Per Diem

Per diem is a set allowance for lodging, meal and incidental costs incurred while on official government travel. Calculation of travel per diem rates within the Federal government is a shared responsibility of the General Services Administration (GSA), the Department of State (DoS), and the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO).

DTMO publishes revised per diem rates in the Federal Register via a Civilian Personnel Per Diem Bulletin. Please see the Federal Register to access previously published Civilian Personnel Per Diem Bulletins.

First & Last Day of Travel

On the day of departure from the permanent duty station and on the day of return, a traveler receives 75 percent of the applicable M&IE rate regardless of departure or return time. Exemptions or waivers to this rule are not permitted.

The M&IE rate for the day of departure from the permanent duty station is the locality rate at the temporary duty location. The M&IE rate for the day of return to the permanent duty station is the M&IE rate at the last temporary duty location.

The 75 percent rule also applies to the day of departure from a previous permanent duty station and the day of arrival to a new permanent duty station in certain instances, depending on whether the traveler is a civilian employee or a Service member. See JTR Section 0503 for more information on per diem for Service members, and Section 0539 for more information on per diem for civilian employees.

The Government meal rate or proportional meal rate does not apply on the first and last days of travel.

Stopovers

If a traveler has a stopover when traveling to or returning from the temporary duty location, the traveler receives the M&IE rate for the stopover point. If return travel to the permanent duty station requires more than one day, and additional stopovers are required, per diem for the last day of travel is based on the M&IE rate at the last stopover location.

Rate Review

If the per diem rate for a location is too low, Military Advisory Panel (MAP) or Civilian Advisory Panel (CAP) members, DoS Office of Allowances, GSA Office of Government-Wide Policy, or an appropriate Federal Agency Travel Manager may request a rate review. Responsible Agencies should email non-foreign OCONUS rate review requests to dodhra.mc-alex.dtmo.mbx.per-diem@mail.mil. U.S. Government personnel should contact their appropriate Federal Agency Travel Manager to request a rate review for a CONUS or foreign location. Responsible Agencies should follow the instructions provided on the GSA or DoS websites.

An out of cycle Rate Review Request should include:

  • A letter on agency letterhead with a signature. The letter should identify the location, the insufficiency of the local per diem rate, the number of Government employees or Uniformed Service personnel impacted, and the number of times AEA was used in the previous year by travelers to the location.
  • A complete Hotel and Restaurant Report (DS-2026) providing up-to-date price data from the location.
  • Documentation verifying all price data reported in the attached DS-2026.

Rate review requests must be submitted in coordination with the agency or component’s chain-of-command. Submit the rate review request via one of the following:

  • Uniformed Services. Local commanders must forward all rate review requests to the Service’s Military Advisory Panel (MAP) member for submission to the DTMO PRB for review. See MAP member contact information.
  • DoD Civilian Employees. DoD component heads must forward all rate review requests to the appropriate Civilian Advisory Panel (CAP) member for submission to the DTMO PRB for review. See CAP member’s contact information.
  • DoS Employees. The DoS Office of Allowances is responsible for submitting all non-foreign OCONUS rate review requests originating in the DoS to the DTMO PRB for review.
  • GSA Employees. The GSA Office of Government-wide Policy is responsible for submitting all non-foreign OCONUS rate review requests originating in GSA to the DTMO PRB for review.
  • All other Government Employees. Federal Agency Travel Managers are responsible for submitting all other non-foreign OCONUS rate review requests to the DTMO PRB for review. Email requests to dodhra.mc-alex.dtmo.mbx.per-diem@mail.mil.

For more information, review further guidance on per diem reporting procedures and responsibilities [PDF, 4 pages]. For additional questions, email the DTMO Policy and Regulations Team.

If an authorizing official (AO) knows that lodging or meal costs during travel will be lower than usual due to prearrangements, special discounts, or other reasons, the AO may request a reduced per diem rate. A reduced per diem rate must be authorized before travel begins.

Requests for reduced per diem are submitted to the appropriate Military Advisory Panel (MAP) or Civilian Advisory Panel (CAP) representative. Requests must include the established lodging and meal costs, the traveler’s name, travel dates, the TDY location, the point of contact’s name and phone number for the request, and the recommended reduced per diem rate.