIP 97204)
- Oregon Judicial Department — Interpreter Scheduling Information (ORS 45.275, statutory payment authority, UTCR 7.060 and 7.070)
- Multnomah County Circuit Court — CLAS/Interpreter Services (UTCR 7.070, 7.071 and 7.080)
- Multnomah County Circuit Court — home page (courthouse addresses)
- Portland Public Schools — Language Access Services
- OHSU — Doernbecher Language Services
Frequently asked questions
How much does a German interpreter cost in Portland?
$110 an hour in person with a two-hour minimum, or $80 an hour by video or phone with a one-hour minimum, plus $0.70 a mile of travel for in-person work. A two-hour USCIS interview in person is $220; with a 30-mile round trip, $241. The exact figure is confirmed before you pay.
Can I get a German interpreter in person in Portland?
Yes. German is a standard-availability language, which we can normally staff in person in most metropolitan areas. We confirm the interpreter and the travel figure before you pay; if we cannot staff the date in person, we say so and offer video instead.
Do I need to bring my own German interpreter to a USCIS interview in Portland?
Yes, for a green card or marriage interview. USCIS does not supply one for a green card or marriage interview: applicants who are not fluent in English bring an interpreter, who shows ID, takes an oath and interprets word for word (USCIS Policy Manual), and you both sign Form G-1256 in front of the officer. The interpreter should be a disinterested party, not your spouse or a witness in the case (G-1256 instructions).
Does Oregon pay for a court interpreter in Multnomah County?
Yes. Under ORS 45.275, as the Oregon Judicial Department states it, no fee is charged to a limited-English-proficient person for the appointment of an interpreter, and the state pays for court interpreting in circuit court. In Multnomah County you or your attorney must request one for each proceeding, no later than four judicial days ahead (OJD).
Is there an immigration court in Portland?
Yes: EOIR lists the Portland Immigration Court at 1220 SW 3rd Avenue, Suite 500, Portland, OR 97204 (EOIR). The court provides the interpreter for the hearing; request it 30 days ahead (ICPM 3.10).
Does Portland Public Schools provide interpreters?
The district says it provides qualified interpreters and translated materials to families and supports over 100 languages, including ASL (PPS). Ask your school which services it will supply for a particular meeting.
Does OHSU charge for an interpreter?
No. OHSU says it provides free interpreter services for all of its deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind and limited English proficient patients and their families, 24 hours a day by phone, on site or video (OHSU). Tell staff when you register.
Is the price per person or per interpreter?
Per interpreter, per hour, billed from the scheduled start time. One interpreter covers a meeting; a full-day hearing may need two working in relay.
What if the venue provides its own interpreter?
Then you should not be paying us. Immigration court provides one, and hospitals and school districts frequently must. Ask them first.
Can I see the interpreter's credentials before I pay?
Tell us the credential the venue or the other side requires when you request, and we confirm before you book whether we can staff it. The interpreter's name and credentials are sent once the booking is paid.
How is travel charged?
$0.70 per mile from the interpreter's location — a 20-mile round trip is $14. We confirm the exact figure before you book, and virtual assignments carry none.
Need a German interpreter in Portland?
Tell us the date, the venue and how long it runs, and we will confirm the interpreter and the exact price, travel included.