The UT Travel Unit assists employees with complex business travel arrangements.
BAN ON INTERNATIONL TRAVEL
The Executive Board decides to impose an immediate (effective 10 July 2024) ban on international travel from the first flow of funds. The ban on international travel from first flow of funds applies to international business trips or trips related to employment abroad. It does not apply to international commuting (e.g. that of frontier workers living in Germany).
UNITED KINGDOM IS INTRODUCING ELECTRONIC TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION (ETA)
This is an electronic consent to travel to the United Kingdom. Depending on the customer's nationality, a visa or ETA is required. If customers do not require a visa to visit the UK for short stays of up to six months, they may need an ETA. An ETA does not guarantee entry into the UK as customers will still need to pass through border control. Currently, nationalities outside the European Union can apply for an ETA. For nationalities within the European Union, it is possible to apply for an ETA from March 5 for travel from April 2, 2025. For more information about the ETA or to request it, click here: Apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) - GOV.UK
The UT's Travel Unit (UTTU), located in Langezijds building, assists employees with complex business travel arrangements like combination trips, group travel and special destinations. We also adjust previously made travel arrangements. Standard flights can be booked by the secretary / office manager of your faculty or service department.
The Travel Unit will gladly assist you:
- with complex business travel
- if you are having difficulties using AirGo (only for UT travel arrangers)
- with advice regarding visa applications
Contact
The Travel Unit is available from 09:00 - 16:00 on weekdays. You can reach us by phone only between 10:00 - 11:30 hours.
- Phone: +31 (0)53-489 4718
- Email: travelunit@utwente.nl
- Location: University of Twente - Langezijds room 1136
Service outside office hours
During weekends and public holidays you can reach the 24/7 Service of our Agent Gray Dawes Travel (formerly known as VCK Travel)
Please note that you can use this service for urgent matters only!
Tel: +31 88 120 1901. Costs: € 15,- per conversation.
How to request my business travel?
- Approval of travel request by budget holder (at least 21 days before departure).
- TNW, ET, EEMCS, BMS staff and service departments: please fill out the Travel Request Form below and send it to the secretary / office manager of your department
- ITC staff and ITC PhD students can submit their travel request in UNIT4 > Homescreen menu - Unit4 ERP (unit4cloud.com) > select expenses > travel request
- Once approved:
a. Simple flight bookings (for example: Amsterdam - Barcelona - Amsterdam) will be handled by the secretary / office manager through their online booking tool of the University's contracted business travel agent.
b. For complex multi-destination travel arrangements or group reservations (from 10 people or more), your secretary/office manager will forward your travel request to the Travel Unit.
It is not allowed to book your business trips outside the UT. Flight tickets booked in any other way will not be reimbursed. All private related tickets have to be booked by yourself.
Use Unit4 (myfin.utwente.nl) to:
- Arrange travel for ITC staff & ITC PhD students
- Declare your expenses (all UT)
Business travel insurance If you will be taking an international business trip, make sure to apply for the UT's collective travel insurance. Use the web application 'International registration and travel insurance', listed on utwente.nl/webapps. This insurance is available for students and employees. Since the webapps are only available for employees, students cannot apply themselves. After your details have been recorded, you will receive an e-mail with the insurance certificate, general conditions and cover overvieuw. If you have any questions on the coverage and conditions of this insurance, contact insurance-fin@utwente.nl.
Outside the Netherlans, we only use Booking.com for hotel reservations. You can make hotelreservations yourself or have them booked by your secretary/ office manager. In most cases your secretary requires your creditcard details. Creditcard details are only requested for guarantee. Another way is to request your advance via Unit4 or claim the costs afterwards. The request for a hotel booking may only be forwarded to the Travel Unit if you do not have a credit card. In that case you pay the invoice always at the accommodation.
We have special price agreements with hotels in Enschede and the surrounding area, for staff and students. For more information and current rates you can contact your secretary/ office manager or the Travel Unit.
