Travel Procedures

  • Request approval from Unit Head/Dean for travel for Domestic and International travel (depending on reporting line) in the form of an email
    • For International Travel:
      • It is the responsibility of the employee to ensure their passport/travel documents will be valid for the time-period of travel*
      • Review the “International Safety and Security” webpage to confirm if their destination needs to have additional approval for those ‘high-risk destinations’ including enrolling in international insurance.
      • Required: Enrollment in International Travel insurance. It is free for Faculty and Staff on University business. International Safety and Security manages the insurance enrollment process. Consult the Policy on Health and Safety in Study Abroad for more information.
        • This includes, but is not limited to, business trips, conferences, faculty exchanges, faculty-led study abroad programs, teaching, research, service, or sabbaticals.
        • Failure to enroll in international travel insurance may result in non-reimbursement of travel expenses.
    • Complete the Professional Development Funding and Travel Form
      • Attach all approvals from Unit Head/Dean, including approved International Petition (if applicable)
    • Once the form is submitted, the form will be automatically emailed to the Business Office via email (BHRSC@library.illinois.edu)
    • The Business Office will review the form and if funding is approved, the requester will receive an approval email with directions and then they can either:
      • Request a meeting with the Business Office staff member listed in the email, to prepay for flight, hotel, and registration fees (per diem, taxi/Uber or Lyft/car rental or mileage will need to be requested as a reimbursement after the travel has occurred). If the combination of flight, hotel and registration fees goes above the professional development allotment, then the Business Office will only pay for amounts up to the allotment and not over. The employee will be responsible for any charges that go above the allotment.
      • Or
      • Employee pays for everything and seeks reimbursement after travel has concluded.
        • Please see the Travel Checklist for to help with receipts and other documentation needed to be reimbursed
    • Upon your return, please submit a request for reimbursement, use the Purchasing and Reimbursement App.
      • In the approval email from the Business Office, a C-FOP will be provided for the funding source and the instructions will be attached to the email. (Please see the Reimbursements policy for further directions)
    • Requests are typically processed within 3 business days of us receiving the approval from the Purchasing App
      • Per University policy, all employee reimbursements will be processed through Chrome River. Please assist the Business Office staff and reply promptly to any correspondence regarding Chrome River access.
      • Requests for reimbursement over 60 days old are taxable per IRS tax rules
    • Reimbursements could take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the time it’s submitted, due to Payables workload
    • Returned expense reports will be made the priority to complete
    • Please note that per diem is not allowed for one day trips

*The university system will accommodate travelers when travel is interrupted due to personal illness, accident, flight cancellation, or severe weather as these are beyond the traveler’s control, but the system cannot cover additional expenses that are within the traveler’s control.

**If you need assistance with travel accommodations/accessibility,  please complete the “submit an accommodation request” form through the Office of Access and Equity (https://oae.illinois.edu/our-services/accessibility-and-accommodations/) and choose “TRAVEL.” This must be done before any travel has been arranged. If a Travel accommodation is approved, then a travel accommodation document will be issued to you. This document will need to be submitted with all travel arrangements and/or reimbursements. You will need to submit your travel accommodation document for each arrangement and/or reimbursement, as the Business Office will NOT keep a copy of your document on file.

Edited 11/1/24