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Vietnamese interpreters in San Diego, CA
Yes: we book Vietnamese–English interpreters in San Diego 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 Vietnamese interpreter for a USCIS interview in San Diego, booked for the two-hour minimum, is $220 plus travel. 27,104 people in San Diego speak Vietnamese 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, San Diego city, California.
In person in San Diego
$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.
27,104
People in San Diego who speak Vietnamese at home (U.S. Census Bureau).
A Vietnamese interpreter for a USCIS interview in San Diego
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 Vietnamese interpreter for a two-hour USCIS interview in San Diego 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.
27,104 people in San Diego speak Vietnamese 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, San Diego city, California. The other languages most spoken at home in San Diego, from the same table:
| Language | People who speak it at home |
|---|---|
| Spanish (Spanish interpreters) | 281,694 |
| Tagalog (incl. Filipino) (Tagalog interpreters) | 41,080 |
| Other Indo-European languages | 39,947 |
| Chinese (incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) (Mandarin interpreters, Cantonese interpreters) | 38,274 |
| Other Asian and Pacific Island languages | 31,226 |
| Vietnamese | 27,104 |
| Russian, Polish, or other Slavic languages (Russian interpreters, Polish interpreters) | 13,230 |
| Korean (Korean interpreters) | 10,280 |
| Arabic (Arabic interpreters) | 8,663 |
Where a Vietnamese interpreter is needed in San Diego, 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 Diego Immigration Court (EOIR), 880 Front Street, Suite 4240 | The court provides the interpreter for the hearing. Attorneys book us to prepare the respondent and witnesses and to read declarations back. |
| Otay Mesa Immigration Court (EOIR), 7488 Calzada de la Fuente | Same rule: the court interprets the hearing. Attorney meetings with clients held there are arranged by counsel. |
| USCIS interviews for San Diego-area applicants | USCIS uses Form G-1256 to record the presence of an interpreter that you have provided for an interview. Check the office address on the appointment notice. |
| Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, Language Access | Provides an interpreter at no cost to parties, witnesses and people with a significant interest in a case, for courtroom proceedings and court-ordered programs, on Form ADM-348 for each proceeding. Depositions are arranged by the attorneys. |
| UC San Diego Health, Interpreter & Language Services | Free of charge; Spanish interpreters on site, other languages including ASL by phone or video, no advance request needed. Patients there should not be paying for one. |
Vietnamese is a standard-availability language
Vietnamese 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 Vietnamese 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.
Vietnamese interpreters in nearby cities
- Vietnamese interpreters in Chula Vista, CA
- Vietnamese interpreters in San Marcos, CA
- Vietnamese interpreters in Escondido, CA
- Vietnamese interpreters in Oceanside, CA
- Vietnamese interpreters in Murrieta, CA
- Vietnamese interpreters in Menifee, CA
- Vietnamese interpreters in Mission Viejo, CA
- Vietnamese interpreters in Lake Forest, CA
- Vietnamese interpreters in Irvine, CA
- Vietnamese interpreters in Costa Mesa, CA
- Vietnamese interpreters in Tustin, CA
- Vietnamese interpreters in Corona, CA
Sources
What this page says about San Diego was checked against these sources on October 29, 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, San Diego city, California
- USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 7, Part A, Chapter 5
- USCIS, Form G-1256
- Executive Office for Immigration Review — San Diego Immigration Court
- Executive Office for Immigration Review — Otay Mesa Immigration Court
- Superior Court of California, County of San Diego — Language Access
- UC San Diego Health — Interpreter & Language Services for Patients
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Vietnamese interpreter cost in San Diego?
$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 Vietnamese interpreter in person in San Diego?
Yes. Vietnamese 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 Vietnamese interpreter to a USCIS interview in San Diego?
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 San Diego Superior Court provide a free interpreter?
Its policy is to provide one at no cost to parties, witnesses and people with a significant interest in a case, for courtroom proceedings and court-ordered programs, given available resources. Request it on Form ADM-348 for each proceeding.
Does the Otay Mesa immigration court provide an interpreter?
Yes, for the hearing, as does the San Diego Immigration Court on Front Street. Preparation of the respondent and witnesses is arranged by the attorney.
Do I need to bring an interpreter to UC San Diego Health?
No. UC San Diego Health provides interpreters free of charge and says you do not need to request one in advance.
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 Vietnamese interpreter in San Diego?
Tell us the date, the venue and how long it runs, and we will confirm the interpreter and the exact price, travel included.