Travel requirements information for every country in the world Before requesting your business travel, please check the validity of your passport or ID-card. It is your own responsibility to have the correct travel documents. You can find more information via these websites:
Calamities & embassy registration We advise you to register at your countries embassy before leaving on business trip. By registering your trip, you help the embassy to locate you when needed.
In case of an emergency or calamity, the Travel Unit can retrieve traveler data. Outside our office hours and during weekends the Emergency Officer International or the Integral Safety Manager is in charge.
Knowledge and information security during international travel Business travel carries risks in terms of digital espionage. Foreign intelligence services or other entities may take an interest in the knowledge and data you bring with you.
What does this mean for you?
You must take steps to protect your information. This might involve not taking sensitive data with you or using only secured devices. The new guideline offers practical tips to mitigate risks. Read the full guideline for more details and ensure you're well-prepared for your trip!
Contact the Knowledge Service Team (KST) in advance to check if there are any special points of attention for your business trip. Always do this if you are in doubt or if you are visiting a high-risk country. Currently, these countries are China, Iran, Russia and North Korea. These countries have an offensive digital attack program. However, this does not mean that other countries cannot pose a high risk.
For more information or questions, please send an e-mail to knowledge-safety@utwente.nl or visit the service portal Traveling Abroad for work | Service Portal | University of Twente (utwente.nl)
AirGo online booking tool (for secretaries & office managers) AirGo is the online booking tool of VCK Travel for travel arrangers of UT.
AirGo manual (for secretaries & office managers)
Air travel
Allowed booking classes (all airlines) Economy class is generally used for flight tickets. For intercontinental flights with a duration of more than six hours, economy class with comfort seats (extra legspace) can be requested. Business class is only allowed in case of medical indication. If there is approval for the use of business class, please note that evidence must be added to the declaration.
Booking fares for low-cost airlines Low-Cost Airlines with focus on hand luggage
Each low-cost airline has its own rules regarding hand luggage. Most low-cost airlines only allow a small under-seat bag instead of a normal cabin bag. Always check in advance what the passanger needs. For short trips, most do not want to check in their luggage but want to take their belongings with them in the cabin.
Below you will find the information per low-cost airline. If you click (with Ctrl+Click) on the picture of the name of the airline, the page with the information for that airline is linked.
We ask our UT Travel Arrangers to book these options at the same time as booking the flights.
1: Easy Jet
- standard fare: 1x 15 kg underseat cabin bag (45 x 36 x 20 cm)
- standard plus fare: 1 x 15 kg underseat cabin bag (45 x 36 x 20 cm) and 1x 15 kg large cabin bag (max. 56 x 45 x 25 cm) This fare includes an Up Front seat and Speedy Boarding. If you sellect "show more fares" in AirGo you can book this fare.
2: EuroWings
- basic fare: 1 x underseat cabin bag (40 x 30 x 25 cm)
- smart fare:1 x underseat cabin bag (40 x 30 x 25 cm) and 1 x 8 kg large cabin bag (55 x 40 x 23 cm) and 1 x 23 kg checked bag. This fare includes Priority Boarding and Seat Reservation.
3: Ryan Air
- basic fare: 1 x underseat cabin bag (40 x 20 x 25 cm)
- regular fare:1 x underseat cabin bag (40 x 20 x 25 cm) and 1 x 10 kg large cabin bag (55 x 40 x 20 cm) This fare also allows you to board with priority.
4: Transavia
Changes to cabin luggage policy as of April 3 | Transavia
- basic fare: 1 x underseat cabin bag (40 x 30 x 20 cm)
- max fare: 1 x underseat cabin bag (40 x 30 x 20 cm) and 1x cabin bag (55 x 35 x 25 cm) This fare also allows you to board with priority. Together this may weigh up to 10 kg.
