A reasonable expense claim (work-related)?

Don't ask, don't get.

Personally, I wouldn't claim for a passport - but, see what they say.

I personally wouldn't put it in as my company would never pay it. Why don't you tell them you don't have a passport and see what they say?

it was in my job spec that i had to have a passport for potential travel (havent had any yet!)

I'm an accountant and personally i wouldn't let this go through without challenging. It sounds harsh but my POV would be you need the passport to do your job- not that its an additional expense incurred.

Its worth asking the question, and frustrating that you don't need it for anything else though.

I think it's reasonable. If you would have got one for yourself anyway I think it'd be a bit cheeky but if not I don't see why you should be £70 out of pocket because of work.

Definately ask, H's work sent him on a last minute trip to Germany and his passport had just run out, they paid the difference between getting a normal new passport and getting an on the spot one

Having said that they wouldn't approve his expenses claim for a toothbrush when he had to stay overnight unexpectedly once!

Thanks for the advice, everyone! I think I will ask, but with a view that I'll have to suck this one up in all probability. I'm not known for raising daft expenses, so they will hopefully be understanding - last trip to London was on a Megabus and overnight on my best mate's futon. All to save the public sector some £££!

H claimed for a digital camera from his last job: whilst it is genuinely required for his work, of course we use it privately as well. This sounds quite similar in many ways, including the fact that he had a pot of research money designated for him (I'm guessing you're an academic as well). So, definitely worth a try, I would say.

As a slight aside, the price of passports does make me cross - including the fact that it's about 20 quid more for an extra-long one. That's some expensive paper!

I would definitely claim - if the only reason you need a passport is for work, then work should pay. I don't see how it's different from work paying mileage/for a company car that you need for work?

They might pay for it but I doubt it. It doesn't meet the "wholly & exclusively" for business purposes test. You may not have plans to go abroad on holiday but if you did then you'd be using the passport work had paid for. From their point of view it won't be deductible for tax and from yours they'd probably P11d it as a benefit in kind.

They are ridiculously expensive though.

I do. You can't go unless you have one, and the only reason you need one is for work purposes.

Is it a new job? What I'm meaning is that if you knew that there would be international travel as part of the role, I can't see how work will pay for the passport - just to play devils advocate, they wouldn't pay for you to do a driving test and get a licence if you couldn't drive!

However, if its a new addition to your current job, its worth an ask as its additional to what was expected from you when you took the role.

It is a new job, but there wasn't any mention of travel in the job description. Of course, I knew that it could be entailed, but as a technicality, it wasn't mentioned

I'd see it more as claiming for your driving lience to be renewed TBH- they are already paying for the travel, much like the petrol.

I actually can't afford to get a passport ATM but don't think its expensive- £70 for 10 years? if anything I'd go for bargainous.

In an academic post it isn't quite the same as an straightforward expenses claim - generally (or quite often) posts with a significant research element come with their own pot of research money for research trips/conferences etc. It isn't a matter of the employer claiming tax back as the research funds are built into the cost of the post. Every institution will (or should) have their own guidelines about what can and can't be claimed, but these might not give you an answer in all cases.

I'd say it would depend a lot on your work environment. If one of my employees asked for it I'd not be impressed but then I'm in a high end corporate environment where most people travel regularly. Just be careful how you put it so you don't seem a bit, well, parochial IYSWIM.

Interestingly, the last two jobs I've had have required me to have a passport - as evidence that I'm a genuine British citizen. They certainly wouldn't view paying for one as a legitimate business expense .... but if you don't ask, you don't get, I soppose.