Outside Contiguous United States Travel – All Fund Types

DIS-T-GL4:Outside Contiguous United States Travel – All Fund Types Guideline

 

I. Title

Outside Contiguous United States Travel – All Fund Types

II. Objective

Guideline DIS-T-GL4 provides information for travel to Alaska, Hawaii, United States (“U.S.”) Territories, and all foreign countries (“Foreign Travel”).

Details include how to request approval for Foreign Travel, how to convert and interpret travel receipts, and an explanation of On Call International, the vendor contracted by the University of Texas System (“UT System”) to provide international assistant services.

University travel conducted must comply with the rules and policies including the State of Texas Travel Regulations Act (Chapter 660 of the Texas Government Code), the General Appropriations Act, the State Comptroller’s Office, State Travel Management Program, University of Texas System Board of Regents’ Rules, University of Texas System Policies, and the travel guidelines of the University of Texas at Arlington.

This guideline does not apply to individuals traveling for personal reasons with personal funds.

III. Scope – Who Should Know

All University of Texas at Arlington (“UTA” or “University”) employees, students, and official guests/volunteers participating in University-sponsored Foreign Travel.

IV. Guidelines

A. Travel and Duty of Care Policy

See UTA BF-T-PO-01 Travel and Duty of Care Policy for complete information that applies to this guideline and all University funded travel:

  • Definitions
  • Relevant federal and state statutes and websites
  • Relevant UT System rules and policies
  • Applicable UTA policies, procedures, travel guidelines, and additional resources
  • Applicable UTA forms

B. State Appropriated Funded Travel

If using state appropriated funds and traveling to any country outside of the contiguous U.S. and U.S. territories, the Concur Travel Request will route to one of the following positions authorized by the President to act in the official capacity of approving Foreign Travel.

1. Faculty: Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

2. Staff: Associate Vice President for Business Affairs & Controller

Note: Students and non-employees travel cannot be expensed from state appropriated funds.

C. Approval for Travel to Restricted Regions

1. UTA International Oversight Committee

University-sponsored travel to restricted regions must comply with and approved by the UTA International Oversight Committee (“IOC”) prior to travel. Restricted regions are identified by the following:

a. U.S. State Department Advisories:

    i. Level 4: Do not travel.

    ii. Level 3: Reconsider travel (note: this includes numerical advisory levels for sub-regions within a country, e.g., states in Mexico)

b. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Travel Advisory:

Travel Health Notice Level 3: Avoid nonessential travel.

c. IOC Identified:

Countries or regions deemed to have significant health or safety concerns.

The IOC Travel Authorization/Request for exemptions for travel to countries listed on either the U.S. State Department or Center for Disease Control and Prevention travel websites should be submitted to the UTA IOC at andrew.hippisley@uta.edu.

Notes:

  • If the U.S. Department of State or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues a travel advisory, any program not started, and any participant or employee planned travel that has not occurred, is automatically suspended pending review by the UTA IOC.
  • Programs or travel in progress when the warning is issued will be evaluated by the UTA IOC to determine whether the threat is imminent, and personnel and students should be recalled.

D. On Call International

The UT System Office of Risk Management has a contract with On Call International (“On Call”), a comprehensive, 24-hour medical, security, and travel assistance response organization.

A summary of the specific coverages and services offered are provided on the On Call International Plan Information page. Claim forms and pre-trip preparation resources can be found at On Call’s My OnCall Portal using Group ID: 100143CPPD21.

Registration with On Call is required prior to travel for faculty, staff and students traveling internationally (this includes to Canada and the United Mexican States) who conduct University business as a representative of the University, such as participation in research, conferences, meetings, and teaching endeavors.

1. Airfare Booked With Travel Agencies or Concur

On Call automatically receives traveler information from UT System’s contracted travel agencies and Concur, and all travelers will be automatically registered with On Call and can be tracked and easily located while traveling.

