4. Travel approvals
4.1 Electronic travel request authorisation
All travellers must submit pre-travel requests electronically for intra-state travel of more than 5 consecutive nights, inter-state and international travel. School-based travellers submit pre-travel requests using (login required).
Where travellers are travelling in a group, the lead traveller for the group is to submit a single travel request authorisation (TRA) on behalf of the group. If separate travel itineraries are involved, these should be individually provided as attachments within the TRA.
4.2 Approval process
The approval process for travel must promote a prompt decision on whether a trip is approved or not. Travel approvers are required to provide a decision on a travel request within ten working days of receiving a complete and compliant application, whether the TRA is approved or not.
Appropriate travel approvers for school-based travellers
-
- No system approvals (i.e. TRAs) required
- No TRA required
-
- For principals – regional director approval
- For school council members, all other staff – principal approval
- No TRA required
-
- For principals – regional director approval
- For school council members, all other staff – principal approval
- TRA required
-
- For principals – regional director approval
- For school council members, all other staff – principal approval
- TRA required
-
- For principals, school council members, all other staff – Assistant Deputy Secretary, Schools and Regional Services approval
- TRA required
* Days trips are likely to incur minimal or no cost and the approval requirements are commensurate. If costs are to be incurred, approval from a Financial Delegate is required.
** Intra-state travel for five nights or less are likely to incur costs which require Financial Delegate approval (for example, accommodation costs)
4.3 Approval process for school trips and excursions
Where school-based travellers are accompanying students on school trips or excursions, the following approval flows apply for the travel of the school-based travellers.
School-based travellers accompanying students on school trips and excursion may have additional obligations. These are detailed in Excursions.
Appropriate travel approvers for school-based travellers accompanying students
-
- No system approvals (i.e. TRAs) required
- No TRA required
-
- For staff accompanying students – principal approval
- No TRA required
-
- For staff accompanying students – principal approval
- TRA required
-
- For staff accompanying students – regional director approval
- TRA required
-
- For staff accompanying students – regional director approval
- TRA required
4.4 Personal travel and official travel
Personal leave is defined as leave requested by a traveller before, during or after periods of official travel. Official travel is defined as business travel required by or when representing the department and/or school, including any time required to be spent at a location for business purposes, including travelling time.
Official travel may include non-work time at locations other than an employee’s base location, in situations where it may not be appropriate (for example, have a negative impact on the employee’s health and wellbeing or where it not be economical to do so) for the traveller to return to their base location.
Travel undertaken over weekends and Victorian public holidays before or after periods of official travel, is considered personal leave and may be approved by travel approvers subject to the travel principles (below) being met.
Personal travel requested by employees before, during or after approved official travel inter-state or international travel must be authorised by an executive level travel approver.
When approving requests for personal travel, be it intra-state, inter-state or international, travellers and travel approvers must assure themselves that the personal travel meets the following travel principles:
- does not have any detrimental effects on official travel
- does not result in any additional costs to the Victorian Government
- meets community expectation and can withstand scrutiny
- does not give the impression that official travel is being used to subsidise personal travel
The travel principles apply to travel wholly or partly-funded by the department or school. Travel principles 1 to 3 apply to self-funded travel.
For international official travel, the personal travel allocations outlined in the table below apply.
- Where the international travel is fully self-funded but the traveller is still representing DET, travel approval is required but the personal travel allocations stated in the table below do not apply. In these circumstances, approval for personal leave should nevertheless be sought from principals/regional directors.
- Where DET or an external individual or organisation funds all or part of the airfare for a trip, personal travel must be included in the travel request, and the personal travel allocations stated in the table below apply.
| Duration of international official travel | Personal travel days permitted |
|---|---|
| Less than 7 consecutive days | 0 |
| 7 to 13 days | 2 |
| 14 to 20 days | 4 |
| 21 to 27 days | 6 |
| 28 to 34 days | 8 |
| 35 days | 10 |
| 36 days to 3 months | 12 |
| 3 to 6 months | 15 |
| 6 to 9 months | 18 |
| 9 months to 1 year | 20 |
All travellers are reminded that they are travelling on government business on behalf of the Victorian Government and all matters relating to travel and conduct prior, during and after the travel are subject to public scrutiny.
4.5 Spouse, partner and dependents’ travel
Spouse, partner and dependents’ travel must be approved by the traveller’s travel approver. Travel expenses for these persons are not reimbursable.
Reviewed 12 October 2022