Daily subsistence allowance (DSA) comprises the organization’s total contribution towards such charges as lodging, meals, gratuities, transport cost from place of lodging to the first place of official business, and vice versa, and other payments made for personal services rendered.
Per Staff Rule 7.15, excess baggage means baggage in excess of the accompanied baggage carried without extra charge by the transportation company.
Excess baggage should be avoided to the extent possible in order to minimize the environmental impact of transportation. Staff members traveling by air shall be entitled to reimbursement of the cost of excess baggage for themselves and their eligible family members for one bag in addition to their free baggage allowance or up to 25 kilogram per traveller.
It is mandatory for United Nations system personnel and eligible family members to obtain security clearance for all official travel, regardless of location, and they cannot commence official travel without obtaining it except in compelling cases, where insufficient time is available such as during periods requiring immediate medical evacuation or other life-threatening situation. For the purpose of this policy, official travel includes official home leave or other entitlement travel where the cost of travel is borne by organizations of the United Nations system. This applies regardless of whether official travel is undertaken by air, sea, land, or any combination thereof.
Terminal expenses include all expenditures for transportation between the air terminal or other point of arrival or departure, and the hotel or place of dwelling, including transfer of baggage, and other incidental expenses. It should be paid as part of the travel advance or the travel claim settlement. No receipts are required for standard terminal expenses.
The travel claim is a post-travel report that the traveller is required to submit to the authorizing unit within two weeks from completion of travel when their travel is organized and paid for by UNDP. The travel claim provides appropriate documentation that the travel occurred; enables the traveller to claim reimbursement of additional travel expenses; and, should the travel advance have exceeded the amount of reimbursable expenses, enables the traveller to repay the amount of overpayment.
Travel expenses that shall be paid or reimbursed by the UNDP under the relevant provisions of the Staff Rules include: a) Transportation expenses; b) Terminal expenses; c) Daily subsistence allowance (DSA); d) Miscellaneous expenses.