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Travel

Travel

Dec 01, 2025

Questions or comments?

Reach out to rtf-accounting@austin.utexas.edu. 

General Travel Policy

All travel on behalf of the University and College requires prior approval.
Disclaimer:  For your convenience, we’ve attempted to summarize some key points about travel procedures here; however, the Handbook of Business Procedures as well as any policies from the College trump anything written on this site.



 

Request Travel Authorization

Directions on arranging for travel for official UT business.


Request Forms

form

Travel Authorization Request (RTA) 

form

Travel Authorization Request (RTA) 

Resources

Policies

  1. For an overview of the University’s travel procedures, review the Handbook Of Business Procedures Travel Section.

  2. All travel on behalf of the University and College—including traveling with University equipment—requires prior approval through an executed RTA (Request for Travel Authorization).

    1. Nobody is allowed to approve their own UT-business-related travel, regardless of funding. All faculty and staff business-related travel must be approved in advance by the department chair; the department chair's travel is approved in advance by the dean. 

    2. An RTA is needed if any of the following apply to travel:

      • will be direct billed and/or reimbursed through UT 

      • booking airfare through the Concur website or Anthony Travel

      • missing any classes

      • traveler will be absent from Austin during regular UT operational hours:  Monday – Friday 8 am – 5 pm

      • the purpose of travel is academic-related or UT business-related

  3. Occasionally, the purpose of travel necessitates holding a meeting or other entertainment function. All policies related to the official occasions and entertainment apply.

Procedures & Timelines

Fill out the RTA Travel Request form as far in advance as possible prior to your travel (see timeline below). We understand you may not be able to plan this far ahead, and we will work with you. However, be aware that deadlines for requesting Faculty Travel Grants or International Travel to Restricted Regions are firm, and they are out of our control.

Timeline:

  1. 30-45 days in advance, submit your Travel Authorization Request (RTA) (see procedure directions below):

    1. For most destinations: AT LEAST 30 days in advance.

    2. For international travel to a Restricted Region: at least 45 days in advance.

  2. RTF staff will review your RTA request and send it for approval by the Chair. We may have follow-up questions and seek a meeting to discuss.

  3. Once your RTA request is approved, you will receive an automated email with a subject line: Request for Travel Authorization (RTA) TV12345678 approved.

  4. Make sure you meet deadlines for approval for travel to a restricted region, if applicable (typically no later than five weeks in advance of the proposed departure date), and for applying for a UT faculty travel grant (typically at least 2 weeks in advance of travel).

  5. Note procedures regarding travel with UT equipment, if applicable.

Procedure:

  1. Submit the Travel Authorization Request (RTA) to receive prior approval before the start of your travel.   

An RTA is required for all travel, even if:

How To Complete the Travel Authorization Request (RTA)   

Go to the left-hand menu Expense Requests → Travel Authorization Request – Create.  

         Complete fields as prompted fields. 

         To avoid your authorization being returned, please complete all fields in the ‘Account Information’ section. Be sure to include account number and/or name of the account and                       estimated cost. 

2. Click Continue

3. Under “Assign to Group,” select: 00344 – RTF Request Form Processors







Funding



Request Forms

form

Apply for Faculty Travel Grant

form

Apply for Faculty Travel Grant

Resources

Policies & Procedures

General

All reimbursements made must be within your designated department allocation or you must have other available funds (research or professorship support). Check with the rtf-accounting team if you have funding questions.

Faculty Travel Grants

  • The purpose of the Faculty Travel Grant (FTG) program is to provide funding to help enable faculty to present at conferences and professional meetings. Eligible faculty may receive a total of up to $1,400 per academic year for expenses incurred.

Department Funding

  • There are limited funding available through the department for faculty travel. In order to be considered for this funding, you must hold a full-time appointment and must not have access to startup funds or professorship funds.



Air Transportation

Directions for booking flights. Email RTF-Accounting@austin.utexas.edu  if you have questions. 

Request Forms

form

Travel Authorization Request (RTA)

form

Travel Authorization Request (RTA)

form

Request Payment Reimbursement

form

Request Payment Reimbursement

Resources

Airfare

You may choose one of the following methods to book your flights:

  1. Purchase your flights on your own and request reimbursement.  If you select this method, you must provide us with your itinerary and proof of purchase and follow the Reimbursement Policies.

  2. Contact Anthony Travel, Inc.

  3. Use the Concur website.

Anthony Travel

Anthony Travel has been selected as the agency to provide ticketing, training and help with the Concur system.  Booking through Anthony Travel is recommended, as this method provides the most administrative support in case of unexpected situations and provides protections in the event of cancellations or changes.

