Travel Preauthorization

Find out about preauthorizing official UCSD business travel online.

Preauthorizing UCSD travel is required regardless of how expenses will be paid or reported. To preauthorize travel, complete the "Going on a Trip" feature in TravelLink. See step-by-step instructions.

In the right place? Travel preauthorization is different from absence approval for academic staff to travel. For academic absence approval, contact the person in your area who handles academic personnel (PDF) matters.

Preauthorization generates a UCSD system-assigned event number, which must be obtained prior to:

• Purchasing airfare or making other travel arrangements through UCSD's partner agency Balboa Travel
• Purchasing airfare through one of UCSD's alliance travel agencies
• Purchasing airfare with an employee-held UCSD Travel Card
• Requesting prepayment for travel expenses such as hotel deposit and conference registration
• Note: To use MyTravel to report expenses online after travel has concluded, the travel event must have been preauthorized as required.

The event number generated will be a unique, 8-digit tracking number that certifies the trip is official UCSD business travel and pre-trip payments were authorized. All advances and prepayments for the trip are tracked under the event number.

Access and approval for travel preauthorization relies on the TRP approval template. The person within your area who has the delegated authority to approve travel should be at Level 1. Contact your departmental security administrator for TRP setup.

Insurance coverage: In-state travel coverage is automatic, but travelers need to register for out-of-state coverage. Review Business Travel Accident Insurance.

Preauthorization and your encumbrance ledger: The index(es) and account(s) you indicate when preauthorizing the travel event will be encumbered for the estimated amount of the trip's expenses.

• The encumbrance will be automatically lifted if the same index(es) and account(s) are indicated when you report expenses after travel has been completed.
• If changes to an index(es) and account(s) are made during the reconciliation process causing them to differ from what you preauthorized, the encumbrance can be lifted by using the Encumbrance Lifter or completing an encumbrance adjustment journal.

If you're new to travel at UCSD:

• See an online training demo: Using TravelLink to preauthorize travel.
• Complete the Travel at UCSD Web tutorial
• If you do not have access (a user ID and password) to use TravelLink, contact your department business office or administrator.
• Find out how to establish a travel account if the traveler you are working with does not appear to be listed in TravelLink.

Notice: UCSD travel policy, as published in Blink, is decisive. It has been adapted to UCSD's organization, delegation of authority, terminology, chart of accounts, and processing applications. The source for UCSD travel policy is UC Travel Policy and Regulations.