5: Vueling
- basic fare: 1 x underseat cabin bag (40 x 20 x 30 cm)
- space one or space plus fare:1 x underseat cabin bag (40 x 20 x 30 cm) and 1 x 10 kg large cabin bag (55 x 40 x 20 cm) This fare also allows you to board with priority.
6: Wizz
At this moment it is not possible to book extra hand luggage and speedy boarding via AirGo. If you book the Go fare, check in 1 piece of luggage is included, but not the speedy boarding/extra hand luggage.
If you want to add extra baggage afterwards, it has to be done via the website of the low-cost airline and payment has to be done by credit card, which is very time-consuming, also with the administration of the credit card.
Important information for travelers & bookers Outside Travel Unit's regular office hours, you can always reach VCK Travel, including weekends and on public holidays. Your call will be automatically forwarded to VCK Travel’s 24×7 service. The employees, who speak both Dutch and English, will be happy to assist you.
VCK Travel Contact information:
Phone: +31 88 1201 901
E-mail: amsterdam@vcktravel.nl
Website: www.vcktravel.nl
Airport taxi
Bus / Touringcar rental & taxi Service
Car rental
If you want to hire a car abroad, you are free to choose a rental company yourself. We can also make your reservation through our agent VCK Travel.
Train travel
Train travel can be booked using your own NS business card. Sometimes it occurs that NS International cannot offer a specific route. In that case you are allowed to book your train tickets elsewhere and declare the costs. You can use for example www.thetrainline.com/nl for more options. For all further questions you can call the NS Business Service at 030-3001111 (24/7 available) or you can send an e-mail to NSZakelijk@ns.nl. Please feel free to contact the Travel Unit for advice or check link below.
Mode of travel
UT stimulates travelling by train for destinations within Europe. To help you select the best mode of travel for your destination, UT has developed the Train Map: a map that shows the cities that members of UT’s community regularly travel to. These cities are divided into three categories: cities where UT considers the train the default mode of travel, cities where the train is recommended and cities where the train is considered a challenging option.
FAQ
Travel Formalities (Passport, ID-card, VISA) Before requesting your business travel, please check the validity of your passport or ID-card. It is your own responsibility to have the correct travel documents. You can find more information via these websites:
VISA
VISA and passport information
For visa and passport information, please use the following link: https://klm.traveldoc.aero/. You can use this link for all nationalities and destinations. Also check the validity of your passport. Some countries require validity of at least 6 months.
Applying for VISA
For visa applications we use CIBT Visas. You can view or mail yourself the necessary application pack with all the information you need to apply for visa. Do NOT use the red button with START ORDER! (You will be asked for payment details!) After collecting the necessary documentation, please ask us the complete the CIBT order form. We will send it to you digitally, so you can send the whole package including your passport to CIBT.
Please note that the rules and necessary documents can change daily, so always check for the latest information. Please take sufficient time for your visa application (standard advice is 1 month in advance)!
ETA / e-VISA
More and more countries have the possibility for E-visa or other Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) (like Australia, USA and Canada). Please check carefully if you can use the e-visa or that you need an other type of visa. This depends also on your nationality. Please find below the links to the official pages to apply for E(S)TA or E-visa:
ETA:
E-VISA
If you know of more countries that allow e-visa, please inform us. We will add them to this page.
Where can I find travel advise? How to change or cancel my booking? Whether you can change or cancel your trip (with valid reason!) depends on the conditions of your ticket. You can contact the UT Travel Unit department to check the change/ refund conditions of your booking. After approval of the budgetholder or supervisor we can change or cancel your booking.
We do not sellect seats in advance. You can choose a regular seat for free when you check in online. You can usually check in online starting 72 - 24 hours before departure (depending on the airline) If you want to reserve a particular seat, you can manage your booking on airline's website and pay yourself. The costs incurred cannot be reimbursed.
Economy class is generally used for flight tickets. For intercontinental flights with a duration of more than six hours, economy class with comfort seats (extra legspace) can be requested. Business class is only allowed in case of medical indication. If there is approval for the use of business class, please note that evidence must be added to the declaration.