Procedures

  1. Contact our our primary travel agency:
    800-684-2044 
    512-617-8444- Direct
    Email:  uttravel@anthonytravel.com  

  2. You will be asked for a Document ID number and/or credit card number. The Document ID number is your RTA. RTF STAFF will provide this to you after you fill out the Request for Travel Authorization Request (RTA).

Concur Website

You can arrange your travel thru the Concur website.  The Concur site is a lot like Expedia or Travelocity except that is strictly for the University of Texas System.  There are many benefits to booking through the Concur online booking tool, including:

  • Concur provides an online booking tool that allows travelers to research and book air, car and hotel reservations for a reduced transaction fee.

  • Concur features a mobile app for travel, receipts and reports.

  • Concur features a secure travel profile for travelers that automatically applies airline, car, or hotel memberships to reservations.

  • Travelers can delegate their travel arrangements to a support staff member to book on their behalf.

  • Concur also has vendor discounts ranging from mainstream airlines to car rentals and hotels.

Procedures

  1. You have to register before you can use the site - log in with your UT EID using the following link: https://travel.utexas.edu/travelplanning/concur-booking-tool

  2. Once registered, you can log in directly to the Concur website:    https://www.concursolutions.com/  

  3. You should designate Wendy Stuessy as your department administrator to view your travel bookings.  Her EID is wls63.

Concur - Tutorial and Reference Documents

Concur Questions and Help

Airport Parking

Reimbursement for parking at Austin Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) is permitted at the remote parking lot per day maximum rate. The University of Texas at Austin and Airport Fast Park (AFP) have an agreement that provides a discounted parking rate for UT Austin business travelers departing from ABIA.

Baggage

For an airline which charges for the first bag checked, the University allows reimbursement at the standard rate.  Extra weight charges will not be reimbursed.  Charges for a second bag will only be reimbursed if the bag contains UT equipment necessary for the purpose for which the individual is traveling.  This excludes computer equipment (such as laptops) which should not be checked.  See other travel expenses including baggage policy:  https://afm.utexas.edu/hbp/part-11/5-3-other-expenses.



Reimbursement

Directions on paying for travel.



Request Forms

form

Request Payment Reimbursement

form

Request Payment Reimbursement

Resources

Policies

Prerequisite: Advanced Approval

Due to UT Accounting rules, we cannot reimburse travel expenses if the travel was not authorized prior to the first day of travel. 

  • In order to be reimbursed, faculty and staff must submit an Travel Authorization Request (RTA) at least 30 days prior to domestic travel or at least 45 days prior to international travel for any trips for which you

  • It is best to err on the side of caution by always submitting an Travel Authorization Request (RTA)  if the trip is related to your job or your research (even if it falls outside the regular work week).

Eligibility: Reimbursable vs. Non-Reimbursable Expenses

  • See Handbook of Business Procedures 11.5.3.B Reimbursable Expenses.The University has rules in place for both your protection and the protection of the Department.

  • Acceptable itemized travel receipts may include the following expenses paid by traveler:

    • Transportation

      • Airline ticket

      • Car rental (see info on Ground Transportation below)

      • Gasoline

      • Taxi, bus, or train (see info on Ground Transportation below)

    • Lodging (receipts must include the hotel/motel, or short-term rental folio card showing itemized costs)

    • Meals when rules allow exceptions to the limits (see Per Diem/Meals below)

    • Conference registration

    • Miscellaneous expenses

    • Note: Telephone and internet charges are only reimbursed if you can demonstrate they were essential for official University business.

Per Diem/Meals

Meals are not reimbursed without an overnight stay. The RTF Department will reimburse up to $51 per day. The number of days will be calculated by the information you fill out on the RTA.

If the traveler wishes to be reimbursed at a higher rate than the allotted per diem, traveler must provide itemized receipts (receipts for all meals) and a justification for the added expenditure. Per diem reimbursed on state funds can only be reimbursed to the maximum allowed. (Check with rtf-accounting@austin.utexas.edu regarding allowable limits.)

Procedures

To Request Reimbursement...

Read over and follow RTF Reimbursement Policies & Procedures.

  1. Per UT policy, travel can only be reimbursed after the trip has been completed. Within 30 days after your travel ends (sooner if possible):

    Complete Request Travel Reimbursement Form and upload itemized receipts for all expenses you wish to claim for reimbursement.
    Note: The Safe Harbor Act limits the time frame we have to reimburse any expense; if you wait too long to submit your receipts, the reimbursement will either be denied or subject to Federal Withholding Tax.


