Information for TUM Global Visiting Professors

Flights and train rides are only reimbursed at economy or second class rates. Seat reservation fees for trains are covered, and in some cases, additional air travel costs (e.g., for extra legroom) can be reimbursed if a valid reason is provided.

If you choose to book a business class ticket and wish to cover the additional cost yourself, please submit both:

• The paid invoice for the business class ticket
• A screenshot of an economy class fare for the same route (including price and itinerary)

We will reimburse the lower of the two amounts.

We reimburse travel costs from the visiting professor’s home address to TUM.

If you make additional stops along the way that are not justified and pre-approved, please also provide an alternative cost estimate for a direct trip. This can be a screenshot from a booking website showing the price and itinerary of a comparable direct route. We will reimburse the lower amount between the actual cost and the cost of the direct trip.

If traveling by car is justified, we can reimburse mileage based on the distance traveled (currently: €0.40/km; until 31.12.2022: €0.35/km).

Please provide:

• A screenshot or map showing the route taken
• A clear indication of the total kilometers traveled

In line with our environmentally friendly policies, we recommend using public transportation whenever possible. However, if taking a cab is justified, the cost can be reimbursed.

Please include a brief explanation with your reimbursement request (e.g., transporting large conference materials or lack of available public transportation).

We reimburse travel from the visiting professor’s home address to TUM and back. This includes public transportation used for arrival and departure.

Business-related travel during your stay (e.g., visits to partner laboratories) can also be reimbursed if approved in advance.

Unfortunately, we cannot cover daily commuting costs between your accommodation and TUM. Weekly or monthly public transport passes (e.g., the Deutschlandticket) can only be reimbursed if they are more cost-effective than purchasing individual tickets for approved business trips. In such cases, a justification must be provided.

For public transportation, we require both the ticket and proof of payment.

• If you paid in cash, no separate proof of payment is needed.
• If you used an e-ticket, please send us a screenshot of the ticket.
• If you lost your paper ticket and don’t have a photo of it, you may submit the receipt instead. This can be a paper receipt or a digital one, such as a screenshot of the confirmation or reservation email.

We reimburse accommodation costs up to €120 per night in Munich and up to €90 per night in smaller cities (with fewer than 300,000 inhabitants).

If prices exceed these limits due to events such as fairs or exhibitions (e.g., Oktoberfest), please consult with the TUM Global & Alumni Office before making a booking.

You’re welcome to rent a flat instead of booking a hotel if you plan to stay for an extended period.
In this case, please provide a copy of your rental agreement instead of an invoice.

Yes, visa fees are reimbursed if they are necessary for your stay at TUM.

You’re welcome to come to Munich with your family, but please note that we can only reimburse costs for the visiting professor.

If your accommodation covers multiple people, the total cost will be divided per person (with exceptions made for children).

For example, if you submit a €2,000 monthly hotel invoice for two adults, we will reimburse €1,000.

The following expenses cannot be reimbursed through the TUM Global Visiting Professor Program:

• Per diems, lunch allowances, and entertainment expenses
• Rental car costs
• Insurance premiums and deposits
• Expenses for accompanying persons and family members
• Teaching assignments (note: lecture fees may be reimbursed)

A formal teaching assignment (Lehrauftrag) is not possible through this program. However, we can reimburse keynote speeches or public lectures if they are pre-approved by the TUM host.

Typically, compensation is around €150 per hour for guests with a doctorate and up to €200 per hour for professors. This fee covers preparation and follow-up work.

To process reimbursement, please provide:

• The invitation letter from the host chair, including the location, date & time, title of the event and lecture/speech, and the agreed honorarium (amount in Euros)
• The visiting professor’s invoice to the TUM chair, stating location, date & time, title of the event and lecture/speech, agreed honorarium (amount in Euros), and bank details
• For events (not applicable to open/public events): a signed list of participants
• The completed Tax Declaration form (PDF, 510 KB)
• For external project members residing in Germany and/or staying longer than six months: the completed Declaration on Tax Confidentiality form (PDF, 399 KB)

If you personally covered any costs, please submit your reimbursement request using our online reimbursement form.

You will need to upload the following documents:

• Completed Reimbursement form (PDF, 162 KB)
• Completed Tax Declaration (PDF, 510 KB)  –  Example (PDF, 537 KB)
• All original invoices and tickets*
• Proof of payment, e.g., a bank statement (PNG, 69 KB)
• Only for guests with a residence in Germany and/or staying longer than six months: Completed Declaration on tax confidentiality (PDF, 400 KB)
   

*For any original invoices or tickets that are not in digital format, please send them by post to:

Technical University of Munich
TUM Global & Alumni Office
Camille Piton
Arcisstraße 21
80333 Munich

If the TUM Chair covered your expenses directly, please use the appropriate online reimbursement form for internal reimbursement.

You will need to upload the following documents:

• Completed Kassenanordnung MU 65 –  Example (PDF, 280 KB)
• Completed Tax Declaration (PDF, 510 KB) by the visiting professor  –  Example (PDF, 537 KB)
• Copies of all invoices and tickets
• Proof of payment, such as a SAP Statement and, if applicable, a bank statement from the original payer

Once approved, the original documents must be sent by post to:

Technical University of Munich
TUM Global & Alumni Office
Camille Piton
Arcisstraße 21
80333 Munich

If your home university paid for your travel costs directly or reimbursed them to you, please use the appropriate online reimbursement form.

You will need to upload the following documents:

• Completed Reimbursement form (PDF, 162 KB), filled out by your university
• Copies of all invoices and tickets
• Proof of payment (university’s bank statement and, if applicable, the guest’s bank statement  –  Example (PNG, 69 KB)

As a rule, reimbursements must be transferred to the authorized person—the visiting professor—who is also the legal recipient of the funds under tax law.

If the visiting professor cannot receive the payment due to banking limitations (e.g., international transfers not accepted), please contact the TUM Global & Alumni Office to request an exception. If approved, the following additional documents are required:

• A signed statement from the visiting professor confirming that payment may be made to another person with discharging effect
• A confirmation from the recipient that they will forward the reimbursed amount to the visiting professor

According to §13b of the German VAT Act, value-added tax (VAT) for services provided in Germany by international service providers—such as visiting professors—must be paid by the recipient of the service (in this case, TUM). This is known as the "reverse charge" mechanism.

This regulation applies to any service provided to the Technical University of Munich in the context of a visiting professorship or guest lecture.

The Tax Declaration form is required whenever TUM reimburses or covers costs for an international service provider. The purpose of this form is to determine the visiting professor's tax status—specifically, whether they are considered a taxable person (self-employed) or a non-taxable person under German VAT law.

• If the professor is considered taxable, TUM  – not the professor – is responsible for reporting and paying VAT to the German tax authorities.
• If the professor is non-taxable, no VAT is owed.

Please note: This form has no impact on your personal tax obligations in your home country or country of residence.

If you wish to acknowledge this funding in your paper(s), please use the below sentence: 

"… was funded as part of the Excellence Strategy of the federal and state governments."