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Mandarin interpreters in San Antonio, TX
Yes: we book Mandarin–English interpreters in San Antonio 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 Mandarin interpreter for a USCIS interview in San Antonio, booked for the two-hour minimum, is $220 plus travel. 5,498 people in the San Antonio metro area speak Chinese at home, according to the U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 2024 1-year, table B16001 (language spoken at home, population 5 years and over), San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX Metro Area.
In person in San Antonio
$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.
5,498
People in the San Antonio metro area who speak Chinese (incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) at home (U.S. Census Bureau).
A Mandarin interpreter for a USCIS interview in San Antonio
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 Mandarin interpreter for a two-hour USCIS interview in San Antonio 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.
5,498 people in the San Antonio metro area speak Chinese at home
That is the count in the U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 2024 1-year, table B16001 (language spoken at home, population 5 years and over), San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX Metro Area. The other languages most spoken at home in the San Antonio metro area, from the same table:
| Language | People who speak it at home |
|---|---|
| Spanish (Spanish interpreters) | 767,408 |
| Tagalog (incl. Filipino) (Tagalog interpreters) | 12,160 |
| German (German interpreters) | 8,300 |
| Arabic (Arabic interpreters) | 8,239 |
| Urdu (Urdu interpreters) | 5,696 |
| Chinese (incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) (Cantonese interpreters) | 5,498 |
| Swahili or other languages of Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa (Swahili interpreters) | 5,418 |
| Hindi (Hindi interpreters) | 5,365 |
| Vietnamese (Vietnamese interpreters) | 4,617 |
| Japanese (Japanese interpreters) | 4,401 |
Where a Mandarin interpreter is needed in San Antonio, 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 |
|---|---|
| San Antonio Immigration Court (EOIR), 800 Dolorosa Street, Suite 300 | The court provides the interpreter for the hearing, at government expense (ICPM 3.10). Attorneys book their own for client preparation and witness meetings. |
| USCIS San Antonio Field Office, 20760 North US Highway 281 | For a green card interview the interpreter is provided by the applicant, who shows a government-issued ID, signs an oath and privacy release, and interprets word for word. The locator returned this office for the Austin ZIP codes we tried as well. |
| Bexar County Civil District Courts, Bexar County Courthouse, 100 Dolorosa | All interpreters are scheduled through the Office of the Civil District Court General Administrative Counsel, (210) 335-2300; for languages other than Spanish, call at least 10 days ahead if possible. Depositions are arranged by the attorneys. |
| Bexar County Criminal District Court Administration | Provides and schedules Spanish interpreters and interpreters for other languages for the district, county and probate courts in Bexar County; court interpreters line (210) 335-1595. |
| University Health hospitals and clinics | Language assistance services are available at no extra cost to the patient; call 210-358-0600. |
Mandarin is a standard-availability language
Mandarin 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 Mandarin 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.
Mandarin interpreters in nearby cities
- Mandarin interpreters in Austin, TX
- Mandarin interpreters in Corpus Christi, TX
- Mandarin interpreters in College Station, TX
- Mandarin interpreters in Sugar Land, TX
- Mandarin interpreters in Missouri City, TX
- Mandarin interpreters in The Woodlands, TX
- Mandarin interpreters in Houston, TX
- Mandarin interpreters in Pearland, TX
- Mandarin interpreters in Arlington, TX
- Mandarin interpreters in Fort Worth, TX
- Mandarin interpreters in Grand Prairie, TX
- Mandarin interpreters in Irving, TX
Sources
What this page says about San Antonio 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 — ACS 2024 1-year, table B16001 (language spoken at home, population 5 years and over), San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX Metro Area
- USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 7, Part A, Chapter 5
- USCIS, Form G-1256
- U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 2024 1-year, B01003, Bexar County, Texas (total population)
- EOIR — Immigration Court List, Administrative Control (San Antonio Immigration Court)
- EOIR — Immigration Court Practice Manual, chapter 3.10, Interpreters
- USCIS — Field Office Locator (San Antonio Field Office)
- Texas Legislature — Government Code chapter 57, Court Interpreters (secs. 57.001, 57.002)
- Civil District Courts of Bexar County — Local Rules (updated effective July 1, 2026), Local Rule 12
- Bexar County — Criminal District Court Administration
- University Health — Language Assistance
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Mandarin interpreter cost in San Antonio?
$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 Mandarin interpreter in person in San Antonio?
Yes. Mandarin 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 Mandarin interpreter to a USCIS interview in San Antonio?
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 the San Antonio immigration court provide an interpreter?
Yes, for the hearing, at government expense (ICPM 3.10). EOIR asks the respondent or attorney to request one no later than 30 days before the next hearing. Preparation meetings with your attorney are not covered.
How do I get a court interpreter in a Bexar County civil district court?
Call the Office of the Civil District Court General Administrative Counsel at (210) 335-2300. For a language other than Spanish, Local Rule 12 asks you to call at least 10 days before the hearing or trial if possible, and to tell the office immediately if the interpreter is no longer needed (Bexar County local rules).
Does a deposition interpreter in San Antonio have to be licensed?
Chapter 57 counts a deposition as a court proceeding and requires a licensed court interpreter when one is appointed on a party's motion; in a county of 50,000 or more, an unlicensed interpreter is allowed only for a language other than Spanish with no licensed interpreter within 75 miles (Gov't Code 57.001–57.002). Tell us if you need one.
How much is a Spanish interpreter in San Antonio?
Spanish is a standard-rate language: $80 an hour by video with a one-hour minimum, or $110 an hour in person with a two-hour minimum plus $0.70 per mile of travel. A three-hour deposition in person with a 30-mile round trip is $330 plus $21, $351.
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 Mandarin interpreter in San Antonio?
Tell us the date, the venue and how long it runs, and we will confirm the interpreter and the exact price, travel included.