  2. Assign to group: 00344 – RTF Request Form Processors


  3. We will notify you when reimbursement paperwork is ready for your signature, usually through Docusign. 


  4. Once the paperwork has been executed, you should receive your reimbursement within 30 days.
     

Need help? Contact us at rtf-accounting@austin.utexas.edu  



International Travel

Information for traveling outside the United States.

Request Forms

form

Travel Authorization Request (RTA)

form

Travel Authorization Request (RTA)

form

Request for Travel
to Restricted Region

form

Request for Travel
to Restricted Region

form

UT International Travel Registry (ITR)

form

UT International Travel Registry (ITR)

Resources

Procedures





Ground Transportation

Information on paying for and booking ground transportation used during authorize travel.



Resources

Rental Car

  • Reimbursement for cars rented for use in the Austin area is not allowed. 

  • Rental vehicles at your travel destination are reimbursable but require itemized receipts and explanation for rental.

  • ONLY the following rental car agencies are reimbursable:  Avis/Budget, Enterprise/National and Hertz. 

  • See rental car website: https://travel.utexas.edu/booking-travel/rental-cars.

Mileage

Reimbursement for travel to and from ABIA is allowed.  Travelers should submit a printed MapQuest map or direction listing which includes point to point mileage.  In general, reimbursement for mileage due to work within Travis County is not allowed.

See Mileage section of UT HOP Transportation policies.

Taxis & Ride Shares (aka Network Transportation Drivers or NTDs)

Reimbursements for taxis and ride shares are allowed. 

  • When traveling from one city to another: Receipts are required to reimburse fares. 

  • For fares within a single city: Receipts or a detailed log are acceptable. An acceptable log includes date, from/to information, and amount paid.



Faculty Travel with University Equipment

The State of Texas financially penalizes RTF for excess missing equipment. Therefore, the following applies to all UT equipment including items bought specifically for you.

Some equipment may be designated as unable to leave campus.

All RTF-owned equipment taken off campus must be checked out and insured. Please contact  Moody Checkout Services (HSM 2.102) for production equipment after your travel has been approved.

If you are taking equipment outside the continental U.S., the department needs as much lead time as possible to meet the additional requirements involved in the terms of our insurance. In some cases, equipment insurance is denied. As a general rule, the University does not allow taking any University equipment to a country for which there is a Travel Warning issued by the U.S. Department of State. You can check the status of a specific country at the following link:

http://travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html

If you have equipment off campus or intend to take equipment off campus, RTF Accounting will provide a form for your completion. The completed form must be submitted before the equipment is taken off campus and you must reimburse the department for insuring the equipment.

You are responsible for a $2,500 deductible on lost, stolen, or damaged production equipment. You are fully responsible for any other lost, stolen, or damaged equipment (such as a laptop).

Should equipment be stolen, you must file a Police Report. A copy of that police report is needed before RTF can submit an insurance claim, you must notify RTF Accounting on the first workday following any theft of equipment.

Domestic Travel with film equipment

If you plan to travel with UT production equipment within the U.S. and that travel is further than 25 miles from the UT Austin campus OR on an aircraft, notify the Production Area Head and RTF Accounting at least 14 days in advance of your proposed checkout date. After approval, you may contact Moody Checkout Services to request equipment.

Note: The Production Area Head is not approving your project—only the request to take equipment. They are the liaison with Moody Checkout Services and can help coordinate your equipment requests, which is why they must be consulted. Please see Moody Checkout Services’ travel policies regarding equipment requests for travel.

International Travel with film equipment

International travel with University Equipment is allowed but additional approvals are required. For general information, please consult Texas Global’s Travel Policies.

In order to get approved for international travel, you must:

  1. Follow & complete all the steps outlined by Texas Global: https://global.utexas.edu/risk/travel/faculty-staff-travel

  2. Visit the RTF Faculty Handbook’s International Travel section and complete an RTF Request for Travel Authorization (RTA) Form

  3. Get Approval from the Production Area Head for any production equipment you are requesting. Once this approval is granted, then you may contact Moody Checkout Services to request equipment. Note: The Production Area Head is not approving your project. They are the liaison with Moody Checkout Services and can help coordinate your equipment requests, which is why they must be consulted. Please see Moody Checkout Services’ travel policies regarding equipment requests for travel.

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