Meals per Diem & Mileage Rates

Travellers may be reimbursed for the cost of meals either by submitting receipts for actual meal costs or by claiming meal per diems.

Meal per Diems

  • Receipts are not required to claim meals per diem.
  • Where a meal per diem is claimed no additional amount may be claimed for the same meals.
  • Travellers may claim a meal per diem for an entire day or partial day.
  • Meal per diem may only be claimed where meals have actually been consumed.
  • Meal per diem cannot be claimed where meals are already included, such as through conference fees, meetings, etc.
Maximum Rates (incl. tax and gratuities)  Canada (CAD) USA & International (CAD)
Breakfast $18  $24 
Lunch $20  $26
Dinner $42 $50
Daily Total $80  $100

As of September 1, 2022, the revised rates will only be displayed in Canadian dollars in Workday; therefore, the existing expense items, ‘Meals | Per Diem US’ and ‘Meals | Per Diem EUR’ will be inactivated and replaced with ‘Meals | Per Diem Can’ and ‘Meals | Per Diem Intl’ (which includes the US and countries other than Canada). The process of claiming per diems will remain unchanged.

Mileage rate

Travel by private vehicle may be necessary to save time and/or costs. Reimbursement for costs are made to the driver only and are calculated by applying the mileage (km) rate to the actual driving distance while on UBC business, by the most direct route.

The amount claimed should not exceed the full economy airfare.

The mileage rate will be updated regularly to be in alignment with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) prescribed rate. Visit CRA's website for the latest mileage rate. For instructions on how to create an expense report for mileage, see Create an Expense Report for Mileage in the Workday Knowledge Base.

Meal per diems and mileage rates policies are outlined in UBC Business Expenses Policy and Business Expense Rules.