2. Airfare Not Booked Through Travel Agencies or Concur

If a traveler has an approved Business Affairs Exception Request allowing them to not to use Concur or the UT System travel agencies for booking travel/airfare, the traveler is still required to register with On Call by submitting their itinerary via email to trips@oncallinternational.com.

3. On Call International Contact Information

Travelers have various ways they can contact On Call:

Call collect from anywhere in the world: +1 978-651-9722

Call toll free from the US or Canada: 1-833-328-1091

Text only number: +1 844-302-5131

24/7 Live Chat: www.oncallinternational.com/chat/direct

Crisis24 Horizon app for your cell phone

4. Advance Payments to Members or Medical Providers

Although On Call does not provide any direct insurance for medical expenses, advance cash payments to members or medical providers are available through the program if necessary. On Call will request reimbursement from UT System and will assist UT System with obtaining and translating medical documentation for the insurance claim submission.

5. Coverage for Travelers Other Than Faculty, Staff, or Students

UTA recommends that all travel companions accompanying a covered individual on a trip abroad purchase a personal On Call membership. This will ensure that travel companions have access to these services in case they experience a medical or security emergency. A travel companion can obtain a quote for an individual membership at https://worldtrips.com/atlas-travel-insurance#/atq.

E. Meals, Business Travel Expenses, and Lodging – Local Funds Only

Travel to Alaska, Hawaii, or U.S. Territories: Travelers will use The Department of Defense (“DoD”) per diem rate lookup which is found on the Defense Travel Management Office website.

Travel to All Other Foreign Countries: Travelers will use the U.S. Department of State (“DoS”) per diem rate query.

1. Local Meals

a. Total Up to Daily Rate – No Receipts Required

All meal expenses are reimbursed for actuals up to, but not exceeding, the DoD or DoS daily Local Meal rates. The total must include tax and a maximum tip of 20% for the entire bill.

b. Exceed Daily Per Diem Rate – Itemized Receipts Required

Meals that exceed the maximum DoD or DoS daily Local Meal rate for the location, will require itemized receipts.

c. Alcohol

Alcohol is not allowed as part of regular travel meals.

d. First and Last Day of Travel

First and last days of travel will be prorated to 75% of the DoD/DoS daily Local Meal rate, regardless of the traveler’s time of departure or time of return as calculated on the DoD/DoS per diem tool for the specific duty location.

e. Meals Provided to Traveler

If a meal is provided by a conference, meeting host, or other third party to the traveler, that meal must be deducted from the traveler’s full day per diem rate. The applicable meal must be checked in Concur Travel Allowance, which will automatically prorate the per diem rate for the day.

Concur Expense Requirement

  • Itemized receipts required if exceeding the DoD/DoS daily per diem rate for Local Meals.

2. Business Travel Expenses

a. Daily Local Incidental Per Diem – No Receipts Required

If there are no exceptions, and not the first and last day of travel, travelers will automatically receive the maximum daily foreign Local Incidental rate.

The daily foreign Local Incidental rate can only be applied to the following expenses:

  • Cleaning/laundry expenses when traveling for five (5) or more consecutive business days
  • Baggage tips – airport / hotel
  • Other miscellaneous hotel tips
  • Toll charges
  • ATM Fees
  • Cash advance fees
  • In-Flight Internet Services – Internet fees while on a flight will only be reimbursed if it is for employees to conduct official University business.
    Note: In-flight internet service for students will not be reimbursed.

b. Miscellaneous Business Travel Expenses – Itemized Receipts Required

Miscellaneous business travel expenses are reimbursed for actuals and include, but are not limited to:

i. Rental of Motor Vehicle

The itemized receipt must indicate:

  • Rental company name
  • Renter’s name
  • Start and end dates of the rental
  • Itemization of expenses incurred

ii. Public Transportation

Travel by bus, subway, taxi, ridesharing (e.g., Uber and Lyft), shuttle, or other modes of mass transit.

