Agencies have the authority to pay actual expenses of up to three times the established per diem rate where rates are not sufficient based on a specific need. Image: Lee Charlie/Shutterstock.com
GSA has announced that there will be no changes in the per diem rates for federal employees traveling on official business in fiscal year 2026, starting October 1 2025, keeping $110 per day as the standard lodging rate for destinations without specific rates.
The range of the meals and incidental expenses portion will remain between $68 and $92 per day, GSA said in an August 19 Federal Register notice. The lowest figure acts as the standard “M&IE” rate for destinations without specific lodgings rates.
There will be no change in the number of destinations with their own lodgings rates, about 300, some of which further vary by season. Destinations with higher lodgings rates tend to have higher M&IE rates, as well.
In a separate statement, the GSA said its decision “reflects the federal government’s commitment to being a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars, ensuring that federal funds are utilized appropriately, cost-effectively, and for core mission-related activities.”
If there is no lodging available at the rate for a location, employees may request that their agency approve an actual expense reimbursement, which may be for up to three times that location’s rate. Further, agencies may request GSA to review a rate if they find it “insufficient to meet necessary expenses.”
The covered areas for specific destinations and the rates are at gsa.gov/perdiem.
Per diem expense allowances
You are eligible for a per diem or actual expense allowance when you perform official travel away from your official station, incur per diem expenses on that travel and are in a travel status for more than 12 hours. Per diem expenses will be reimbursed by one of these methods:
The General Services Administration establishes the maximum CONUS (Continental United States) per diem rates for federal travelers (the Defense Department establishes the “OCONUS” or Outside Continental United States rates for Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and U.S. possessions).
The rates are designed to provide a sufficient allowance for the traveler to stay at safe and comfortable rooms while on official business. The rates are set according to a survey of hotel and meal costs in locations regularly traveled to by government employees on official business. These generally are “two-star” and “three-star” hotels that are on a fire safety list (federal law encourages federal employees to stay at hotels meeting certain fire safety standards). GSA establishes the appropriate per diem allowance for each location, setting in-season and off-season rates whose dates vary locally for locations with distinct in-demand travel seasons.
Agencies have the authority to pay actual expenses of up to three times the established per diem rate where rates are not sufficient based on a specific need. The agency decides what may be approved as reimbursement of appropriate expenses incurred for occasional meals or lodging that are determined to be necessary and justified by the circumstances involved.
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