Travel Type

Important Note for Guests and Students not on payroll: You must request approval from the department via a faculty advisor or host. Please submit the following form at least 3 days prior to your trip: https://airtable.com/app7dMp51utyKzCjU/paggJc2NmasLwNe7F/form . You do not have access to the Concur system, therefore you may disregard the steps below. ME Travel will reach out to you with further instructions for requesting reimbursement after your trip has ended.

Domestic Travel

Domestic travel requires pre-approval for travel which includes an overnight stay, regardless of whether the destination is in-state. All travel is to be documented.

University official travel is normally undertaken using regularly scheduled licensed commercial transportation and commercial hotel accommodations. Special needs should be addressed in advance of travel in coordination with the department approving authority and Travel Services.

To get started:

Sign into Concur.
Submit a new Request for travel. Once submitted, the form will go through an approval process that takes at least 2 business days.
You will receive an email confirmation that it was approved or rejected. You must have approval before traveling.
Once approved, airfare and/or rail tickets must be booked through Concur. Hotel and car rentals may also be booked through Concur, or through external sites.

University System business conducted in the "Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area" is classified as in-state travel.
Be prepared to collect all receipts while on travel. Upon request, taxi providers, toll & parking attendants, as well as others will generate itemized receipts for you. Valid receipts should indicate the last four digits of the credit card used for payment, or be accompanied by an official bank/card statement.
The University will not reimburse travel booked through Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz, etc. as they do not provide an itemized invoice.

International Travel

The University of Maryland strongly encourages international travelers to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), a free service of the U.S. Department of State that allows U.S. citizens and nationals traveling abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Enrollment in STEP allows travelers to receive information about safety conditions in their destination country and facilitates contact with the U.S. Embassy and family/friends in an emergency.

It is the traveler's personal responsibility to ensure that travel documents are current and to comply with U.S. and destination country requirements at the time of travel. Requirements for non-U.S. citizens may differ; therefore, travelers must determine the travel document requirements that are applicable to their situation.

U.S. export control laws restrict carrying certain research equipment and certain proprietary technical information (for example, on hard drives) to specified foreign locations. U.S. export laws also restrict travel to sanctioned countries. Before visiting a sanctioned country or carrying research equipment or proprietary technical information to any foreign location, it is important to understand whether any export restrictions apply. Visit the Export Compliance Office website, email export@umd.edu, or call 301.405.4212 for more information.

To get started:

Sign into Concur.
Submit a new Request for travel. Once submitted, the form will go through an approval process that takes at least 2 business days.
You will receive an email confirmation that it was approved or rejected. You must have approval before traveling.
Once approved, airfare and/or rail tickets must be booked through Concur. Hotel and car rentals may also be booked through Concur, or through external sites. Please note that Concur charges a $3.50 agent fee for online bookings.
Print out the following:
A filled out copy of this form.
A copy of your approved travel approval form.
Bring both to the Business Office.
Await approval before traveling.

Be prepared to collect all receipts while on travel. Upon request, taxi providers, toll & parking attendants, as well as others will generate receipts for you.
The University will not reimburse travel booked through Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz, etc. as they do not provide an itemized invoice.

Personal Travel

If you are combining personal and business travel which requires a change in travel dates or locations ( you are extending your trip or returning from a different airport ), you need to obtain, in writing, how much the business travel portion airfare would cost at the time you make your reservation.

In addition, the University only reimburses for single occupancy lodging. If you are traveling with non-business travelers and the lodging expense is greater due to multiple occupants, you will only be reimbursed the single occupancy rate. If there is no difference between single and multiple occupancy rates, you need to provide documentation to verify this.

If personal travel results in an additional airfare expense, you will be obligated to reimburse the University.
It is very important that you obtain a cost comparison at the time you make your travel arrangements since it is impossible to obtain after travel has occurred since airfare fluctuates daily.

Airfare

The least expensive, practical itinerary should be used.

Plan ahead to qualify for discount fares and avoid full coach fares.
The University will not reimburse travelers for airline tickets that had no cost, such as "free" tickets earned on frequent flyer or other incentive programs.

Lodging

Pre-approval is required for University of Maryland travel which includes an overnight stay, regardless of whether the destination is "in-state." Every effort should be made to ensure that lodging costs are reasonable and appropriate.

Lodging and other in-trip expenses are normally paid by the traveler at time of use with their University of Maryland Travel Card or other preferred personal charge card. University of Maryland normally does not issue Travel Advances.

University travel arrangers and travelers securing lodging in Maryland and Washington, DC should advise the hotel that the University of Maryland is exempt from sales and use tax in these areas. Travelers should verify that sales and use tax is not charged to their final bill at checkout. The University of Maryland State of Maryland tax exempt number is printed on the University Travel Card. For additional information, contact the University contract travel agencies for hotel reservations. The State of Maryland Tax Exemption Certificate and the District of Columbia Tax Exemption Notice, are available on the Procurement and Business Services Website.

Travelers utilizing Federal funding must advise the travel agency reservationist if their contract or grant specifies cost limitations or other restrictions. If uncertain, contact the Office of Research Advancement and Administration prior to finalizing reservations.

Privately Owned Vehicles (POV)

Employees may be required to use personal vehicles in order to carry out assigned duties when a University vehicle is not available. The University is not required to provide a vehicle to employees who refuse to use their own vehicles to perform their assigned duties. Travelers using a personal vehicle will not be reimbursed for fuel costs, but will be reimbursed at a mileage rate that includes estimated fuel costs.

Vehicle Rentals

Vehicle rental bookings may be made through Concur once a travel request has been approved.

Note

GPS devices are not reimbursable when renting a car.
Since the University is self insured, we do not reimburse for additional car rental insurance coverage for U.S. travel. If you are traveling internationally or the travel involves a visitor, this does not apply.
When signing the rental car agreement, you must include the University of Maryland and the State of Maryland on the document for coverage to be effective.
The University maintains a fleet system of vehicles under Motor Transportation Services. If you’re traveling locally, you may want to look into this option.

Campus Travel Services provides travel policy clarification, information about service providers and discounts, expense reconciliation processing, and facilitation of travel procurement. Additional Information on University travel & policies can be found on the University of Maryland’s Book Travel website.

Traveler's Guide

The new UMD Traveler's Guide, including information on our new travel reporting system, Concur, can be found here.

Updated on: 11/10/2023