The itemized receipt must indicate:

  • Date of service
  • Fare charged for each trip
  • If applicable, maximum of 20% tip for entire fare

c. Miscellaneous Business Travel Expenses – No Itemized Receipts Required for Individual Expenses Less than $50

Miscellaneous business travel expenses are reimbursed for actuals and include, but are not limited to:

  • Passport/Visa application fees
  • Airport boarding passes
  • Departure taxes
  • Required Inoculations / Health Screenings

d. Prohibited Miscellaneous Travel Expenses

i. Excess Baggage Charges

Excess baggage charges for personal belongings. This is inclusive of checking more than one (1) piece of luggage and overweight or oversized luggage.

ii. Personal items

Personal items not required for official university business – including, but not limited to:

  • Dental hygiene products
  • Haircare products
  • Cleaning or laundry if less than five (5) consecutive business days
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Sporting events
  • Kennel or boarding charges for a pet
  • Babysitting or daycare charges for child(ren)
  • Tours – personal only

Note: If the tour supports a business need, the expense report must provide detailed information.

iii. Other Miscellaneous Charges

Any expense not required for official university business.

3. Business / Entertainment Meal Expenditure for University Traveler – Itemized Receipts Required

Business/entertainment meal expenses are allowed to entertain and conduct business with a customer or client and the traveler. Only employees of the University (no student workers) can claim business/entertainment meals which must be reasonable and benefit the University. Other employees are eligible for per diem so are not allowed to have their meal expenses paid as part of this meal.

Reimbursements/charges include the following requirements:

a. A business/entertainment meal is counted as part of the traveling employee’s meal total for the day. The traveler’s maximum daily Local Meal rate will be automatically calculated and prorated in Concur Expense.

b. The meal that is being consumed as a business/entertainment meal (breakfast, lunch, or dinner) must be deducted from the maximum daily Local Meal rate by checking the appropriate box in the Travel Allowance in Concur Expense.

c. In Concur Expense, all attendees of the business/entertainment meal must be identified by their name, affiliation, and attendee type.

d. Alcohol is allowed when purchased and consumed as part of a business/entertainment meal.

e. Sales tax and a maximum tip of 20% of the total bill can be added to the total of the business/entertainment meal.

Concur Expense Requirement

  • Itemized receipt(s)

4. Lodging

All Foreign Travel lodging is reimbursed for actuals up to, but not exceeding, the DoD/DoS per diem rates as published for the destination country/state and locality indicated.

Note: Proximity/distance from the traveler’s place of lodging to the site where university business will be conducted, cannot be a consideration of exceeding the DoD/DoS per diem rate for the locality. This includes meetings, trainings, seminars, etc. Travelers will be reimbursed applicable transportation costs to/from lodging to business address as noted in Subsection 2 of this guideline. For Conference Lodging, see Subsection 5 of this guideline.

Applicable fees and taxes are in addition to the DoD/DoS rate.

a. Lodging Receipt Requirements

The lodging receipt must include the following:

  • Name and address of the commercial lodging establishment
  • Name of the traveler/occupant
  • Single room rate
  • A daily itemization of the lodging charges
  • Proof of payment

b. Varying Nightly Rates:

If the traveler’s nightly rate varies, the actual total of the lodging cost cannot exceed the maximum of the per diem for the number of designated nights.

Note: In Concur Expense, each night must be notated as the actual nightly rate or the maximum DoD/DoS per diem, whichever is lower.

c. Traveler Pays Lodging for Other Travelers:

A traveler may pay for, and be reimbursed for, another University employee, student, or official guest/volunteer’s lodging expense.

A University Travel Card may be used, but the cardholder must be present.

Shared expenses will become taxable to the person who paid for the expense, no matter the method of payment, as outlined in DIS-T-GL11 – Travel Reimbursement Timelines and Receipting All Fund Types.

Concur Expense Requirements

  • Use expense type “Hotel - Group”
  • Include an attestation statement by the lodging occupant whose expenses were paid, that they will not submit a claim for travel expenses already reimbursed to the traveler who paid the expense.
  • Attach the DoD/DoS rate schedule for the duty location
  • Attach with the hotel invoice/folio with names of all lodging occupants

d. Shared Lodging:

When at least two (2) University travelers share lodging, the total reimbursement may not exceed the applicable per person maximum lodging reimbursement rate for the duty location.

