I have a travel grant

This webpage aims to bring together the most important practical and administrative information for the benefit of beneficiaries of an FWO travel grant (incoming and outgoing).

Contact

Do you have a question on your travel grant, contact us on interprog@fwo.be

Important!

You can only use your travel grant if your Flemish hosting institution, regardless of the destination, has approved the travel. For this, contact the advisory committee responsible at your host institution, especially for high-risk destinations (see advice FPS Foreign Affairs). Together with the positive travel advice from your host institution, you should also check whether insurer AIG covers this destination. More info can be found under section 'Travel accident insurance'.

Before departure

FWO fellowship holders are required to complete and submit the 'reporting foreign stay' form online in their e-desk before departure.

Any change to the stay already granted requires prior approval from the FWO (interprog@fwo.be).

Sustainable travel policy

The FWO is committed to raising awareness around climate change by putting sustainable travel policy at the forefront of its funding channels. The following guideline applies: for all travel of less than six hours – based on the researcher's work address – the researcher is invited to use a technological alternative (e.g. videoconferencing) or using a means of transport other than plane. For sustainable travel within the FWO channels, the FWO provides researchers with a visual route planner when planning their trip, as well as an easy-to-use city map as an aid for estimating travel time. There is more information on the FWO's sustainable travel policy on this page.

Booking travel (air and train tickets) in the context of an FWO travel grant

An FWO travel grant provides for travel costs Brussels - venue congress/residence abroad, there and back. A departure from this rule is possible, but any extra cost thus incurred will have to be borne by the beneficiary. If the extended stay abroad is carried out in multiple locations, only the first trip (outward) and the last trip (return) will be reimbursed separately.

Air tickets (always in economy class) or train tickets (always the cheapest fare) within the framework of an FWO travel credit can only be booked via a travel agency authorised by the FWO (Uniglobe South West Travel and Omnia Travel). Always state your FWO file number in all correspondence with the travel agent, as well as the following Bluebiz Account number: BE02727. Where necessary, please check whether you in fact will be able to obtain a valid visa for your destination before booking your travel.

Bookings through another travel agency will not be refunded!

Before the granting of a FWO travel grant:

The researcher books their travel with Uniglobe South West Travel or Omnia Travel before FWO allocation has taken place (researcher notifies the travel agent of their FWO application).
Uniglobe South West Travel or Omnia Travel will then make the booking under the FWO client code.
Uniglobe South West Travel or Omnia Travel invoices the researcher directly.
The researcher pays the invoice to Uniglobe South West Travel or Omnia Travel themselves.
If the FWO awards the travel grant, the researcher shows Uniglobe South West Travel or Omnia Travel the award (letter and/or e-mail).
Uniglobe South West Travel or Omnia Travel credits the first invoice and refunds the amount to the researcher.
At the same time, Uniglobe South West Travel or Omnia Travel prepares a new invoice made out to the FWO, indicating the booking number (FWO file number).
The FWO pays the invoice to Uniglobe South West Travel or Omnia Travel (third-party payer system).

After the granting of a FWO travel credit:

The researcher makes the booking with Uniglobe South West Travel or Omnia Travel on the basis of the grant letter and/or e-mail already received regarding the approval of the travel credit.
Uniglobe South West Travel or Omnia Travel will then make the booking under the FWO client code.
Uniglobe South West Travel or Omnia Travel invoices FWO.
The FWO pays the invoice to Uniglobe South West Travel or Omnia Travel (third-party payer system).

Transport costs from your place of residence to an airport/railway station in Belgium will only be reimbursed if public transport was used. Transport costs from an airport/railway station abroad to the location of the conference/accommodation can also be reimbursed. Here, too, the transport should preferably be performed by public transport. For each reimbursement of these specific transport costs the necessary receipts must be sent to FWO.

When travelling by car, a mileage allowance is paid to FWO travel credit beneficiary, with a maximum of €800.00. This mileage allowance can be claimed using this form.

During the stay abroad

A flat-rate daily allowance

Where applicable, the FWO travel grant includes, in addition to reimbursement of travel costs, a lump-sum daily allowance of EUR 66 per day, with a maximum of EUR 1,650 per month:

For a short stay or workshop abroad of eight days or more, the full amount granted is usually deposited into the beneficiary's account ahead of departure.
For a longer stay abroad, 80% of the granted amount is usually deposited into the beneficiary's account ahead departure. The remaining balance is deposited upon receipt of financial justification (see reporting).

These allowances are personal and cannot be transferred or used to cover the travel or subsistence expenses of anyone other than the beneficiary. Only the costs relating to the allocated period can be submitted for reimbursement.

Admissible costs:

Housing
- Rent (and related insurance) always substantiated by original proof of payment.
- Internet and telephony
- Electricity, water and gas
Food
Child-related costs abroad (such as school and childcare)
Public transport locally when commuting, including rental of a bicycle or car where public rental is not available.

Expenses of more than EUR 500 should be accompanied by original supporting documents. For daily recurring expenses, an estimate of the costs is sufficient.

The following cannot be reimbursed from the lump-sum daily allowance: travel costs of family members (e.g. air tickets, local travel, visa costs); leisure costs (e.g. television subscription, sports club membership); medical costs; costs for products with lasting value (e.g. furniture and clothing); and research-linked costs (e.g. reagents, test animals, plants).

Travel insurance

All beneficiaries are automatically covered by travel and assistance insurance with AIG. Please note that any travel to 'dangerous regions and countries at war', as stipulated in the insurance policy between FWO and AIG, are not covered by this policy*. For those destinations, researchers are given the option of taking out individual travel accident insurance with AIG against payment of a flat-rate ad hoc contribution to be determined. More information on what to do in the event of a claim can be found in this brochure or contact AIG (EN: +32 (0)2 739 99 91; NL: +32 (0)2 739 99 92; FR: +32 (0)2 739 99 90).

The beneficiary must obtain a valid health and work accident insurance themselves.

* The following regions or countries are currently (9/11/2023) considered by AIG to be countries at war and dangerous regions: Afghanistan, Iraq, North Korea, Somalia, Chechnya, Syria, Ukraine, Russian Federation, Belarus, Israel, Gaza, West Bank, Golan Heights and Lebanon.

Upon return

Reporting

Within three months of end date of travel credit, the beneficiary is required to submit a scientific report and financial justification (for the lump-sum daily allowance received). Do this using the report forms available on the dedicated FWO Travel grant website.