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External Examiners

Welcome to the External Examiner Fees and Expenses Submission Guidelines Examination Fees

Examination Fees

Doctorate Degree (PhD/ MD) Examination (Visting or Virtual):

Fee: €216 per PhD/MD
Maximum payment allowable: One day

Virtual Fee Extern Examiner (Visiting or Virtual):

Fee: €250 per day
Maximum payment allowable per review session: Two days

Extern Examiner Reading Fees:

Minor Thesis: €52 per thesis
Research Master Thesis: €102 per thesis

Submission Process

After completing your examination duties or incurring expenses during your visit to Galway, please submit your quality report as soon as possible. Additionally, please ensure that you submit an External Examiners Form to externalexaminers@universityofgalway.ie. It is crucial to ensure that both submissions are made promptly, and no later than three months after concluding the examination, to facilitate processing at the end of the academic cycle. Late claims will only be considered with written justification and sign-off from the College UMT.

Payroll and Accounts Payable Processing for External Examiners

Payroll Office (Timesheets Bureau Team):

Responsible for processing claims for External Examiners who:

Travel to Ireland for work duties, or
Are Irish tax residents and possess a PPS number.
Payments for these individuals are subject to taxation, and expenses can be claimed in accordance with QA302 Sustainable Travel Policy, QA303 Use of Own Transport Policy, QA304 Reimbursement of travel and subsistence costs to non-University staff and students and QA226 Policies and Procedures for Payment.

Please note that the portion of the fee related to duties outside of Ireland is not subject to taxation in Ireland. However, individuals are advised that tax obligations in their home country remain their responsibility.

Furthermore, individuals may be able to offset any taxes deducted on these claims against their overall tax liability in their country of tax residence.

Accounts Payable:

Responsible for processing claims for External Examiners who:

Did not travel to Ireland for work duties, and
Are not Irish tax residents.

Payments for these individuals are tax-free, and expenses are not applicable.

It's important to note that payments for these individuals are not taxed in Ireland. However, individuals are responsible for any tax due on these payments in their home country.

Monthly Submission Deadline for External Examiners

External Examiners APPROVER must email timesheet, expenses, and receipts to the Bureau by 5 pm on the 5th of each month (except December, which has a deadline of November 28th, 2024). If the 5th falls on a weekend, the deadline is the previous Friday at 5 pm to ensure inclusion in the upcoming payroll. Please ensure compliance with QA226 Policies and Procedures for Payment of External Examiners, including QA302 Sustainable Travel Policy, QA303 Use of Own Transport Policy, QA304 Reimbursement of travel and subsistence costs to non-University staff and students.

Traveling Expenses Policy Overview for External Examiners

At the University of Galway, External Examiners are required to adhere to the QA302 Sustainable Travel Policy. Below are the key guidelines for travel expenses:

Transportation: It is recommended to use the most economical form of transport, such as standard or economy class for air travel, and public transportation options for ground travel.
Expense Documentation:
- All expenses must be paid by the External Examiner and will be reimbursed based on original vouched receipts.
- Original receipts are required and credit card slips are not acceptable (QA302 7.1.10 b)
- External examiners are required to submit all receipts to externalexaminers@universityofgalway.ie.
- The approver is required to retain all receipts for auditing purposes and also send them via email to the timesheets bureau.
Reimbursement Process: The University will not directly pay hotels, travel agencies, or other entities. External Examiners are responsible for submitting reimbursement claims along with all necessary documentation for review and processing.
Currency Conversion: Expenses must be converted to Euro using the Xe Currency Converter, utilizing the exchange rate on the date indicated on the receipt.
Motor Travel Reimbursement: The reimbursement rate for motor travel is set at 41.8 cents per kilometer traveled within Ireland..
Prohibited Expense: Expenses incurred for alcoholic beverages will not be eligible for reimbursement.
Reimbursement Policy for Accommodation & Subsistence:
- External Examiners visiting the University of Galway may be reimbursed for expenses related to accommodation and subsistence upon submission of itemized vouched receipts.
- It is crucial to ensure that claims do not exceed the actual costs incurred and to avoid double claiming expenses already included in hotel bills
Scope of Reimbursement: Reimbursement is restricted to expenses essential for work as an External Examiner at the University of Galway. Expenses outside this scope will not be reimbursed.

Travel & Subsistence Rates

In Ireland, Travel & Subsistence Rates, commonly known as Civil service rates, are set by the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform (DEPR) in Ireland. These rates aren't limited to the civil service; they apply across various sectors, including the public and private sectors.

These rates essentially represent the maximum allowable tax-free reimbursement that employees can receive for the expenses they incur while on business trips. This includes costs for accommodation, meals, and beverages and employees must have incurred the costs wholly, exclusively and necessarily when carrying out the duties of their employment.

In simpler terms, Travel & Subsistence Rates in Ireland are the standard guidelines established by the DEPR to determine how much employees can be reimbursed without incurring tax liabilities for their business travel expenses. These rates promote consistency and fairness in reimbursing such expenses across different industries and organisations.

Official Subsistence Rates by Department of Public Expenditure & Reform (DEPR)

Subsistence Rates:

Maximum Reimbursement Rates for Overnight Stay:
- - Covers up to 24 hours from the departure time, plus an additional 5 hours. Applicable for absences over 100 km from home or the normal place of work. Includes accommodation and three meals.
  - Galway Overnight Allowance:
    - - Until 13th December 2023: €167
      - From 14th December 2023, onwards: €195
      - Costs outside those values must be taxed via payroll.

Daily Allowance (more than 10 hours):
- - The 10-hour rate is designed to cover the staff member's daily expenses for meals and drinks when away on a business trip for more than ten hours and the staff member did not pay for accommodation.
  - Applicable for absences is more than 8 km (5 miles) from the claimant's home or normal place of work.
  - Up to 10 Horus Daily Allowance Rates:
    - Until 13th December 2023: €39.08 (Covers 2 meals: lunch + main meal, paid by claimant)
    - From 14th December 2023, onwards: €42.99 (Covers 2 meals: lunch + main meal, paid by claimant)

Daily Allowance (more than 5 hours):
- - The 5-hour rate is designed to cover the staff member's daily expenses for meals and drinks when away on a business trip for more than five and less than ten hours.
  - Applicable for absences is more than 8 km (5 miles) from the claimant's home or normal place of work.
  - Up to 5 Horus Daily Allowance Rates:
    - Until 13th December 2023: €16.29 (Covers 1 meal: lunch/main meal, paid by the claimant)
    - From 14th December 2023, onwards: €17.92 (Covers 1 meal: lunch/main meal, paid by the claimant)

Checklist for Expenses Approvers

Form for External Examiners

Amended Form V5-5/11/2024 External Examiner Form

Please review the information here on what is required for payroll to process payments for tax resident and non-tax resident external examiners.

Please complete the External Examiner Form to be set up on payroll with a Payroll ID number and for processing your payment.

If you already have a payroll ID number from a previous payroll payment you must enter this number on the form under Step 2. You can then skip Step 3 if your personal and bank details have not changed since your last payment.

External Examiners website here.