EXAMPLE: Occupant 1 and Occupant 2 are sharing a hotel room. The maximum allowable DoD/DoS lodging rate for the location where they will be staying is $90 per night. The room rate of the selected hotel is $140 per night. Occupant 1 and Occupant 2 may combine their lodging rates for a reimbursable rate up to $180.

Concur Expense Requirements for Shared Lodging

  • Use expense type “Hotel – Group”
  • Attach an occupant list
  • Attach the DoD/DoS rate schedule for the duty location.

5. Conference/Seminar Affiliated Lodging

a. If a traveler uses the commercial lodging establishment that is affiliated with a conference, seminar, workshop, etc., supporting documentation must be submitted with the expense report reflecting the affiliation and the special daily room rate of the dedicated hotel(s).

b. Documentation to support the affiliation can be in the form of a registration, advertisement, agenda, webpage screenshot, email from the organization, etc.

c. If a traveler does not obtain the special daily lodging room rate for the event, or stays at a non-affiliated hotel, the traveler will be reimbursed for actuals that are at or below the documented hotel rate, regardless of the DoD/DoS lodging per diem rate for the location.

Concur Expense Requirements

  • Use expense type “Hotel – Conference”
  • Itemized receipt
  • Conference/hotel affiliation documentation (if applicable)
  • DoD/DoS rate sheet for the duty location (if two (2) or more travelers are sharing a room, or a traveler paid lodging for another traveler)

F. Meals, Lodging, and Incidental Travel Expenses – State Funds Only

Travel to Alaska, Hawaii, or U.S. Territories: Travelers will use the Department of Defense (“DoD”) per diem rate lookup which is found on the Defense Travel Management Office website.

Travel to All Other Foreign Countries: Travelers will use the U.S. Department of State (“DoS”) per diem rate query.

Note: Only University faculty/staff can expense Foreign Travel from state appropriated funds.

1. Meal Expenses – No Receipts Required

A University employee is entitled to be reimbursed for actual meal expenses while conducting University business at a duty location in U.S. Territories, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, and other foreign countries.

a. Alcohol

Alcohol is not allowed as part of regular travel meals.

b. First and Last Day of Travel

First and last days of travel will be prorated to 75% of the DoD/DoS daily Local Meal rate, regardless of the traveler’s time of departure or time of return as calculated on the DoD/DoS per diem tool for the specific duty location.

c. Meals Provided to Traveler

If a meal is provided by a conference, meeting host, or other third party to the traveler, that meal must be deducted from the traveler’s full day rate. The applicable meal must be checked in Concur Travel Allowance, which will automatically prorate the per diem rate for the day.

Note: Tips or gratuities on meals are not reimbursable.

2. Lodging – Receipts Required

A University employee is entitled to be reimbursed for actual lodging expenses while conducting University business at a duty location in U.S. Territories, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, and other foreign countries.

Lodging receipt must include:

  • Name and address of the commercial lodging establishment
  • Name of the traveler/occupant
  • Single room rate
  • A daily itemization of the lodging charges
  • Proof of payment

3. Incidental Travel Expenses – No Receipts Required for Individual Expenses Less than $50

A University employee may be reimbursed for the following expenses:

  • Passport/Visa application fees
  • Airport boarding passes
  • Departure taxes
  • Required Inoculations / Health Screenings

G. Combining University and Personal Business

Combining University and personal business applies to the following:

1. Travel To / From a Duty Location – No More Than One Day Before or After Official University Business

a. Overnight meals and lodging expenses incurred while traveling to / from a duty location no more than one (1) day before official University business begins, or no more than one (1) day after the conclusion of University business, may be reimbursed at the discretion of the traveler’s supervisor, if deemed appropriate.

2. Travel To / From a Duty Location – More Than One Day Before or After Official University Business

a. Overnight meals and lodging expenses incurred while traveling to / from a duty location for more than one (1) day before official University business begins, or more than one (1) day after the conclusion of University business are only reimbursable if traveling to and from the duty location requires more than one day of travel.

