Expense claims

University of Bristol employees and those on hourly paid teaching contracts can find information about making a claim on the staff intranet.

Non-University staff must follow the instructions below on submitting expenses as individuals.

Expense claims made by non-staff members

Expense claims can be paid by bank transfer via one of the following forms:

• Non-staff expense claim form - GBP (PDF, 966kB)- This form is intended for reimbursement in £GBP to UK bank only.
• Non-staff expense claim form - foreign currency (PDF, 394kB) - This form is intended for reimbursement in foreign currency, or in £GBP to a non-UK bank account.

Responsibilities of the claimant:

• Claimants:

  • Must ensure they are aware of, and comply with, the Travel and Expenses Policy and associated procedures;
  • Are responsible for the correctness and completeness of the claim they submit;
  • Should submit claims at the earliest opportunity and normally no later than 8 weeks after the expense has been incurred;
  • Are responsible for ensuring their travel arrangements are appropriate to business needs;
  • Should ensure costs are actually and necessarily incurred on University business;
  • Should not incur unreasonable expenses and must be prepared to justify them if required;
  • Must ensure each claim is supported by appropriate receipts and documentation;
  • Should use the most economic, efficient, and environmentally responsible means of transport where possible.

 

Important information for submission

Completed forms, together with scanned copies of receipts, must be emailed to the engaging department or budget holder for a budget code to be added. Further details on where to send the claim are available on the form itself.

All claim forms must be submitted electronically in an editable format, and must not be handwritten or printed to PDF. Claims submitted later than 8 weeks after the expense has been incurred must include a reason for the delay, and may not be processed if an explanation is not provided.

Where expenses are incurred in a different currency, claims must include evidence of the exchange rate used, submitted alongside the receipt; tools such as XE.com can be used to obtain this information if it is not readily available from a personal bank statement.

Taxi travel may only be claimed where it is appropriate and more cost‑effective than other transport options, and a clear explanation must be provided within the claim.

Airbnb and similar room‑letting providers should be avoided, as they do not meet the University’s required standards for health, safety, and insurance. Where these are used, written approval from a School or Department Manager must be submitted alongside the claim.

Please refer to the Travel and Expenses Policy on our Policy webpage for details of reimbursable expenditure and applicable rates.

Supplementary to the policy is a set of Travel and Expenses policy: Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, 179kB).