The Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) for aged care service providers

The Australian Government offers interpreting services to help people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds access and navigate the aged care system. Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) National is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at no cost to approved providers.

Interpreting services available for approved providers

The Australian Government’s fully funded TIS National provides:

Approved providers can use TIS National to support discussions with people who use aged care services or potential users of aged care services about their care or available services.

View the languages available through TIS National.

For Auslan and other sign language interpreting, go to sign language interpreting for aged care services.

Eligibility

You can access TIS National for free if you’re an approved provider of:

When you can use TIS National

You can use TIS National to meet your responsibilities as an approved provider, such as to:

  • discuss care needs, services and preferences with your client
  • discuss fees and charges
  • develop or review care documents, such as agreements, care plans and budgets
  • support clients to exercise independence in their care and participate in social and cultural activities such as weddings, funerals, family reunions, seniors’ activities, clubs or social groups.

You should use phone interpreting services unless there’s a genuine need for an on-site interpreter.

If you use TIS National for other reasons, you must pay for the service through your funding or the client’s budget.

Registering for TIS National

To access TIS National for free, you must get a TIS National client code. If you provide aged care services through different government programs, you need a separate code for each one.

TIS National will email you the client code after you register for TIS online.

For the first 4 questions of the registration form, answer as follows:

  • Category – select ‘Commonwealth Government Agency’
  • Sub-category – select ‘Other Commonwealth Government agency’
  • Name of organisation or agency – enter the name of your organisation
  • Section name – enter the relevant program name:
    • Residential Aged Care
    • Home Care Packages Program
    • Commonwealth Home Support Programme
    • Disability Support for Older Australians Program
    • Continuity of Support Programme
    • Short-Term Restorative Care Programme
    • Transition Care Programme
    • EnCOMPASS: Multicultural Aged Care Connector
    • National Aged Care Advocacy Program
    • Psychologists in Residential Aged Care
    • Multipurpose Services Program.

Accessing TIS National

You need to provide your TIS National client code when you use TIS National or book a TIS National service.

If you need to use TIS National urgently and you do not have a client code, contact the TIS Client Liaison Team.

Explainer videos

Provider registration for TIS National

Find out how aged care providers can register with TIS National to communicate with older people, their families and carers in over 150 different languages and dialects.

TIS National for older people, their families and carers

Find out how older people, their families and carers can use the free TIS National service to get information about aged care services in their preferred language.

Government-funded Automated Telephone Interpreting Service (ATIS) for aged care

This video explains how families, carers and aged care providers can register to use the government-funded Automated Telephone Interpreting Service (ATIS).

Who we work with

The Australian Government funds TIS National services for approved providers. 

The Department of Home Affairs provides TIS National services.

We develop policy for these services, monitor their use by approved providers, and update policy as needed.

Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) National

TIS National is for people who do not speak English and for agencies and businesses that need to communicate with their non-English speaking clients.

Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) National Client Liaison Team

If you have questions about registering for TIS National, your client code or urgent requirements, call the TIS National Client Liaison Team during business hours.
Date last updated:

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