6.0 Special Travel


6.01 Relocation

  • Relocation guidelines are no longer part of the MIT Travel Policy. For information on relocation, please contact the MIT Relocation Specialist at 617-253-4249.

6.02 Student Travel

  • Students are treated the same as other MIT Travelers. As such, students should follow the requirements and guidelines detailed in this policy.
  • Students may obtain an MIT Travel Card, with approval from the primary authorizer for the cost object to which expenses will be charged.
  • If a department does not authorize a student to obtain an individual MIT Travel Card, the department is encouraged to book student travel with the Departmental Travel Card.
  • In cases where departments are paying for the travel of prospective students to and during a visit to MIT, departments are encouraged to charge as much as possible of the prospective students' travel expenses to the Departmental Travel Card, including miscellaneous expenses incurred during the course of the visit.

6.03 Group Travel

  • MIT strongly discourages travel by groups of more than three faculty or staff members on the same aircraft or on extended automobile trips, when catastrophic injuries to the group could seriously impair the operation of an Institute activity.
    • This restriction should be enforced by the supervisors according to the circumstances of travel and the level of responsibility of the Travelers. For those in key positions, it is expected that this restriction will be rigidly self-imposed.
  • Departments planning trips with student groups are discouraged, whenever feasible, from booking travel arrangements for more than 20 students on the same aircraft or in the same train or vehicle.

6.04 Prospective Employee Interviews

  • Prospective employees may be reimbursed, if authorized by the DLC, for travel expenses incurred in connection with an employment interview in Cambridge or elsewhere, in accordance with the normal travel policy for employees. It is recommended that Department Travel Cards be used for all expenses associated with such travel, including miscellaneous reimbursable expenses incurred during the course of travel.

6.05 Temporary Assignment

  • It may be necessary for individuals assigned to temporary duty outside the local commuting distance to maintain a local residence in addition to a permanent residence elsewhere. Such individuals who have approved arrangements may be eligible for travel subsistence and related expenses. These expenses are referred to as dislocation expenses and must be arranged in advance.
  • The U.S. Internal Revenue Service has strict rules concerning the tax status of reimbursement for dislocation expenses.

6.06 Field Site Assignment

  • When a staff member who was initially hired to work in the Cambridge area is assigned to work in an approved field site for an assignment of more than 30 days but less than one year, he/she may be eligible for incentive compensation of 20% of his/her monthly salary and for subsistence reimbursement by means of a per diem rate.
  • For assignments of more than one year (but no more than two years), the staff member may be eligible for incentive compensation of 20% of his/her monthly salary and a subsistence reimbursement by means of a per diem rate or may elect to be reimbursed for his/her moving expense and not be in Travel Status while at the site.

6.07 Required Extra Commuting

  • Employees who are not eligible to receive payment for overtime may be reimbursed to cover transportation and meal expenses incurred when they are called to work on an emergency basis on scheduled days off or recalled to work after a normal day's work, up to the following limits:
    • Lodging: Actual cost of lodging in Cambridge area hotels as documented by the itemized receipts. Use of MIT's local preferred hotels and extended stay facilities is strongly encouraged.
    • Transportation: Current prevailing IRS mileage reimbursement rate or the cost of public transportation, as used.
    • Food: Actual cost of meals.

6.08 Compensation of Hourly Employees When Traveling on Business

6.09 Visitor and Guest Travel

  • In cases where departments are paying for the travel of visitors and guests to and during a visit to MIT, departments should charge as much as possible of the travel expenses to the Departmental Travel Card, including miscellaneous expenses incurred during the course of the visit. It is recommended that the Departmental Travel Card be linked to a guest account. To set up a linkage with a guest account, email travel-support@mit.edu. Visitor and guest travel should follow the MIT Travel Policy.

6.10 Spousal Travel

  • On occasion, a spouse will have a formal role in a MIT-related event. In such circumstances, travel expenses for the spouse may be reimbursed by MIT.
  • The Provost's Office must approve MIT payment of travel expenses for spouses in advance of the travel. Requests must be made in writing and should include a clear explanation of how the spouse’s presence will be part of the formal MIT-related program.
  • Spouses who accompany MIT employees on business trips for personal reasons do so at the expense of the Traveler.

6.11 Per Diem

  • Per diem is the payment of a flat sum to cover food, lodging, and incidental expenses for each day in lieu of a statement of actual costs. Per-diem rates may not exceed the governmental standard (GSA) cost of living. When a per diem is used, the MIT Travel Credit Card may not be used as a form of payment.
  • Per diem may be used in the following two circumstances:
    • To cover expenses for individuals hosted on campus by DLCs
    • To pay for expenses while on domestic or international business travel – an alternative to using the MIT Travel Card or to paying out of pocket and obtaining reimbursement
  • Per diem may be claimed to cover lodging and/or meals and incidental expenses.
  • Travelers who want to use per diem to pay for expenses while on domestic travel must obtain prior approval from department heads, laboratory directors or project supervisors, and VPF Travel. It is not necessary to obtain prior approval in order to use per diem for international travel.
  • Travelers using per diem should not seek separate reimbursement for incidental expenses. Incidental expenses should be covered by the per diem. The Federal Travel Regulation describes incidental expenses as:
    • Fees and tips given to porters, baggage carriers, bellhops, hotel maids, stewards or stewardesses and others on ships, and hotel servants in foreign countries.
    • Transportation between places of lodging or business and places where meals are taken.
    • Mailing cost associated with filing travel vouchers and payment of charge card billings.