Reimbursement Claims
Please read carefully
Required Actions for Claiming Reimbursement
Did you receive an invitation through e-COST to participate in a workshop or training school? Does your invitation indicate that you are eligible for financial support?
Check the "Claim Submission Quick Guide".
Before the event
- Accept the e-COST invitation(s) to the event(s) no later than September 7, 2025.
- Ensure an up-to-date e-COST profile at e-services.cost.eu, including bank details.
- If this is your first time claiming reimbursement through COST Action POLYTOPO, please complete and submit the mandatory online form required by the Grant Holder Institution (FORTH) no later than September 10, 2025. This form is necessary for creating a financial record under Greek law. Failure to submit it will result in rejection of the claim. Ensure your bank details match those in e-COST.
During the Event
- Sign the attendance list on each day attended.
After the Event
- Submit the completed Online Travel Reimbursement Request (OTRR) via e-COST as soon as possible, but no later than 15 calendar days after the event ends.
- Upload clear copies of all required invoices/receipts and relevant supporting documents (such as boarding passes) to e-COST.
Refer to Annotated Rules of the COST Action (as per 01.11.2025) for further details
What the travel reimbursement includes?
The travel reimbursement includes the daily allowance and long-distance travel expenses.
Daily Allowance
The daily allowance covers accommodation, meals, short-distance travel, and incidental costs. It is paid as one lump sum amount.
- No invoices are required unless explicitly requested. It’s advised to keep invoices / receipts and provide them if requested.
- The daily allowance rate is based on the country where the event takes place.
The Action MC may decide to reduce the daily allowance rate. - The daily allowance is calculated based on the actual number of days of attendance to the approved activity as confirmed by the participant’s signature on the official attendance list for each day of the event they attend.
The participant may arrive on the day before the activity commences and/or leave one day after the activity finishes.
The daily allowance is then calculated accordingly:- 100% of the daily allowance is granted for each attended day of the event, and for the travel day to the event.
- 40% of the daily allowance is granted for the day of departure from the event
- If a participant travels to and from the meeting on the same day, 50% of the daily allowance is granted.
Long-Distance Travel (≥101km)
Long-distance travel refers to journeys equal to or above 101 km one-way between the main transportation hub at the departure point and the event venue.
Never book travel tickets together with accommodation unless the cost of the tickets is clearly indicated on the receipt.
Transport to/from a main transportation hub (airport, train station, bus station) within 100 km one-way is covered by the daily allowance.
Travel by car
- Reimbursement is limited to 1,000 km for the entire journey (round trip).
- Reimbursement rate: €0.35 per km (based on e-COST’s distance calculator).
- A car parking ticket/receipt clearly the date(s) of parking is the only accepted valid proof for mileage reimbursement.
- If the participant travels by car on the day before and/or after the event, an accommodation invoice with the participant’s name, check in and check out dates is required for the calculation of the daily allowance.
- If multiple participants travel together, only one may claim reimbursement for the kilometers driven.
Supportive Documents
If you travel by plane, train or bus, the supporting documents for Long-Distance Travel Reimbursement should mention:
- Service provider name
- Mode of transport taken
- Full price paid for the ticket
- Passenger name (if applicable)
- The travel itinerary including travel dates, departure and arrival cities (for plane), departure and arrival times (an invoice only showing the amount will not suffice).
Invoices without itinerary details will not be accepted.
For participants travelling by car, a parking receipt is required, and in certain cases, an accommodation invoice may also be requested.
It is advisable to keep invoices and receipts for all your travel and accommodation expenses, regardless of whether they are required for reimbursement. These documents can serve as additional supporting evidence if requested.
For example, when traveling by car, specific proof (parking ticket) is required. In cases where parking tickets do not clearly state your car’s registration number or the parking duration, toll receipts or even receipts from roadside cafés along your route can help substantiate your journey.
Additionally, if you do not use a paid parking facility because your hotel offers free parking, a statement from the hotel owner, along with the accommodation invoice, may be required to confirm this.
Acceptable Documents
- Acceptable documents include: invoice + flight booking confirmation OR full flight itinerary OR e-ticket.
The invoice should include the booking reference or e-ticket number to link the purchase to the specific ticket.
Generally, copy of the e-ticket must be provided instead of boarding passes.
- Boarding passes can be uploaded ONLY if they include the travel schedule (departure and arrival time).
- The invoices from Wizz Air & Jet Air alone lack the necessary travel schedule.
- Copy of the flight booking confirmation alongside the invoice. This is necessary because the invoices may be issued for multiple persons, making it crucial to have individual booking confirmations with passenger names clearly visible.
Not Acceptable Documents
- Boarding passes without travel details.
- Screenshots of documents.
- Copy-paste airline emails converted to PDF.
- Bank statements or PayPal receipts.
- Pegasus tickets: Some invoices from Pegasus may include unclear expenses like "Diger." Those will be deducted, as the type of expense cannot be identified.
Participants must upload all supporting documents as a single PDF per travel mode. If multiple modes of transport are used (e.g., plane and train), create separate entries in the claim.
Eligible Expenses
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Participants may claim visa processing fees for attending approved COST events.
Required Documents:- Receipt/stamp from the embassy/consulate issuing the visa.
- Amount paid for the visa.
- Agency or service fee for the purchase of the flight / train tickets.
- The cost of the luggage and extra charges such as seat reservation as long as it is based on clear evidence in the supporting document.
- Travel cancellation insurance
Non-Eligible Expenses
The following expenses cannot be claimed:
- Taxi fares, parking, fuel, toll charges, car rental, additional accommodation, extra meals.
- SMS costs, photocopying fees, postage fees related to visas.
- Stand-alone medical/life insurance or luggage insurance.
- Carbon offset fees.
- Fees/charges for changing or rebooking travel tickets.
- Bank charges for reimbursements.
Boarding Passes
As mentioned, boarding passes are generally not accepted as supportive documents for COST. However, FORTH, the Grant Holder Institution, requires boarding passes to be submitted along with invoices. Therefore, participants are requested to upload their boarding passes in a separate PDF document. If you have a hardcopy of your boarding pass, a scanned copy of it will be sufficient (along with supporting documents acceptable by COST).
Double Funding?
Participants must not receive double funding. When submitting the Online Travel Reimbursement Request (OTRR) via e-COST, participants are required to declare that they will not receive reimbursement or allowance from a third party for attending the approved COST activity. If partially funded by another source, the corresponding amount must be deducted from the claim.
The COST Association reserves the right to verify any claims and contact relevant parties (participant, institution, or third party) if double funding is suspected.