Most working linguists do both: documents by day, assignments in person or by video when the diary calls. One policy should cover the pair – and the good ones do, provided both activities are declared. This guide is the combined view for dual-practice linguists; the dedicated translator and interpreter guides go deeper on each side.
What insurance does a dual-practice linguist need?
Professional indemnity naming both activities. The written side risks translation errors, machine-translation/post-editing sign-off (make sure MTPE is in scope if you accept it), certified-document liability and loss of translation memories; the spoken side risks live misinterpretation, confidentiality breaches and conduct-code allegations (ITI, CIOL, NRPSI codes are all claim-relevant). Specialist wordings cover the lot; generic PI may not contemplate either. £250,000–£1m suits most freelancers; legal, medical and agency work pushes toward £2m–£5m.
Public liability for on-site interpreting (courts, hospitals, offices) plus remote-work wording for video/telephone assignments; equipment cover for the workstation and travel kit; cyber for client documents; business travel/personal accident if assignments move you around; legal expenses rounding it out.
Membership economics. ITI and CIOL membership pays twice here: professional standing (certified translations ride on registration) and insurance discounts – Towergate offers ITI-member rates on its linguist policy, and CIOL publishes sensible PI guidance (insure in your country of domicile; cap contractual liability at your cover limit).
How much does it cost?
Dual practice barely moves the price in this cheap niche: £60–£220/year covers most freelancers, from Professional Saver's sub-£55 entry packages through AXA's dedicated translator & interpreter product and Hiscox's online linguist PI. Rating drivers: specialist domains (legal/medical/pharma), certified-document volumes, US-client exposure, and framework/agency mix.
Comparison of providers
| Provider | Type | Notable features |
|---|---|---|
| Towergate | Specialist | The natural dual-practice wording: written + spoken, remote/electronic work, worldwide for UK-based linguists, exam/scribe work, ITI discounts |
| Apex Insurance Brokers | Specialist broker | ITI/CIOL/NRPSI-literate across both activities; explicit MTPE treatment; agency and LSP programmes |
| AXA | Direct insurer | Purpose-built translator & interpreter product |
| Hiscox | Direct insurer | Online linguist PI; 4.4 Trustpilot |
| Professional Saver | Trades-family specialist | Cheapest verified entry for straightforward dual practices |
| Jensten / broker routes | Brokers | Fuller programmes (office, fidelity, management liability) for agencies and LSPs |
Reviews and expert ratings
Hiscox 4.4/5; AXA 4.3; Simply Business 4.2. Which?/Fairer Finance: not rated. Quality gates: both activities named, MTPE and remote-interpreting wording, code-breach and confidentiality cover explicit.
Key takeaway
One policy, both activities, in writing – that's the whole game for dual-practice linguists. Add the modern wording checks (MTPE sign-off, video interpreting, US clients), take the membership discount your professional body has already negotiated, and mirror your cover limit in your contracts' liability caps. Building an agency? You've outgrown freelancer policies – broker time.
Sources
- apexinsurancebrokers.co.uk/translators-interpreters/; towergateinsurance.co.uk
- ciol.org.uk/benefits/professional-indemnity-insurance
- axa.co.uk/business-insurance/translator-interpreter-insurance/
- jensteninsurance.co.uk; professionalsaver.co.uk