Stanford faculty, staff, students, affiliates, and visitors travel on a wide range of activities in support of the university. The guidance below provides the considerations and resources to support effective travel planning and help to ensure that travel activities and expenses align with university policies and procedures.
For policy guidance that applies to all university-sponsored travel, such as length of trip, travel companions, and qualifying use of federal funds, visit Business and Travel Expenses. For Stanford students and postdoctoral scholars traveling for business, visit Student Travel Expenses.
It is the traveler’s responsibility to be familiar with Business and Travel Expenses.
Travel policies apply to all Stanford employees, including hybrid and remote workers. Learn more about hybrid and remote worker policies, including travel to a Stanford work location, on the Cardinal at Work page Flexible Work Arrangements & Policies.
Planning ahead helps ensure a safer, simpler trip and a smoother payment and reimbursement process. Before booking travel, all university-sponsored travelers must:
- Ensure that the trip is necessary and appropriate to conduct university business and is approved by the appropriate authority. For example, for remote employees outside of the 10-county area, Stanford will reimburse expenses for occasional, required travel to a Stanford Work Location as long as the travel is necessary and the employee receives prior approval from their department/manager (see AGM: 2.1.21: Remote Work Arrangements).
- Review the university's traveler health and safety guidelines on the Health Alerts website.
- Choose between three options for paying for travel. The traveler should confirm with their department whether one method is preferred or required.
- The Stanford Travel Card (TCard) is the recommended payment option for any travel costs that will not be reimbursed through the per diem method. There may be a department TCard available for use, or discuss with the department the possibility of obtaining an individual TCard if the individual travels twice or more a year.
- Travel expenses may also be paid with personal funds, and the receipts then submitted for reimbursement. When paying with personal funds, an employee may choose to be reimbursed at a per diem rate (for lodging and meals) or for actual expenses (up to any established maximums).
- Travel advances are funds paid directly to faculty, staff or students to pay for expenses related to university-sponsored travel. Travel advances should be used in rare circumstances, for example if a university-sponsored traveler does not have access to a TCard and is experiencing a financial hardship.
Stanford employees planning international trips must also take these steps:
- Prepare at least six (6) months prior to your trip by reviewing the Forms and Checklists on the International Affairs website for a list of required forms and to-dos. International travelers are responsible for checking the documentation requirements (passport, visa, country specific forms, vaccination requirements, etc.). These requirements vary by citizenship and purpose of trip, change frequently, and should always be checked before booking international travel.
- For information on paying for these types of travel expenses, see Other Reimbursable Business Expenses.
- Review information about travel restrictions on the International Affairs website.
- Travel plans that include a stay in certain countries must be reviewed by the University Export Control Officer. For more information, visit Policy: Export Control/Trade Sanctions Compliance Requirements.
- Review how to book and register your travel on the International Affairs website.
- Before booking travel, review the following pages along with information about sustainable practices when booking airfare, hotel, rental cars, and ground transportation, in alignment with advancing Stanford’s sustainability goals:
- Review the Airfare guidance related to complying with the Fly America Act (when the funding source is a Federal award), selecting the preferred routes (most direct flight), classes of fare (Economy Class), and when an airfare comparison may need to be obtained.
- Review the Lodging guidance for hotel and lodging rate maximums, information on booking conference hotels, and when a lodging comparison may need to be obtained.
- Review the Ground Transportation guidance for policies related to driving a personal vehicle, transportation to or from airports, rental cars, and car service.
- While not required, it is highly encouraged that Stanford travelers use the Stanford Travel Program when booking flights, hotels, and rental cars for university-sponsored travel. The Stanford Travel Program streamlines the reimbursement process; offers discounts, benefits, and perks to travelers; and automatically registers itineraries and any booking updates in the Travel Registry. In addition, the Stanford Travel team can provide specialized assistance as needed to travelers who book through the Stanford Travel Program. For questions about the Stanford Travel Program, contact the Stanford Travel team.
