Plan your business trip abroad by following these steps:

Step 1: Ask for permission 

Before you make a business trip abroad, you need permission from your manager. If you travel to a country and/or area with the color code orange or red, you also need prior permission from the university. More information about this can be found on the page: Travel to high-risk areas. 

Step 2: Check if you can travel by train
Taking the train is the norm when a destination can be reached by rail within six hours or 500km. Our Leiden University travel map (also available as a PDF) can help you plan your train trip.

Step 3: Book your trip via UniGlobe

The easiest way to organise a business trip abroad is to book your trip via UniGlobe. UniGlobe will send their invoice directly to Leiden University, so you don’t need to worry about it.

Step 4: Install the Chubb Travel app and download the insurance card

For business trips abroad, you do not need take out business trip insurance, since you can make use of Leiden University’s collective insurance. The policy conditions and insurance card can be found on the Work-related travel insurance page. Before you leave for your trip, make sure your download the insurance card and install the Chubb Travel app. With this app, you can receive warnings about the region where you are travelling. In case of emergency, university staff who have the appropriate authorisation can also see where you are during your trip and take any necessary measures.

Step 5: Make an appointment for vaccinations

If you plan to travel to a country with increased health risks, you can make an appointment with the Healthy, Safety and Environment department. They can provide you with advice, vaccinations, and a prescription for malaria medicine.

Step 6: Submit your expenses claim via Self Service

Please claim your expenses for accommodation, meals, minor expenditure and transport via Self Service. Some expenses are subject to fixed reimbursement rates, and you must meet a number of conditions to qualify for them. For more information, see the notice on Reimbursement of expenses for business trips abroad.

Online meetings

The Covid-19 pandemic showed us that it is possible to organize meetings and events virtually. Before travelling, ask yourself whether you could get a similar result from online meetings.