These are the key MIT travel policies you need to know before taking a trip.
Obtain department approval and confirm cost objects

Be sure to communicate with your department’s Administrative or Financial Officer before you incur any travel-related costs. You are not allowed to approve your own travel.

Review sponsor guidelines

If your travel is related to a sponsored project, confirm that you can charge your travel to the project’s cost object. In addition, check to see if prior sponsor approval is required for travel.

Review reimbursable expenses

MIT allows costs such as transportation, lodging, and meals that relate directly to your travel. Be sure you understand MIT’s travel policies on unallowable and non-reimbursable expenses before you incur any costs.

You may use the MIT Travel Card for local travel and dining expenses.

Explore payment options

When paying your expenses for MIT-related travel, you have three options—cash, personal credit card, or an MIT Travel Card. If you use an MIT Travel Card, you avoid paying out-of-pocket expenses with your own funds. You will need to file a travel expense report in Concur for all charges on the MIT Travel Card within 60 days of the end of your trip. Review this FAQ on changes to the Travel Card Expense Reporting Policy which were implemented on January 3, 2017.

Note: You may not purchase personal items with the MIT Travel Card under any circumstances. If while traveling, you inadvertently charge personal expenses to your card, you will need to reimburse MIT for these expenses when you file your travel expense report in one of the following ways:

  • Payroll deduction. You can reimburse MIT through a one-time payroll deduction, by filling out this Payroll Deduction Form authorizing MIT HR/Payroll to deduct the amount owed MIT from your pay. Email the completed form to travelsupport@mit.edu.
  • Credit card payment. VPF Travel and Card Services can take your credit card information by phone or in person. Contact travelsupport@mit.edu by email or call 617-253-8366 to arrange a credit card payment. As a reminder, never send credit card numbers to VPF in an email.
  • A personal check or money order. Make the check payable to MIT and send to VPF Travel and Card Services at NE49-4037 or drop off at the VPF Reception and Service Desk in NE49-3000 (600 Technology Square), Monday-Friday 8:30 am-4:30 pm. Please do not send travel reimbursement checks to VPF Accounts Receivable.
Consider per diem option

A per diem is the right choice when you and your DLC decide that your trip will be so lengthy that keeping track of individual expenses will be unusually difficult or burdensome.

To travel domestically on a per diem basis, you must first get approval from your department head, laboratory director, or project supervisor. Once you have departmental approval, you must then submit your request to VPF Travel and Card Services for final approval. Review Process Per Diem Expenses before requesting permission for a domestic per diem. Follow these links to download the Excel per diem request form (Mac or Windows).

For international travel, your DLC can authorize per diem without prior approval from VPF Travel and Card Services.

The Details

Obtain department approval and confirm cost objects

Be sure to communicate with your department’s Administrative or Financial Officer before you incur any travel-related costs. You are not allowed to approve your own travel.

Review sponsor guidelines

If your travel is related to a sponsored project, confirm that you can charge your travel to the project’s cost object. In addition, check to see if prior sponsor approval is required for travel.

Review reimbursable expenses

MIT allows costs such as transportation, lodging, and meals that relate directly to your travel. Be sure you understand MIT’s travel policies on unallowable and non-reimbursable expenses before you incur any costs.

You may use the MIT Travel Card for local travel and dining expenses.

Explore payment options

When paying your expenses for MIT-related travel, you have three options—cash, personal credit card, or an MIT Travel Card. If you use an MIT Travel Card, you avoid paying out-of-pocket expenses with your own funds. You will need to file a travel expense report in Concur for all charges on the MIT Travel Card within 60 days of the end of your trip. Review this FAQ on changes to the Travel Card Expense Reporting Policy which were implemented on January 3, 2017.

Note: You may not purchase personal items with the MIT Travel Card under any circumstances. If while traveling, you inadvertently charge personal expenses to your card, you will need to reimburse MIT for these expenses when you file your travel expense report in one of the following ways:

  • Payroll deduction. You can reimburse MIT through a one-time payroll deduction, by filling out this Payroll Deduction Form authorizing MIT HR/Payroll to deduct the amount owed MIT from your pay. Email the completed form to travelsupport@mit.edu.
  • Credit card payment. VPF Travel and Card Services can take your credit card information by phone or in person. Contact travelsupport@mit.edu by email or call 617-253-8366 to arrange a credit card payment. As a reminder, never send credit card numbers to VPF in an email.
  • A personal check or money order. Make the check payable to MIT and send to VPF Travel and Card Services at NE49-4037 or drop off at the VPF Reception and Service Desk in NE49-3000 (600 Technology Square), Monday-Friday 8:30 am-4:30 pm. Please do not send travel reimbursement checks to VPF Accounts Receivable.
Consider per diem option

A per diem is the right choice when you and your DLC decide that your trip will be so lengthy that keeping track of individual expenses will be unusually difficult or burdensome.

To travel domestically on a per diem basis, you must first get approval from your department head, laboratory director, or project supervisor. Once you have departmental approval, you must then submit your request to VPF Travel and Card Services for final approval. Review Process Per Diem Expenses before requesting permission for a domestic per diem. Follow these links to download the Excel per diem request form (Mac or Windows).

For international travel, your DLC can authorize per diem without prior approval from VPF Travel and Card Services.

Did You Know?

Expenses not directly related to the business purpose of your travel—fitness club fees and movie rentals, for example—will not be reimbursed by MIT.
MIT offers mobile travel-related tools and applications, such as TripLink and the Concur mobile app in the App Center of Concur.
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