- Verify that the name on the traveler profile matches the identification used for travel, such as a passport or other government issued ID. For help, visit Change Stanford University Traveler's Profile Name.
- Review or download useful references:
- The Stanford Travel Program Desk Guide is an at-a-glance guide that describes the Stanford Travel booking options and their benefits, and summarizes Stanford Travel booking policies and guidelines.
- The Stanford Business and Travel Expense Policy and Guidelines Desk Guide is an at-a-glance guide that provides policies and guidelines for business and travel expenses, including meals, transportation and lodging limits.
- See information for groups or multiple travelers if that applies to the trip.
- Gather any necessary travel documents prior to travel such as visas, passports, and country specific documents.
- Plan how to collect receipts and request reimbursement:
- If per diem is the selected reimbursement method, no receipts are required.
- If reimbursement based on actuals is selected, receipts of $75 or more are required as attachments in the system.
- Prepare for actual reimbursement with these Stanford resources:
- The eReceipts app allows users to upload and share images of receipts with preparers.
- The Stanford Travel Packet allows travelers to collect and save travel receipts.
- Prepare for actual reimbursement with these Stanford resources:
- Download the relevant travel supplier apps, such as airlines and hotels to receive timely travel updates and ensure access to services and amenities only available through the mobile app.
Submit an expense report
- If the traveler chose personal funds or a Travel Card, an expense report for domestic SU payees or an expense report for foreign SU payees will need to be completed.
- If the traveler received an advance, the advance will need to be cleared in expense requests.
Reimburse Stanford for travel expenses, if needed:
- Personal expenses charged to a Travel Card should be returned by SU payees.
- Unused advance funds should be returned by SU Payees who received a travel advance but did not use the entire amount.
Visit the Topic Overview: Reimbursements and Expense Reports for more information.
Planning ahead is essential to ensure compliance with both government regulations and university policies when hosting domestic and international visitors.
Travel arrangers working with prospective employees should follow the steps for domestic or international visitors.
Domestic Visitors
A formal letter of invitation should be provided to the visitor to summarize the terms of the visit. Visitors should be advised that they are expected to adhere to Stanford’s travel guidelines regarding class of flight, lodging costs, and meal costs. Departments may utilize the Visitor Travel Policy Letter Template to summarize these policies and tailor the content as needed as business units may have more restrictive guidelines.
Detailed information about what should be included in the letter of invitation is provided in the Topic Overview: Inviting and Paying Domestic Visitors. All visitor travel must be in compliance with Business and Travel expenses.
Visitors are reimbursed for eligible out-of-pocket travel expenses. Travel advances and per diem for visitors are not allowed; they must be reimbursed for actual expenses.
For all payment and reimbursement options and instructions, including using Digital Payments to reimburse eligible expenses, visit the Topic Overview: Inviting and Paying Domestic Visitors.
- Travel arrangers may book travel for a visitor through the Stanford Travel Program (see below for options).
- Consider economical and sustainable options when booking airfare, hotels, rental cars, and ground transportation to support Stanford's sustainability goals.
- A department Travel Card or personal card may be used to book travel for visitors, including when it is booked through Stanford Travel.
- See information for groups or multiple travelers if that applies to the trip.
To book visitors, or Stanford affiliates who do not have a SUNet ID, the booking options are:
- Egencia: the guest management feature allows travel arrangers to create a guest profile template to book travel for a visitor or to enable them to book on their own. See Setup and Manage Guest Travel Profiles in Egencia. Note that Stanford faculty, staff, students and postdoctoral scholars already have Egencia profiles and should not be booked using the guest profile template.
- Key Travel: this booking option is best for those who need to book multiple travelers together on one reservation (such as families traveling with young children). Learn how to Book Multi-Person Travel Using Key Travel.
This chart shows some of each booking options unique features to consider when booking travel for a visitor(s).
