Booking your trip

Travel expenses account

1. Guidance for filling in travel expenses in DFØ APP or SAP portal

   All employees can use the DFØ app for smartphones for sending travel expense claim. 

   Read about how to download and log in to the DFØ app (dfo.no)

   If you have access to OsloMet's computer systems (IT account / Feide user) you can also use the SAP portal (dfo.no) on PC / desktop. For extensive trips with many destinations and receipts, it may be a good idea to use the SAP portal, but it is possible to do everything with the DFØ app.

   Have you registered a travel application before the trip ? 

   If you have registered a travel application before the trip, you must use this to complete the travel invoice. Select "Travel request" instead of "Travel expense claim". Delete estimated costs by pressing Travel application. Then delete ESTI-estimated costs.

   On DFØ's websites, you will find technical descriptions for how to set up travel invoices and expense reimbursements in the DFØ APP or SAP portal.

   • Registration of travel expenses and expense reimbursements in DFØ APP (dfo.no)
   • Registration of travel expenses and expense reimbursements in the SAP portal (dfo.no)

   When filling out the form you need consider this:

   Purpose

   State the purpose of the trip and any event you have attended. The description must be more detailed than "participation in a meeting", "course" or "seminar" - state what seminar you have attended, the name of the course etc. It must be stated why this is a business trip that does not cover private expenses.

   Country/region

   Norway must always be included in this field for domestic travel.

   Several destinations

   To be filled in if you have had several stops along the way with another type of accommodation. This affects the calculation of subsistence allowance.

   Type of trip

   It is the type of accommodation that governs the regulations. "Day trip" comes up as the default choice. Below is an explanation of the other choices under regulations. The most commonly used are "Day trip" and "Business trip w/ hotel"

   Type of trip and explanations:

   • Day trip: If the trip does not include accommodation
   • Holiday/private stay: If you have holiday within a business trip.
   • Business trip > 28 days: If the business trip is more than 28 days and you are staying in a hotel
   • Business trip > 28d, dorm/private: If the business trip is more than 28 days and you stay private or in a dorm
   • Business trip > 28d, boarding house: If the business trip is more than 28 days and you stay in a boarding house
   • Business trip dorm/private (w/kitchen): Read the definition below
   • Business trip boarding house (without kitchen): Read the definition below
   • Business trip w/hotel: Read the definition below
   • Dorm/private w/kitchen – not tax: In this case only the deduction-free rate is paid out.
   • Boarding house without kitchen – not tax: In this case only the deduction-free rate is paid out.

   Note:  
   Day trip - Domestic, Field agreement, Commuter - dorm/private > 28 days, Commuter dorm/private – high rate and Commuter dorm/private low rate is not used at OsloMet

   Definitions

   • Hotel: Use if the property has "Hotel" in the name, or if the property has a restaurant that offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. If not, the accommodation is considered a boarding house according to the tax rules in Norway.
   • Boarding house: If the property only serves breakfast. For example: Bed & Breakfast
   • Dorm/private w/kitchen: “w/kitchen» is defined as access to proper storage of food (= refrigerator) and running water elsewhere than in the bathroom. This applies even if the accommodation has a hotel / guest house standard, but does not meet the above requirements.
   • Dorm/private without kitchen: If your stay has such simple standards that it cannot be classified as a guest house, and that the definition of "with kitchen" is not present.
   • The cost rate is the same no matter how you live, but it is the tax-free part that varies.  For more information;  Board and lodging - deduction rates

   Accommodation

   Enter the name and address of the accommodation in the comments field. If you stay several places, you also need to enter dates. You do not need to state accommodation if you arrange the accommodation yourself and receive night supplement (see info about Night supplement below), for example for private accommodation.

   Subsistence allowances

   If you travel for more than six hours, and the distance is more than 15 kilometres, your expenses for meals are covered by given rates. It is a prerequisite that you have additional costs for food in connection with the trip, i.e. costs in addition to your normal subsistence expenses.
    
   For travel abroad between 6 - 12 hours round trip, you get 50 percent of the fixed amount for the country visited. The form will automatically select the correct subsistence allowance for country and city when traveling abroad.
   
   Check for subsistence allowance if you are entitled to it. Under deduction, you must check if you have had meals covered during the trip, i.e. meals you have not paid for yourself.

   Examples:

   If breakfast is included at the hotel this will be deducted from the subsistence allowances. If you decide to buy breakfast somewhere else or you missed breakfast at the hotel, you also get a deduction, as you could have eaten at the hotel.

   If you have stayed in a hotel in Norway without breakfast, it is important to state this in the comments section, as it is most common for hotels in Norway to include breakfast.

   Read more about board and lodging and deductions and tax-free remuneration in connection with travel at The Norwegian Tax administration. Here, rates and regulations are also described and some examples that illustrate rules for meal deductions. 

   Night supplement (not for travel abroad)

   If you provide accommodation on domestic business trips yourself, a tax-free  night supplement per day may be paid. This is in addition to any subsistence allowances. The night supplement is intended to cover accommodation at home, at a campsite or similar. It should be checked off if you have been away from your own home at least 5 hours of the night due to a business trip, and the employer does not cover hotel or other accommodation options.