Note: If the cost of transportation for personal days + official business days exceed ‘university business days only’, the traveler must reimburse UTA the difference and attach proof of repayment made at UTA Student Accounts to Concur Expense.

When combining personal travel with business travel, travelers must obtain a cost comparison and a Business Affairs Exception approved before the trip begins. If this is not done in advance, the traveler will be required to repay the University for the portion of the airfare that corresponds to personal travel.

Example:

If the airfare is $500 and the trip is 5 days long, with 2 of those days for personal travel, then 40% of the trip is personal. The traveler would need to repay 40% of $500 which is $200.

3. All Other Reasons

a. All other reasons will require the following for consideration of reimbursement:

    i. Submission of Business Affairs Exception Request (see Section I of this guideline)

    ii. Documentation from one of the contracted travel agencies or Concur reflecting transportation cost comparisons for:

  •  Official University business days only, and
  •  Personal days + official business days.

b. If the cost of transportation for personal days + official business days exceed University business days only, the traveler must reimburse UTA the difference and attach proof of repayment made at UTA Student Accounts.

c. Travelers who use a rented motor vehicle for both personal and official University business will be reimbursed only for the portion of the rental charges that are attributable to official University business.

d. See UTA Guideline DIS-T-GL7 Transportation Options in Travel Status – All Fund Types for detailed information.

Concur Expense Requirements:

  • Transportation cost comparison from travel agencies or Concur
  • Deposit slip from UTA Student Accounts if repayment is required for airfare costs.

H. Cancellation or Change Charges

1. A traveler will be reimbursed for travel expenses incurred when the traveler returns from a duty location to his/her designated field office before University business is completed because of an illness, personal emergency, or University recall.

2. Cancellation charges related to a travel expense may be reimbursed if:

    a. Reason is related to state business, or

    b. Reason related to state business that could not be conducted because of a natural disaster.

3. When claiming reimbursement for cancellation charges, receipts or invoices are required to document each cancellation charge submitted for reimbursement.

4. Cancellation charges for “no shows” due to personal reasons are not reimbursable.

5. Cancellation charges for airfare paid by the traveler will only be reimbursed if approved by the Associate Vice President for Business Affairs and Controller. Please see Section I of this guideline.

I. Exceptions to Guideline – Local Funds Only

There may be occasions when travelers need to request an exception to some portion of the travel rules (this applies only to chartfields following UT local rules). Exceptions to any of the travel guidelines must be obtained PRIOR to the start of travel and booking travel arrangements and must be documented in writing and final approved by the Associate Vice President for Business Affairs and Controller, or designee. The request must be submitted using the Business Affairs Exceptions Tracker Request (“BAET”) menu located in UTA SharePoint. Each request should include detailed justification for the exception and the benefit to the University if the exception is granted. Concur Expense must reference the approved BAET number. Documentation of the request and its disposition will be maintained in the Business Affairs online exception file. In every case the account administrator is responsible for ensuring that all travel and charges are appropriate, comply with the source of funds, and support the mission of the University.

The circumstances of the request will be taken under consideration. Any exception ultimately granted does NOT alter the existing travel guideline and should not be construed as precedent for allowing repeated exceptions to the existing guideline.

NOTE: Requests to alter these guidelines for expenses from state appropriated funds will NOT be taken into consideration. If submitted, the request will be denied.

V. UTA Offices Responsible for Guideline

Responsible Officer: CFO and Vice President for Business & Finance

Sponsoring Department: Office of Disbursements

VI. Dates Approved or Amended

August 1, 2019

September 14, 2020

May 21, 2021

June 28, 2022

July 12, 2024

November 4, 2024

January 21, 2025

June 1, 2026

VII. Contact Information

Questions regarding this guideline should be directed to the Office of Disbursements (817) 272-2194, or email travelservices@uta.edu

Send notifications of errors or changes to: travelservices@uta.edu