Booking option recommendations for visitors: | |||
Booking option features: | Key Travel | Egencia | |
Arrange travel on behalf of visitors | ✔ | ✔ | |
Allow visitors to book their own travel | ✔ Visitors must book travel through an agent | ✔ | |
Allow multiple people to travel together on the same reservation | ✔ | ||
Best for complex travel | ✔ | ||
Agent assistance | ✔ | ✔ |
Submit an expense report
- If the traveler paid for the trip with personal funds they can be reimbursed (if eligible) with Digital Payments or through an expense report for non-SU payees (visitor reimbursement).
- If Stanford paid for the visitor’s travel with a Travel Card, the preparer can submit an expense report for SU payees to clear the expenses and, if needed, reimburse the visitor for eligible out-of-pocket travel expenses.
Visit the Topic Overview: Reimbursements and Expense Reports for more information.
International Visitors
Before a Stanford employee arranges travel for an international visitor, they must identify:
- Type of activity the visitor will perform
- Type of entry visa the visitor requires for that activity (if applicable)
- Permissible expenses and payment option(s) according to the visitor’s visa and activity
For instructions on how to identify this information and determine payment or reimbursement options, visit the Topic Overview: Inviting and Paying Foreign Visitors.
Once the travel arranger has identified the visitor's required documents and payment or reimbursement options, the travel arranger should provide a formal letter of invitation summarizing the terms of the visit.
Visitors should be advised that they are expected to adhere to Stanford’s Travel Guidelines regarding class of flight, lodging costs and meal costs. Departments may utilize the Visitor Travel Policy Letter Template to summarize these policies and tailor the content as needed as business units may have more restrictive guidelines.
Detailed information about what should be included in the letter of invitation is provided in the Topic Overview: Inviting and Paying Foreign Visitors. All visitor travel must be in compliance with Business and Travel expenses.
- Travel arrangers may book travel for a visitor through the Stanford Travel Program (see below options).
- Consider economical and sustainable options when booking airfare, hotels, rental cars, and ground transportation to support Stanford's sustainability goals.
- A department Travel Card or personal card may be used to book travel for visitors, including when it is booked through Stanford Travel.
- See information for groups or multiple travelers if that applies to the trip.
To book visitors, or Stanford affiliates who do not have a SUNet ID, the booking options are:
- Egencia: the guest management feature allows travel arrangers to create a guest profile template to book travel for a visitor or to enable them to book on their own. See Setup and Manage Guest Travel Profiles in Egencia. Note that Stanford faculty, staff, students and postdoctoral scholars already have Egencia profiles and should not be booked using the guest profile template.
- Key Travel: this booking option is best for those who need to book multiple travelers together on one reservation (such as families traveling with young children). Learn how to Book Multi-Person Travel Using Key Travel.
See the chart above on each booking options unique features to consider when booking travel for a visitor(s).
Submit an expense report
- If the traveler paid for the trip with personal funds they can be reimbursed through an expense report for non-SU payees (visitor reimbursement).
- If Stanford paid for the visitor’s travel with a Travel Card, the preparer can submit an expense report for SU payees to clear the expenses and, if needed, reimburse the visitor for eligible out-of-pocket travel expenses.
Visit the Topic Overview: Reimbursements and Expense Reports for more information.
Program administrators may need to book and pay for multiple travelers from various departments for a particular trip, event series, or for groups of travelers to the same destination. Occasionally, multiple travelers may want to book a trip together via the Stanford Travel Program.
For example, a Stanford traveler may want to add their family members (who will be traveling on personal funds) to the same reservation as their university-sponsored business trip, or colleagues may want to travel together. Booking everyone in a group on the same airline reservation will limit the risk of being seated separately on an aircraft or being separated in the event of a flight disruption.
For groups of nine (9) or fewer travelers
See the table below on recommended booking options.
