Employees are responsible for ensuring that they have valid passports, and appropriate visas/right to work documentation, for overseas business travel.
Tax treatment for additional overseas travel costs
This table forms part of the Employee Expenses policy. Any deviations from the policy must adhere to the key principles and be authorised by the Head of Institution. Where appropriate, any claims must also align to the funder’s terms and conditions.
| Expense category | Allowable expenses | Guidance / additional information |
|---|---|---|
| Travel visas, work permits and citizenship applications | The University will reimburse costs where employees require visas or work permits as a direct result of overseas business travel.
Additionally, where employees are going to work overseas, on assignment, or at the instigation of the University, the University may agree to fund or reimburse some, or all, of these costs. |
When coming to the UK to take up a new role with the University, employees can obtain a loan towards the costs via the Visa Loan Scheme. |
| Passports | If an employee needs to obtain a passport solely for the purposes of travelling on University business, then the cost of the passport may be claimed. | It is accepted that employees have passports for their own personal use and the cost of a passport will not be refunded. The University is not responsible for the cost of replacing lost or stolen passports. |
| Vaccinations | The University will reimburse costs where employees require vaccinations because of overseas business travel. | Staff are encouraged to contact the Occupational Health Service whose experienced staff can provide appropriate vaccinations, malaria prophylaxis and first aid kits at prices cheaper than those available from travel clinics. |
| Travel insurance | Annual or single-trip travel insurance policies are not reimbursable.
The University’s travel policy must be used instead. |
The University provides travel insurance for employees and members of supervised institution field trips whilst travelling abroad on University business.
Register trips at the time of booking via the online portal. This can be accessed from the Travel Insurance webpage. As part of the University’s duty of care, a Travel Risk assessment must be completed prior to travel, regardless of duration. |
| Commission charges and fees | Where an individual is charged a commission for the exchange of funds or the withdrawal of currency whilst abroad, these are reclaimable to the extent that they relate to business (as opposed to any personal) expenditure. | Employees are discouraged from using airport bureau de changes as these do not generally represent value for money. |
| Foreign currency | Where expenditure is incurred in a foreign currency, the aim is to reimburse employees for the sterling equivalent of the actual costs.
In the absence of a bank/bureau de change or credit card receipt, the average ask rate from OANDA.com, on the day of the expenditure, will be used. |
Where it is known that foreign currency is required during a trip then employees can apply for a foreign currency advance via the University cashier. |
| Miscellaneous business expenditure whilst travelling | Essential costs are allowable with suitable business justification. | Employees are responsible for declaring, to the relevant Border Agency official, any items that they have purchased whilst overseas and they import into the UK. |