   For stays on trains, boats and the like in Norway no night supplement is given when a sleeping place is included in the ticket. Read about night supplements (Altinn.no)

   Night supplement will be paid based on the regulation "Accommodation at private/dorm room with / kitchen", unless you can document that you are entitled to another regulation (see information above).

   Please provide an explanation as to why you require a night supplement the travel expense claim

   Use of private car and kilometre-based allowance

   The use of your own vehicle must be approved by the employer via your personell manager before the trip. Generally, your own vehicle can only be used where the cost and time usage benefits the employer. The possibility of carpooling with other employees on the same assignment must be considered. If you bring a colleague on the trip, you are entitled to passenger allowances.  Enter number of passengers and their names in the expense claim.

   If you are entitled to distance-based allowance, provide the details under kilometer allowance.

   You must provide the total distance-driven itinerary with exit and end points, local driving at the mission site and all reason for detours.  

   For more information about the use of your own car and mileage allowance, see the following links: 

   • Mileage rates - distance-based allowance (skatteetaten.no)

   Compensation supplement

   Compensation supplements can be received when travelling abroad for more than one day on a business trip (not for field work, as visiting scholar etc). Travel for more than 12 hours into the next day is considered a full new day. The expense claim form will automatically provide compensation supplements according to travel time for travels abroad.

   Expenses

   Register the expense entries (w/attachments) you have had on your journey. Actual expenses in connection with the trip are covered tax-free when there is documentation for the outlay

   Expenses covered by the employer

   For example, if you have stayed in a hotel and not paid this yourself, you must enter this as "Hotel paid by company" under expense items. Amounts can be 0,-, but it must appear on the expense report where you have stayed the night.

   Sources/relevant links

   • Requirements concerning travel expense claims (altinn.no) 

   • Travel expenses (altinn.no) 

   • The Norwegian Personnel Handbook – Use of your own car (lovdata.no) - (In Norwegian only)

   • Mileage rates – kilometre-based allowance (skatteetaten.no)

   • Government rates for travel abroad (dfo.no) – (In Norwegian only)

2. Requirements for documentation

   Pursuant to the Tax Act §5-11, 1-2 (lovdata.no), expenses incurred in connection with the performance of work may be reimbursed tax-free, provided that these expenses do not cover private expenses and do not generate a profit after the expenses incurred have been covered. Strict requirements are therefore set for the documentation for travel settlements, reimbursement of expenses and hospitality/catering.

   The documentation must clearly show

   • the payment basis - the nature of the expense, what goods or services has been bought 
   • the payment confirmation - confirmation that the expense has actually been paid

   Payment by credit / debit card

   Payment made by credit/debet card must be provided documentation that specifies what you have purchased (payment basis) and shows the amount charged to your card (payment confirmation).

   Bank statement

   When you attach a bank statement to document payment of an expense (payment confirmation), you must also attach the invoice that shows what the expense applies to (payment basis).

   Online shopping

   Receipts for purchases of goods or services over the internet must contain information about what was purchased (price, quantity, etc., i.e. the payment basis) and information that your credit card or bank account has been debited (payment confirmation). You may need to attach several screenshots to document payment.

   Travel

   When travel and subsistence expenses are reimbursed, it must be stated which events the traveler has participated in. See the tax payment regulations ("Skattebetalingsforskriften", in Norwegian only) (lovdata.no).

   Flights are documented with tickets and boarding passes that show that you have completed the trip.

   You do not need to document travel by public transport, but you must provide route details.

   Use of your own car must be pre-approved by your manager. Confirmation of this must be supplied in the travel expense claim. 

   Hospitality, catering and representation

   In the event of reimbursement of catering expenses, the purpose of the catering must be stated, as well as the name of the persons covered by the catering and the name of the enterprises which the persons represent. See the tax payment regulations ("Skattebetalingsforskriften", in Norwegian only) (lovdata.no). If the opportunity for catering is not covered by the guidelines for representation in OsloMet (ansatt.oslomet.no), approval from the correct management level must be obtained.

   Format

   Because the tax legislation stipulates that documentation and payment basis / confirmation must not be subject to change after its submission, the documentation must be in pdf., jpeg. or other common image formats (not Word, Excel, etc.).

3. Change cost allocation

   If the travel / expense reimbursement is to be charged to a specific project, or something that deviates from the cost center where your salary is charged, you can change or split the cost allocation. Select "Other" and enter cost center (budsjettenhet) and K-element 4 (arbeidsordre)

4. Payment information

   Once the travel invoice / refund has been approved, it will automatically be included in the next possible payment of received travel invoices.

   • Payment of travel bills / refunds is normally made every week.
   • Feel free to keep the receipt until the amount has been paid to the bank account
   • All documents must be sent electronically

5. Guests and assignment contractors without access to DFØ self-service or the DFØ app

   If you don`t have access to the DFØ self-service/app, please use the form Reiseregning - for eksterne (ansatt.oslomet.no)

   • Print out the travel invoice form and attach all receipts for the trip.
   • The travel invoice and receipts are sent to your contact person in the faculty / unit.
   • The contact person is responsible for providing information on what has been agreed on regarding travel expenses, the purpose of the trip that is covered, what budget unit is to be charged for the travel expense, etc.