Guide: Reimbursement (for External Guests)

General information

• Only expenses directly related to the business trip - such as necessary accommodation, travel etc - are eligible for reimbursement.
• We kindly also request visitors to make travel and accommodation bookings as early as possbile to avoid last-minute bookings and price surges.
• Travel reimbursement forms must be submitted within 6 months after trip completion. After 6 months, travel expenses can no longer be reimbursed.

Important Regulations & Limits

Hotel

• Within Munich: up to a maximum 120€ per night (incl. breakfast)
• Outside Munich: up to a maximum 90€ per night (incl. breakfast)
• Within hotel rate limits, AirBnB/Booking.com/other providers can be used
• Higher costs may only be reimbursed in exceptional cases - with valid reasons
  and with proof of non-availability of hotels within the specified caps

Travel

• Flight: economy class tickets.
• Train: economy class tickets. Please consider using any pre-existing
  discount cards, if available (example: BahnCard25)
• Public transport: from/to airport/train station, and during the business trip
• Taxi/Uber/Private car: Not eligible for reimbursement. Exceptions may be made only in duly justified cases.

Special Cases

Personal trips (extended stay):

• If a personal trip or extended stay is combined with the official travel, only the portion of costs attributable to the business trip will be reimbursed.
• In these cases, a travel cost comparison must be submitted by the guest to determine the appropriate reimbursable amount (example: comparable screenshots showing the cost of travel tickets for the official trip versus the extended trip).

Travel reimbursement forms must be submitted within 6 months after trip completion. After 6 months, travel expenses can no longer be reimbursed.

Documents & Forms Required

Please remember to retain and submit all original hotel/travel-related expenses, travel tickets, boarding passes, public transport tickets + purchase receipts and corresponding proof of payments.

• Speaker Reimbursement Form:
  Complete the travel reimbursement form for invited guests (PDF, 186 KB) in full with your address, contact and bank details like IBAN/BIC. For visitors from non-EU countries - please also provide all necessary details required for international transfers (Account number, Routing number etc.)
  
• Proof of expenses:
  - Hotel: Bill/receipts
  - Train: Bill/receipts + tickets
  - Flight: Bill/receipts + tickets + boarding passes
  - Public transport (if applicable): receipts + tickets.
  Note: If you purchase public transport tickets directly from ticket-vending machines, please make sure to retain the ticket AND payment receipt
  
• Proof of payments: for the respective expenses you are applying for, via
  - bank statements
  - credit card statements
  - PayPal receipts etc.
  
• Tax ID Regulations apply for invited guests/speakers already living/working in Germany (with a German Tax ID) or those coming for a long-term visit. Please fill out the Tax ID Declaration Form (in German) (PDF, 158 KB). (English version for reference only) or contact the organizer if this applies to you.

Reimbursement Procedure

The following steps apply:

• 1. Collect all required documents mentioned above.
  2. Complete the travel reimbursement form for invited guests (PDF, 186 KB) in full with your address, contact and bank details like IBAN/BIC. For visitors from non-EU countries - please also provide all necessary details required for international transfers (Account number, Routing number etc.)
  3. Attach all original receipts, proof of expenses and proof of payments. If the receipts were sent to you only digitally/via e-mail, then please print or forward these to us per e-mail as attachments.
  4. Submit the signed reimbursement form and the required documents either
     a) directly to the MCGA Coordinator (if event is on-site)
     b) mail the signed form and all required documents via post to the Munich Center for Geoastronomy Office:
     ------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Dr. J. Jaiswal
     Munich Center for Geoastronomy
     Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
     Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU)
     Theresienstraße 41 C
     D-80333, Munich
     ------------------------------------------------------------------------
     OR
     c) scan and send the signed form & all relevant documents to e-mail
  5. For frequent travellers to the LMU and/or guests who are living in Germany, a tax ID is additionally required (please contact the organizer in advance if this applies to you)

Submitting everything digitally? Please retain all original documents, receipts and forms with you until the reimbursement process is complete, as these may be requested.
Sending forms/documents via post? Please consider a tracking ID and retaining/sharing a digital copy of the completed form/documents in advance with us.

Disclaimer: While we strive to keep this information accurate and helpful, it is provided without guarantee. The authoritative regulations are those of the current BayRKG (Bayerisches Reisekostengesetz / Bavarian Travel Expenses Act)