DOMESTIC MEAL PER DIEM

The full per diem rate is allowed when an employee is traveling for at least 24 hours. One half the per diem rate is allowed when travel status is at least 12 consecutive hours but less than 24 hours.

• The domestic per diem rate includes meals and gratuities.

• Travelers may use the domestic per diem rate or actual domestic expenses provided they are less than the total allowable per diem rate.

• For travel in Boston, New York City, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Baltimore, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Seattle, the per diem rate is $50 per day.

• For travel in all other cities within the United States, Canada and Mexico the per diem rate is $40 per day. United States territories and possessions (Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) also must use the domestic rate.

• The per-diem allowance will not be granted to travelers that are provided meals as part of their official university business. The value of any meals provided while on travel status should be subtracted from the daily meal per diem rate based on the following schedule:

Questions may be referred to the Travel Unit of the Controller’s Office at 545-0806

Per diem memo of 06/30/2006

INTERNATIONAL PER DIEM

International travelers may use the U.S. Department of Defense Foreign Per Diem rates.  International per diem rates can be used to obtain reimbursement for authorized travel outside the United States, Canada and Mexico.  The domestic per diem applies to all travel in Canada, Mexico and United States territories.   The U.S. Department of Defense Foreign Per Diem rate is broken down into food, incidentals, and lodging so the applicable categories can be applied.  

The current federal per diem rate is applicable to international travel and may be used in all cases of international travel unless the traveler chooses to request reimbursement for actual expenses. In this case, receipts may be submitted with a travel expense voucher but cannot exceed the per diem rate.   If a traveler chooses the per diem rate method and does not want the full amount, he/she must indicate the allowable and the actual being requested.  The value of any meals provided while on international travel status should be subtracted from the daily meal per diem rate. 

Partial Day Per-Diem (Domestic and International)

The full per diem rate is allowed when an employee is traveling for at least 24 hours. One half the per diem rate is allowed when travel status is at least 12 consecutive hours but less than 24 hours. UMass does not allow per diem when on travel for less the 12 hours.  The per-diem calculation is driven by the number of hours away on travel with each 12 hour period increasing the amount by a half day per-diem.  The following can be used as a guide when calculating per-diem:

     Travel                   Per-Diem
Hours:Minutes           (Days)
  0:00 to 11:59       =   0.0
12:00 to 23:59       =   0.5
24:00 to 35.59       =   1.0
36:00 to 47:59       =   1.5
48:00 to 59:59       =   2.0
60:00 to 71:59       =   2.5
72:00 to 83.59       =   3.0
84:00 to 95.59       =   3.5
each additional
12 hour increment = +0.5

Example: Trip departure on 7/1/08 5:00AM with a return time of 7/2/08 10:00PM can be reimbursed for up to 1.5 days per diem not 2 days for the 41 hour trip.

 Please contact the Controller’s Office for the rates, which are published monthly by the federal government or check out the rates online at: http://perdiem.hqda.pentagon.mil/perdiem/perdiemrates.html

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Last Updated: 01/28/08