4.00 Foreign Travel

Foreign travel is commonly limited by departmental budgets and/or the terms of contracts and grants. No commitment for reimbursing these and other forms of special travel should be made without first consulting the appropriate department head or laboratory director to ascertain that such reimbursement is authorized.

For purposes of travel expense reimbursement, foreign travel is defined as any travel outside North America, with North America being defined as the Continental U. S., Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean Islands; or, in the case of Sponsored Programs, as defined in the contractual documents.

Travelers should refer to the Travel Risk Policy when contemplating travel to a country in which an advisory has been issued.

4.01 Student Foreign Travel
Students traveling through special Institute programs should refer to the specific program guidelines and MIT’s Travel Risk Policy prior to making any travel arrangements.

4.02 Reimbursement
To the extent practicable, the policies relating to normal travel also apply to foreign travel, and actual costs are reimbursed to the extent appropriate and necessary. A currency converter can be found at http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic

Per Diem Abroad
Due to cost of living differences, the maximum per diem allowance may vary depending upon the country or area visited. Reimbursement on a per diem basis may be made without prior approval of VPF Travel.

4.03 Approval
Non-Research related travel

Approval from appropriate supervisor must be secured in advance of the travel.

Research related travel
Research contracts and grants may require that all foreign travel be approved or authorized in advance. Some contracts also provide that travel to certain areas be cleared through other channels, such as the State Department. You may refer to the terms and conditions of the award in COEUS.

MIT Required Procedure

1. The Office of Sponsored Programs and the laboratory director should be consulted when foreign travel is contemplated in connection with sponsored research work
2. Advance authorization by the sponsoring contracting officer or his/her representative must be obtained.

Authorization received from the technical representative of the sponsor does not authorize reimbursement of costs until confirmed by the contracting representative as well as the appropriate Office of Sponsored Programs Official.

4.04 International SOS
MIT has contracted with the travel assistance company, International SOS (I.SOS) to provide emergency medical and security evacuation services to faculty, staff and students who are traveling abroad on MIT business. International SOS has 24-hour Alarm Centers, international clinics and remote-site medical facilities covering five continents.

Please note that these services are neither a substitute for, nor supplement to, personal health insurance. MIT travelers must maintain their own personal health insurance and should confirm coverage limitations, if any, while traveling abroad, with their health plan administrator prior to departure.

If you have any questions regarding MIT’s International SOS program, or need a membership card, please contact the Insurance Office at 617-324-5031.