Membership enquiries: applications@apciinterpreters.org.uk

Criteria for admission

APCI membership should be seen as a stepping stone in the already successful career of an interpreter with considerable experience as both a linguist and a practitioner in the Criminal Justice System.

These are our minimum criteria for new applicants:

  • Evidence of initial interpreter training, e.g. Level 6 Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (DPSI) or Level 6 Diploma in Community Interpreting (DCI)
  • Registration on the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI)
  • Four hundred hours’ proven CJS experience (one hundred hours for interpreters registered on NRPSI for Rare Languages)
  • DBS (Enhanced) clearance
  • Compliance with the high standards of professional conduct, integrity and ethics provided for in our Code of Conduct
  • A professional background with no proven complaints to the relevant bodies as to conduct or ethics or relevant criminal convictions
  • Recommendation of competence and good practice from two referees

The first step in the application process is to complete an application form. This can be done on line, or by downloading and completing our application form (see below). Once the application is complete, we invite applicants to an interview. This is an integral part of the application process. Interviews are currently being held on the Zoom Meetings platform.

The membership fee is £100 a year, payable on 1 January in each year, irrespective of the month of joining. New members are required to pay £100 for the remainder of the calendar year in which their application is approved. As a concession, new members whose application is approved on or after 1 September are not required to pay a fee until the following 1 January.

How to apply

The quickest way to apply is by using our online application form available on this website. Click on the tab ‘Interpreters Home’ and then select ‘Online Application Form’. You will be able to upload your supporting documents directly to our website.

Alternatively, you can download an application form in pdf format from the tab ‘Document Library’. Please print out the form, fill it in by hand and send it to our Pepper Street address (at the end of the form) together with the supporting documentation.

If you have any difficulty obtaining an application form, please contact our Membership Secretary at applications@apciinterpreters.org.uk.