10.1.a. General overview

Train travel can be in either economy class or business class (second or first class).

Travel by plane happens in standard economy class. Travelling by plane in business class is only authorized if (cumulative conditions):

  1. the invited/sponsored healthcare professional participates in the scientific event as a consultant,
  2. and the outward and / or return flight is longer than a) six consecutive hours, b) or six non-consecutive hours because of a stopover, however, excluding the waiting time at the stopover in the airport (in other words, the consultant is at least 6 hours in the air).

Thus, regarding transport, a difference in terms of financing is made between participating healthcare professionals and those with the status of consultant. Here follows a definition of these categories:

  • Participants: healthcare professionals taking part in a scientific event in a learning situation
  • Consultants: healthcare professionals who are providing scientific services within the context of a scientific event on behalf of the organizer of the event or on behalf of a pharmaceutical or medical devices company. Examples: speakers, participants in an investigator meeting, expert meeting, etc. The status of the consultant must be demonstrated in the dossier (e.g. name in program, defining mission in visa application). Is not a consultant: poster presentation, reporting afterwards, etc.).

General note: Only reasonable travel expenses are eligible for reimbursement. If there is a reasonable alternative that is significantly less expensive, the company’s financial contribution must be limited to that reasonable alternative, unless there is a valid and legitimate justification.

See below for a summary:

10.1.b. May I offer flexible airline tickets?

Yes, provided two cumulative conditions are met:

  1. A motivated justification (e.g. flex character is needed to check in luggage, to cancel and recover costs, to shorten stay if the congress stops earlier, because there are no other options, because it is included by default in the chosen class, …), and
  2. A written statement that the flexibility will not be used to extend the stay (leaving earlier or returning later).

Both conditions (motivation and statement) must be mentioned in the visa application itself. See here for an example: “We have opted for flexible tickets in order to be able to recover our costs in case of cancellation, but we declare that the flexible character will not be used to extend the stay“.

10.1.c. I’d like to reimburse taxi expenses: what to do?

Taxi costs should always be a realistic estimate of the actual price. When taxi costs are included in the visa application, an additional explanation must be provided in each case. This info could be, for example, the following:

  • In case of multiple participants/consultants: will the taxi be shared?
  • Distances to be covered?
  • Regular taxi? Private driver ? Limo ?
  • Add quote from an agency.
  • Add simulation (see e.g. https://www.taxifarefinder.com/).

The healthcare professional must finance him or herself the difference in price with a (standard) Economy Class flight. This must be clearly stated in the visa application and supported by documents. The same applies to a participant who wishes to travel in business class or premium/plus economy class.

If a flight ticket is sponsored, there has to be a justificatif of 1) the cost, 2) the class and 3) the date and hours of the chosen flight attached to the visa application. It has to be:

  • Either a print screen from the reservation made online. On this document must clearly appear both the cost of the plane ticket and the class (e.g. not just class “E” or “Y”) as well as the date/hour (and if possible the flexible nature of the ticket or not). These information cannot be proven through an email of invoice of a travel agency. We do not expect of course a copy of a definitive reservation since the tickets are booked after reception of the Mdeon visa.
  • Or a sworn statement completed by the travel agency the company works with, using the following model: model of sworn statement – flight. After completing the statement, the travel agency must affix a handwritten signature and its stamp (in case of absence of a stamp, it must be printed on the stationery of the agency), then convert the document to PDF and send it to the company by email to be attached to the visa application. Note that this sworn statement only applies to plane tickets booked through a travel agency. If a ticket is booked by the company itself, a print screen must be used.

Be careful:

  • The cost of the flight mentioned in the visa application (section B4) must be exactly the same as stated on the justificatif and if appropriate, converted into euros.
  • A sponsored flight should always leave from Belgium and return to Belgium. An exception may be allowed if the healthcare professional is elsewhere or should be elsewhere for professional reasons (e.g. participation in another conference), which must be justified and documented in the visa application. However, if it is for personal reasons, the flight can only be funded if this ticket is as a result not more expensive (unless the sponsored healthcare practitioner pays the difference in price himself).
  • When working with a print screen, all the above mentioned data must figure clearly in one document. This document cannot be combined with another document.