SEC International Travel and Expense Requirements
International Travel is funded under the US Department of Agriculture, Foreign Market Development Programs (USDA/FAS). There are a number of requirements for reimbursement under this program and some may be completed by the SEC Staff prior to and during the planning of you trip. Full travel requirements are covered under the USDA Travel regulations.
VISA
Countries such as China, India, Australia and others require a visa for US travelers to enter the country. Please check the countries you are traveling to for any visa requirements. Visa service can be found at www.ZVS.com.
Notification Letter
A notification letter to the country attaché or minister must be submitted two weeks before your travel. SEC staff may submit the letter for you if you are part of a group and supply you with a copy.
Expense Account Guidelines
- Your travel expenses will be covered for the days you travel as long as the travel is related to FAS / SEC promotional activities
- Your meal costs are covered under a daily per diem rate for the city that you are lodging in. Foreign per diem rates are available through the SEC website links.
· Submit a separate expense account for each trip that you take. Since most of your travel expenses will be in country, you should submit an account in the local currency, total it, and convert to US dollars at the bottom of the page.
· You should note the conversion rate you used and its source, such as an attached conversion voucher or you may also use the currency conversion website located as a link on the SEC website.
· Note any US dollar expenses (airfares, cabs from home, airport parking, etc.) at the bottom of your expenses.
· Keep receipts for all your travel expenses. This includes cabs, and major bus and train travel.
· Local subway and streetcars are difficult to gather receipts and are figured in your meals and incidental expenses (M&IE) daily per diem.
HOTELS
· You need actual hotel folio receipts, not just the credit card voucher or hotel reservation service invoice. FAS will pay the actual hotel room rate, up to the per diem amount. Per Diem rates are available from the SEC web site.
· Do not use hotel discounters or agency travel packages because you will not be able to get the hotel folio which proves that you were there
AIRLINES
· Airlines are moving away from a hard copy Passenger Receipt as proof of your airline travel. You will still need something that shows the airfare calculation printed. If you have a frequent flyer account with the airlines, the eticket and receipt you can print will show the fare calculation. Online and Travel agent invoices and receipts, bulk fare or travel consolidator tickets, copies of the tickets, and boarding passes are NOT acceptable to the FAS auditor as proof of travel and are NOT reimbursable.
· Air travel on US flag carriers is required when travel is between the US and a foreign country or when available outside the US. Code share flights must be purchased through the US carrier and show the US carrier flight number. This requirement is not influenced by factors of cost, convenience, or personal travel preference.
· FAS regulations allow for telephone charges at $15.00 per day. A traveler with 10 days travel time would be allowed up to $150 of phone charges per trip.
· All expenses are subject to after the fact audit by the SEC staff after any trip and by the FAS compliance review staff on an annual basis. Expenses may be disallowed after the fact. Any SEC member whose expenses are disallowed by the FAS annual audit will be liable for the difference
Trip Report
You will need to submit a Trip Report for your trip covering where you went, whom you saw, and what you did. The report will be distributed to FAS, other cooperator associations, and SEC members. A copy of a typical report is available on the SEC website. Group reports are acceptable for trade missions, and other multimember promotional functions. FAS will not reimburse for travel expenses without a Trip Report.
Travel Checklist
3 – 6 weeks prior to travel
Notify SEC of intent to travel:
Location Japan, Europe…Time period – date of departure &
return
General Activities Trade show, trade servicing, seminar
SEC will send a Travel Notification Letter to the FAS at your travel
location
1-3 weeks after the travel is completed
· Submit expense reimbursement request to SEC Portland office.
1. Signed Expense Report and all receipts for travel including:
Airline ticket passenger receipt
Hotel folio receipts for each stay
Surface transportation tickets
2. FAS Trip Report
· See: www.softwood.org/travel for more information and samples
At; Flight CHECK IN
From TRAVEL AGENT
