A corporate travel policy template for Pakistani companies
A good travel policy is short enough to read, clear enough to follow and specific enough to enforce. This template sets out the sections most Pakistani companies need, with examples you can adapt. It is a starting point, not legal or tax advice; your HR, finance and legal teams should approve the final text.
The ten sections of a travel policy
Use these headings in order. Each one should fit on a page.
| Section | What it should say |
|---|---|
| 1. Purpose and scope | Who the policy covers (staff, contractors, guests you pay for) and which trips: domestic, international, events. |
| 2. Roles | Traveller, line manager, budget holder, HR, finance and the travel management company, and what each is responsible for. |
| 3. Approval | Who approves which trips, at what cost thresholds, and before what point in the booking. |
| 4. Flights | Cabin class by grade or flight length, booking lead times, lowest logical fare, changes and loyalty points. |
| 5. Hotels | Nightly limits by city, preferred hotels, sharing rules and long-stay arrangements. |
| 6. Ground transport | Airport transfers, car hire, drivers, ride-hailing and when road travel is not allowed. |
| 7. Allowances and expenses | Per diem or actual costs, receipts, currency, cash advances and deadlines for claims. |
| 8. Safety and duty of care | Risk levels, pre-trip checks, tracking, emergency contacts and the right to refuse a trip. |
| 9. Visas, insurance and health | Who pays, who prepares files, required insurance and vaccinations. |
| 10. Exceptions and review | How to request an exception, who grants it, and when the policy is reviewed. |
Write rules people can follow
The most useful rules are numerical and binary. "Economy for flights under six hours; business class above that for grade M3 and higher" can be applied at the moment of booking. "Travel in reasonable comfort" cannot. Where a rule needs judgement, name the person who makes it.
For Pakistani companies, the domestic section usually decides when staff fly and when they drive: for example, fly between Karachi and Lahore or Islamabad, drive for Lahore–Faisalabad or Lahore–Sialkot, with road travel only in daylight on routes your security team approves.
- Use cabin class by flight duration, not by destination name
- Set hotel limits per city in PKR or the local currency
- Name who can approve an exception and in what time
Allowances in plain words
State whether the company pays a flat daily allowance, actual costs with receipts, or a mix. State the currency, the exchange rate rule for foreign currency claims and the deadline for submitting expenses after the trip. Tax treatment of allowances can differ; take advice and check the Federal Board of Revenue’s current guidance.
Duty of care is not optional
Employers have a responsibility for staff when they travel for work. The policy should say who assesses risk before a trip, what happens for higher-risk destinations, how travellers are tracked and contacted, and that a traveller can decline a trip on safety grounds without penalty.
Base destination risk levels on official advisories such as the UK FCDO foreign travel advice and your own security assessment, and review them before each trip.
Launch, then measure
Publish the policy with a one-page summary for travellers, brief approvers on their role, and set it up in your booking process so the rules apply automatically. After three months, review exceptions: if one rule is broken often, it is either wrong or poorly explained.
Your policy, applied at the moment of booking
GTOS applies travel policy rules by designation, department and destination, flags out-of-policy choices and routes them to the right approver. GTOS launches in January 2027; demo accounts are available now.
How Go Global puts it into practice
Draft
We share this template and examples.
Fit
We map your grades, cities and approvers.
Approve
HR, finance and legal sign off.
Apply
Rules set up in booking and approval.
Review
Exceptions reviewed after three months.
Travel policy template: questions
Is this template legal advice?
No. It is a practical structure. Your legal, HR and tax advisers should approve the final policy.
How long should a travel policy be?
Most work best at 6 to 10 pages, plus a one-page summary for travellers.
Should the policy name hotels or airlines?
Usually not in the policy itself. Keep preferred suppliers in a separate list that can change without re-approving the policy.
How often should we review it?
At least once a year, and after any major change in where or how your staff travel.
Planning a travel policy?
Tell us who is travelling, when and why. We reply with a plan, the visa route and a quote. Go Global has handled 100,000+ trips, and our team works 24/7 for travellers on the road. Email insights@goglobal.pk or WhatsApp 0320-4111222.