How to get my vaccination? I have a question about an invoice... The financial departement of your faculty / department / group can answer all your questions regarding financial matters.
How to add extra luggage to my flight booking? Two options to add extra luggage to you flight booking (extra costs involved!) :
1. Visit the Airline's website and log in to manage your booking. You can add extra luggage and declare the costs in Unit4.
2. You can inform the Travel Unit, they can assist you to book extra luggage.
What is remarkable travel behavior? We have been instructed by the faculty management to monitor remarkable travel behavior. Some examples:
- many people travel to the same destination at the same time
- higher booking classes that are booked without a valid reason
- private bookings
- no-show (when a ticketed passenger doesn't show up)
How many liquids can I take in my hand baggage? Please note: from 1 September 2024, liquids in your hand baggage may only be carried in containers holding max. 100ml.
You may take liquids in packaging of maximum 100ml in your hand baggage. Smaller and/or opened containers are also permitted. Please put the liquids, gels, creams, pastes and aerosols in a re-sealable, transparent 1-litre bag. If you want to be sure that you won’t have to hand something over, you should pack it in your hold baggage. For more information please check link below:
Schiphol | Liquids in hand baggage
Newsletters
Updates are usually published in Dutch.
Nieuwsbrief 17 - 22 juli 2022 - Low Cost Airlines special Low-Cost Airlines with focus on hand luggage
Each low-cost airline has its own rules regarding hand luggage. Most low-cost airlines only allow a small under-seat bag instead of a normal cabin bag. Always check in advance what the passanger needs. For short trips, most do not want to check in their luggage but want to take their belongings with them in the cabin.
Below you will find the information per low-cost airline. If you click (with Ctrl+Click) on the picture of the name of the airline, the page with the information for that airline is linked.
We ask our UT Travel Arrangers to book these options at the same time as booking the flights.
1: Easy Jet
- standard fare: 1x 15 kg underseat cabin bag (45 x 36 x 20 cm)
- standard plus fare: 1 x 15 kg underseat cabin bag (45 x 36 x 20 cm) and 1x 15 kg large cabin bag (max. 56 x 45 x 25 cm) This fare includes an Up Front seat and Speedy Boarding. If you sellect "show more fares" in AirGo you can book this fare.
2: EuroWings
- basic fare: 1 x underseat cabin bag (40 x 30 x 25 cm)
- smart fare:1 x underseat cabin bag (40 x 30 x 25 cm) and 1 x 8 kg large cabin bag (55 x 40 x 23 cm) and 1 x 23 kg checked bag. This fare includes Priority Boarding and Seat Reservation.
3: Ryan Air
- basic fare: 1 x underseat cabin bag (40 x 20 x 25 cm)
- regular fare:1 x underseat cabin bag (40 x 20 x 25 cm) and 1 x 10 kg large cabin bag (55 x 40 x 20 cm) This fare also allows you to board with priority.
4: Transavia
Changes to cabin luggage policy as of April 3 | Transavia
- basic fare: 1 x underseat cabin bag (40 x 30 x 20 cm)
- Extra stuk handbagage bijboeken is nog niet mogelijk in AirGo! Info via TravelUnit!
5: Vueling
- basic fare: 1 x underseat cabin bag (40 x 20 x 30 cm)
- space one or space plus fare:1 x underseat cabin bag (40 x 20 x 30 cm) and 1 x 10 kg large cabin bag (55 x 40 x 20 cm) This fare also allows you to board with priority.
6: Wizz
At this moment it is not possible to book extra hand luggage and speedy boarding via AirGo. If you book the Go fare, check in 1 piece of luggage is included, but not the speedy boarding/extra hand luggage.
If you want to add extra baggage afterwards, it has to be done via the website of the low-cost airline and payment has to be done by credit card, which is very time-consuming, also with the administration of the credit card.
For ideas, comments or changes to this page, please email webteam-hr@utwente.n
