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Locations · San Francisco Bay Area

San Francisco Bay Area interpreters, on your schedule

From San Francisco's courts and hospitals to Oakland, the Peninsula, and San Jose, Focus Interpreting provides certified interpreters on-site and by phone and video, plus translation and localization for the region's technology companies.

About this area

How we serve San Francisco

San Francisco's Chinatown is the oldest in North America, and Cantonese remains the language we are asked for most in the city, with Mandarin close behind as the Bay Area's Chinese-speaking population has grown. Spanish in the Mission and across the East Bay, Tagalog in Daly City and on the Peninsula, Vietnamese in San Jose, and Russian, Japanese, and Korean communities complete a mix that changes with every bridge and BART line.

Our interpreters are based around the Bay and are assigned by proximity: the civic center courts and federal courts in San Francisco, the county courts in Oakland, Redwood City, and San Jose, academic medical centers and public hospitals, and school districts across nine counties. They are certified in accordance with national standards, HIPAA-trained, and on site 15 minutes early. Conference interpreting with equipment and staff is available for events at the Moscone Center and corporate campuses down the Peninsula.

The Bay Area's technology sector is where our translation and localization teams do much of their work: websites, software strings, mobile apps, help content, and marketing campaigns in the languages a global product needs, with terminology managed across releases. Video voiceover, subtitling, and transcription support product launches and investor communications.

For anything urgent or spread across the region, phone interpreting and the patented Focus VRI app connect you to a live interpreter 24 hours a day, so a clinic in Oakland, a startup in Palo Alto, and a courtroom in San Jose can use the same account. Certified document translation is delivered electronically, and a coordinator remains your single point of contact for every service.

At a glance

San Francisco

County
San Francisco County
Coverage
On-site interpreters, plus phone and video interpreting anywhere
Languages
120+ languages, 8 in high demand locally
Availability
24/7 phone and video · (800) 374-5444
Request a quote

Why clients here choose us

Local presence, statewide reach

What sets Focus Interpreting apart for organizations in San Francisco.

  • Cantonese and Mandarin specialists

    Certified Chinese interpreters and translators for the city's oldest and largest language community, with Traditional and Simplified Chinese for written work.

  • Localization for technology

    Website, software, and app localization with managed terminology, plus voiceover, subtitling, and transcription for launches.

  • Courts across the Bay

    State-certified legal interpreters for San Francisco, Alameda, San Mateo, and Santa Clara county courts and federal proceedings.

  • Conference interpreting

    Simultaneous interpreters, booths, and receivers for conferences at the Moscone Center, universities, and corporate campuses.

Typical assignments

Where our interpreters work

The settings we staff most often in San Francisco. Every assignment is matched to an interpreter with the right certification and subject experience.

  • Hearings and depositions at the San Francisco civic center courts and county courts in Oakland, Redwood City, and San Jose
  • Inpatient and outpatient encounters at academic medical centers and public hospitals
  • IEP meetings and parent conferences for Bay Area school districts
  • Website, software, and mobile app localization for technology companies
  • Conferences, product launches, and investor events with simultaneous interpreting
  • Workers' compensation evaluations and independent medical examinations
  • Community meetings and public hearings for city and county agencies
  • Certified translation of immigration, legal, and business documents

Languages in demand

Languages requested most locally

The languages San Francisco clients ask for most often, each with its own page. Every one of our 120+ languages is available by phone or video.

Browse all languages

Coverage

On the map, and nearby

On-site interpreters are dispatched across San Francisco and the surrounding communities. Phone and video interpreting reach anywhere.

Map of San Francisco. On-site coverage across the area shown; remote interpreting anywhere.

Also serving nearby

Communities we cover around San Francisco

  • Oakland
  • Berkeley
  • Daly City
  • South San Francisco
  • Redwood City
  • Palo Alto
  • San Mateo
  • San Jose

Other locations

Local FAQ

San Francisco questions, answered

Booking, certification, and coverage questions we hear from San Francisco clients.

Still have a question?

Call (800) 374-5444

Let's talk

Need an interpreter in San Francisco?

Tell us the date, setting, and language. A coordinator confirms availability and pricing for on-site, phone, or video interpreting in San Francisco, usually the same day.

Interpreter-owned since 2010 · 120+ languages · 24/7 rush service