E - Charging of travel costs

Where a certification task or service is conducted fully within the territories of the EASA Member States, the travel expenses are included in the respective fees or charges.

Where a certification task or service is conducted, fully or in part, outside the territories of the EASA Member States, the travel expenses will be charged to the applicant in line with the provisions of Annex Part VI to (EU) 2025/2347.

For training or training-related services delivered on-site (within our outside EASA Member States), the travel expenses will be charged to the recipient of the training in line with the provisions of Annex Part VI to (EU) 2025/2347.

All travel costs will be divided accordingly amongst applicants if an EASA staff member worked on more than one project during a single trip.

An itemized breakdown of costs will be provided without supporting documents (e.g. hotel bills, air fare) to protect the personal and financial data of EASA staff involved.

For business travel including an overnight stay, EASA will charge a "per diem" rate to cover all expenses of the traveller at the place of assignment, including accommodation, meals, local travel and sundry expenses. The ‘per diem’ is charged for each overnight stay during the mission (e.g. 3 nights of accommodation = 3x "per diem" charged).

The standard "per diem" rates are defined and published regularly by the European Commission, the amount varies based on the country of travel.

Transport costs will be invoiced to applicants unless they are covered by the applicable fees or charges. Refer to E.1 - Are travel costs included in fees and charges?

Further to the Agency’s travel policy, EASA staff must use the most appropriate and cost-effective means of transport. As far as possible, public or shared transport shall be used.

Air travel

All flight tickets shall be booked according to the following conditions:

• for travel segments up to four hours continuous flying time: in economy class or equivalent, at the lowest available rates allowing for the shortest possible trip duration (considering the times of meetings and/or special features of the mission)
• for travel segments of at least four hours continuous flying time: in business class or equivalent, at the lowest available rates allowing for the shortest possible trip duration  (considering the times of meetings and/or special features of the mission)
• If lower fare prices require a weekend stay (Sunday rule), additional ‘per diems’ may be charged (refer to point E.2 - Standard ‘per diem’ rates for overnight travel)

Rail travel

All journeys shall be booked in first-class (including seat reservations), using the shortest available route (distance or time, whichever is more efficient) and choosing the level of flexibility of tickets as required by the nature of the business trip. 

The time spent by an EASA staff member in the means of transport is charged at the EASA hourly rate set out in Annex Part II to (EU) 2025/2347.

To facilitate travel time calculation, the Agency establishes a standard number of travel hours per destination. Standard travel time is calculated based on the following principles:

• Travel time is counted from the time of departure from the EASA staff member’s standard place of work (or home, if the staff member leaves directly from home) to arrival at the staff member’s destination. The destination is the place where the certification task or service is to be performed.
• No travel time will be charged for any kind of transport delay, regardless of the cause.
• No more than 12 hours travel time will be charged on any calendar day.

The "e"-component reflects the average costs for travel inside the territories of the EASA Member States. It is made up of the average transport costs and travel time within the territories of the EASA Member States, multiplied by the EASA hourly rate set out in Annex Part II to (EU) 2025/2347. The "e"-component is subject to annual review and indexation.

Travel within EASA Member States is covered by the fees and charges for certification or service-related tasks. Therefore, when business travel outside EASA Member States is charged to the applicant (i.e. travel costs not covered by the applicable fee or charge), the amount due will be reduced by the amount of the "e"-component.

The "e"-component will be clearly indicated in the travel costs break down provided by the Agency.

"E"-component value:

1/1/2025 - 31/12/2025  - 1.503,00 EUR

1/1/2026 - 31/12/2026  - 1.710,00 EUR

If the Agency cancels a trip upon request of the applicant, any cancellation costs incurred will be charged to the applicant. If the trip is cancelled upon request of the Agency, the cancellation costs will be borne by the Agency.