Business trips abroad

Please follow and check the travel advice from the German Federal Foreign Office. We also refer you here to the German Federal Foreign Office’s travel app, where you will find all the information you need for a safe and smooth trip abroad in one place. The German Federal Foreign Office recommends that all German nationals, regardless of country and duration of stay abroad, register online in the crisis prevention list (ELEFAND).

The “Electronic Registration of Germans Abroad” is designed to enable German missions abroad to quickly get in touch with Germans resident in their local area and their family members in an emergency. Anyone planning to spend just a short period of time abroad can register at the earliest ten days before the start of their trip.

The electronic list replaces the previously manually maintained German lists of German diplomatic missions. Those registered in the ELEFAND list will be asked to confirm or update their information at regular intervals. This is to ensure that registrations are complete and up to date.

For business trips abroad, a risk assessment or even a mandatory preventive check-up with the company medical service may be necessary!

The current list of daily and accommodation allowances abroad for the year 2024 can you find here.

You can find the list for the coming year 2025 for daily and overnight allowances abroad here.

In view of the situation, it is reminded that business trips abroad must also be limited to the time necessary for the official business.

Important information

Insurances

For your own protection, you are also strongly advised to take out foreign health insurance (with repatriation)!

Please note that these are not reimbursable according to the RKG-NRW:

Foreign health insurance (with repatriation)
special accident insurance (including flight accident insurance) or health insurance
Travel cancellation insurance

Posting

Please note that a secondment must be made in the case of a business trip abroad.

Please contact your personnel officer for this purpose!

Risk assessment

Stays abroad with special climatic stresses and risks of infection as well as journeys lasting more than 3 months:
For activities in the tropics and subtropics and stays abroad with special climatic stresses and infection hazards as well as for stays abroad of more than 3 months per year in total, an occupational health check-up and a risk assessment must be carried out before the business trip is approved. Information on this can be found in the Occupational Health and Safety section.
An overview of the countries concerned can be found here.
Proof of the examination and the risk assessment must be submitted with the business trip application. Otherwise, a business trip permit cannot be issued.
Please inform yourself in advance about the information provided by the Federal Foreign Office for your country of travel.
All other business trips and excursions abroad and also within Germany:
For all other business trips abroad or within Germany, risk assessments must be carried out before the trip.
You can find more information on this topic in the section on occupational health and safety.
A risk assessment must always be prepared for field trips.

If you have any questions, please ask our staff in the occupational health and safety department or the company doctor for advice.
If you provide insufficient information, your insurance cover under labour law may be at risk.

Leaflet for customs and export control

Please click here to find the leaflet for customs and export control.