Before going on a work-related trip, the employer must determine whether the trip qualifies as official travel or grant-funded travel. The main difference lies in who initiates the trip and what its purpose is. This definition affects which rights and reimbursement arrangements apply.

Norsk: Forskjellen mellom tjenestereise og stipendreise

Travel main page | Travel expenses | Accommodation and meals

Decision by the manager

You must always consult with your immediate manager with budgetary responsibility before traveling. This applies to both official travel and grant-funded travel. At the same time as your manager approves the trip, they must also define what type of travel it is.

What is official travel?

When you go on official travel, you are traveling on behalf of NTNU and in service of the state. This means that the trip is either required or approved by your employer as part of your work duties. It may involve occasional trips or regular, routine assignments. Official travel is considered working time. See the definition at regjeringen.no (in Norwegian).

Examples of official travel

• Participation in a conference to present research from NTNU
• Meetings organized by NTNU

Compensation and reimbursement for official travel

When you are on official travel, you are entitled to:

• Compensation supplements when traveling abroad
• Per diem allowances (coverage of meal expenses)
• Reimbursement of expenses

These rights also apply to temporary employees, including PhD candidates, as long as the trip meets the criteria for official travel.
Rules and rates can be found on the Norwegian government’s website (in Norwegian):

• Særavtale om dekning av utgifter til reise og kost innenlands
• Særavtale om dekning av utgifter til reise og kost utenfor Norge

What Is a Grant-Funded Travel?

A grant-funded travel is initiated by you. The trip is not required by your employer, and you are not traveling on behalf of NTNU. However, your manager may still approve such a trip if it is academically relevant and supports your work in research, teaching, or professional development. These trips are not considered working time, but they usually have an academic purpose.

Examples of grant-funded travel

• Study stay at another university
• Research collaboration that you have initiated yourself

Grant-funded travel is particularly relevant for PhD candidates.

Compensation and Reimbursement for grant-funded travel

Compensation Supplements: As a general rule, grant-funded travel abroad does not entitle you to compensation supplements under the Norwegian government’s travel regulations. This is because such travel is not considered to be in service of the state, but rather related to academic development, research, or education—typically as part of a PhD program.
However, a PhD candidate may receive compensation supplements if the trip meets the criteria for official travel.

Meals: Grant-funded travel generally does not entitle you to per diem allowances for meals under the government’s travel regulations. Whether meals are fully or partially covered must be clarified with your manager in advance.

Reimbursement of Expenses: What will be covered by the employer and what you may need to cover yourself must be clarified with your manager before booking the trip.

Combining official and grant-funded travel

If you are traveling to a conference on behalf of NTNU to present research, this will typically be considered official travel for a few days. If you wish to extend your stay for academic development on your own initiative, parts of the trip may be defined as grant-funded travel. This must be clarified in advance.

Contact

Do you have questions about the definition of official travel and grant-funded travel? Contact the HR and Payroll Service Centre.