Funding and travel

Travel approval and booking

Last reviewed 17 September 2026

Every trip needs a Pre-Trip Approval, and bookings are made through FCM, UNSW's travel management company. Before you start, your supervisor should have endorsed the trip, and the Postgraduate Research Coordinator (PGRC) should have confirmed by email the amount the School of Economics (SOE) will provide.

Submit a Pre-Trip Approval

1. Go to the MyTravel@UNSW website and log in to FCM.
2. Complete your FCM traveller profile, using your name exactly as it appears on your passport.
3. Create a Pre-Trip Approval request (domestic, international or trans-Tasman), and choose "Student" as your traveller type.
4. Give your traveller information, general information about the trip, your travel plan and your travel budget, using the details below.
5. Once your trip is approved, book through FCM, online or with an FCM consultant.

Trip details

Choose "Conference" as the purpose of the trip, and upload:

• the email from the PGRC stating your approved budget;
• your conference acceptance letter;
• any other relevant documents.

For the travel budget, use these project codes:

Approvers

• Primary approver: the SOE manager (Hock Thye Chan). FCM may fill in your supervisor as approver; replace them with the SOE manager.
• Budget owner: the SOE manager (Hock Thye Chan).

Booking rules

• The SOE only supports the pre-approved amount. If your expenses go above it, you will be asked to pay back the difference. Ask your supervisors whether they can cover more.
• Book flights and accommodation through FCM.
• If the SOE office agrees in advance that part of a trip can be booked elsewhere, still lodge a Pre-Trip Approval for the whole trip, so that it is covered by UNSW travel insurance. Travel booked outside FCM must be declared.
• Destinations rated high risk need approval before you book.
• Ask the SOE office before making any purchase outside the standard travel procedure.
• We recommend searching for options yourself first. Once you find a convenient, inexpensive option, book it through FCM.

For the full rules, see the travel section of the UNSW Finance Policy.