Can You Claim Travel Expenses For A Job Interview?

If you’re actively seeking employment in a different location which may be quite a distance away, this can raise the question of whether the employer will pay for your travel expenses to attend the interview - but do you have a right to ask this?

It may sound uncommon for people to ask a potential employer if they can cover their travel expenses, but actually, it’s more common than you may think. 

You could be doing multiple interviews across the country or abroad and this can lead to quite a substantial amount of money being spent on travel. So can you be reimbursed for this? 

As professional interview coaches and CV writing consultants, Kenny Refresh are here to answer the most common questions surrounding interview travel expenses.

Do companies pay travel expenses for a job interview?

It is possible, but not all companies will reimburse your travel expenses for an interview, so it’s worthwhile checking the job listing first to see if this is stated or not. If this information isn’t apparent in the listing then it’s a good idea to contact the employer before attending the interview to ask if their policies cover travel expenses.

It’s important to note that if you don’t live far from the job location and you ask for your travel expenses to be paid for by them, then this may not send a good message to the employer. Remember that first impressions count, and this may not get you off to a good start if it’s unnecessary. So, to avoid this situation from occurring just think, will you have to travel far to reach the job location? If the answer is yes, then write a suitable email to the employer explaining your situation.

Reasons why companies might cover travel expenses

While it may be uncommon, some companies will cover travel expenses however, you may have to be in a certain category to be eligible for this. For example, if an employer is actively searching for an employee to take up a job and you are a recruited candidate, then your travel expenses are likely to be paid for, as they reached out to you from the offset. 

Furthermore, the likelihood of your travel expenses being paid for are heightened if the job is a high paid role. Large corporate companies have extremely high standards and invest in potential new employees to be taken great care of to entice them to join their company. 

In addition, travel expenses are likely to be paid if the job you are applying for is an internal position within your current company, but would require international relocation or a further commute, then you will be entitled to have your travel expenses paid for, as you have your foot in the door - you already work for them!

How to ask for travel reimbursements

At first, the thought of asking for travel reimbursements may feel a little awkward and uncomfortable - after all, there is no easy way to ask the question. However, asking about money isn’t as awkward as you might think - the employer may just be expecting it. Having said that, there are a few simple ways to approach it correctly.

Establish beforehand if you will need your travel expenses paid for. If it's too far to travel to and it's going to cost you a lot of money to reach the location, then be honest with the employer and explain your situation. You could either give them a call or send an email, but make sure you get your point across. If they are happy to reimburse your travel expenses, then great - but remember to keep your receipts so it doesn’t appear to the employer that you’re trying to take money off them as you don’t want to raise any red flags.

Whatever you do - don’t wait until you attend the interview to ask for reimbursements, as you may end up disappointed.

What may be covered in travel reimbursements

When asking a potential employer to cover your travel expenses, it’s important to know what that actually covers. 

Typically, travel reimbursements will only cover your mode of transport to get to and from the location - such as flight costs, trains, buses etc. In certain circumstances, companies will also pay for your accommodation should you need it. This is understandable as if you’re having to travel abroad or to the other end of the country it can be a lengthy and expensive trip, so employers will usually offer this as a goodwill gesture.

Naturally, companies travel imbursement policies won't usually cover anything else such as your food expenses or a change of accommodation if you want to extend your stay, this is all on you. After all, you’re only there for interview purposes so it’s not the responsibility of the employer to fund your entire stay.