Booking Option | Instructions for booking multiple travelers (up to nine people) |
---|---|
Key Travel | Key Travel is the preferred solution for those traveling with companions or family, especially with children (14 and under).
|
Egencia | Egencia can be used to book multiple travelers if they do not need to be booked in the same airline record. Airlines require that children 14 and under be booked in the same airline record as an accompanying adult. For this reason, children who are 14 and under cannot be booked in Egencia. If the travelers do not have a SUNet ID, they must have a guest profile created prior to booking travel. Information on guest profiles can be found in the How To: Setup and Manage Guest Travel Profiles in Egencia. To learn how to manage travel for other Stanford travelers, see How To: Manage Travel for Other Stanford Travelers in Egencia. Agent fees may apply. |
StudentUniverse | For assistance with booking student group travel, including group travel for the Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU), fill out this form. You will receive a quote by email from a travel agent within 1 to 3 business days. |
For groups of 10 or more travelers
- For group travel guidance from a Stanford Travel team member, including booking option recommendations, complete the Group or Program Travel Request Form. A Stanford Travel representative will review the request and recommend the best option for the specific travel needs.
- For information about booking group room blocks, visit the Topic Overview: Lodging.
See the Travelers Employed by Stanford or Travelers Not Employed by Stanford (Visitors) section on this page for detailed guidance on planning, booking, preparing for, and getting reimbursed for travel.
Travelers may add personal travel to a Stanford-sponsored trip if they follow the steps below to reimburse the university for the personal component. Some Stanford Travel booking options also provide discounts for solely personal travel.
Business trips with a personal travel component
When a personal component of travel is added to a business trip, the university will only pay for or reimburse the costs of the business component. The charge that would have been incurred without that personal component must be documented through a fare comparison at the time of booking in order to appropriately process the reimbursement.
Travelers who would like to add a personal component to a business trip may book the trip through the Stanford Travel Program.
The chart below shows the types of travel that can be added to a Stanford-sponsored trip, and how the traveler can reimburse Stanford for the expense.
Type of travel | How to add a personal component | How to reimburse Stanford for the personal component |
---|---|---|
Air Travel | The personal component of the airfare may be included in the booking. The traveler may use the Stanford Travel Program. | Capture a fare comparison at the time of booking to calculate and exclude the personal costs. The fare comparison documentation is most often in the form of a screenshot of search results taken the same day the travel was booked. If the trip was paid with a Travel Card, learn how to reimburse personal expenses charged to a Travel Card. |
Ground Transportation | Ground transportation such as rental cars, private cars, buses, shuttles, ride services, and taxis may be booked for personal use while the traveler is on a business trip. | Expenses related to ground transportation will be subtracted from the total amount due for reimbursement on the traveler's expense report if they are charged to a Stanford Travel Card during the personal component of a business trip. Refer to the Ground Transportation page. If the trip was paid with a Travel Card, learn how to reimburse personal expenses charged to a Travel Card. |
Hotel and Lodging | Hotels and lodging can be booked through Stanford Travel for university-sponsored or personal trips. | Capture a rate comparison at the time of booking to calculate and exclude the personal costs. The rate comparison documentation is most often in the form of a screenshot of search results taken the same day the travel was booked. Travelers must deduct any portion of a hotel or lodging bill attributable to their personal use before requesting reimbursement. If the trip was paid with a Travel Card, learn how to reimburse personal expenses charged to a Travel Card. |
Solely personal travel
Stanford Travel is designed and funded to support Stanford business travelers. However, some booking options provide discounts for personal travel. The chart below shows the available discounts offered to Stanford travelers for personal travel.
Booking Option | Available discount | Discount type | Allowable for |
---|---|---|---|
Egencia | Hotel | Discounted rates on personal hotel stays | Faculty, staff, and students |
Key Travel | N/A | N/A | N/A |
StudentUniverse | Airfare | Discounted airfare to and from campus for students | Students |
Note: Ground transportation that will solely be used for personal reasons may not be booked through the Stanford Travel Program. This includes private cars, bus, shuttle services, ride services, and rental cars. |