Create Spend Authorization (QRG)

This Quick Reference Guide (QRG) is designed to walk Employees through the process of creating a Spend Authorization in Workday. To better comply with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), UVA is implementing the Spend Authorization process for companion travel.
Companion travel must have a bona fide business purpose to be an allowable expense and reimbursable by UVA.

To establish the companion travel as bona fide and request approval for your estimated travel companion expenses, you must submit a Spend Authorization. Companion travel expenses require approved spend authorizations before you can create an expense report.
Refer to policy FIN-004 for more details and what qualifies as companion travel.


The following companion travel expenses (domestic and international) require a spend authorization: agency fee, airfare, air upgrade, baggage fees, entrance fees, public transit, rail, and rail upgrade. These are the only expense items that require a spend authorization.

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