2023 handbook summarySource checked 29 July 2026
Travelling Allowance Advances and Claim Time Limits
The handbook records TA advances for eligible temporary duty, permanent moves and LTC, but not retirement travel.
Overview
The handbook records TA advances for eligible temporary duty, permanent moves and LTC, but not retirement travel. It generally requires temporary-duty and permanent-move claims within 60 days after the relevant journey or delivery. LTC deadlines differ depending on whether an advance was drawn.
What the handbook says
An advance may be drawn up to actual entitlement where the amount exceeds Rs.50. DTS tickets are treated as an advance and must be recorded and adjusted in the related claim. Excess or unadjusted advances can be recovered with penal interest, and a concurrent advance is not ordinarily permitted while an earlier one remains outstanding.
For tour, transfer and training, the source records a 60-day limit following completion of the journey. Family journeys are timed separately, while personal-effects and conveyance claims are timed from actual delivery at the new station.
What this means
Record every cash advance and DTS ticket before calculating the balance. The deadline is event-specific: the officer's journey, each family journey and delivery of effects may have different start dates. Submit a complete adjustment claim promptly rather than treating recovery of the advance as an extension.
Who this applies to
- Advance is limited to the amount actually admissible under the rules.
- No TA advance is admissible for a retirement journey.
- A second concurrent advance should not ordinarily be drawn while a previous advance is outstanding.
- For LTC, the source records separate deadlines for cases with and without an advance.
- Failure to meet the applicable deadline can lead to forfeiture, recovery and penal interest.
Rates and dates
The source records:
- temporary-duty and permanent-move claims: within 60 days after completion of the relevant journey, effective under the cited 6 December 2018 order;
- LTC with an advance: within 30 days after completion of the return journey;
- LTC without an advance: within 60 days after completion of the return journey;
- outward LTC ticket evidence: within 10 days after drawing the advance; and
- an LTC advance no earlier than 125 days before the intended move, with refund if the outward journey does not begin within 120 days.
Printed page 128 gives a 2022 penal-interest illustration of 9.1% per annum based on a 7.1% provident-fund rate plus two percentage points. It is not labelled current here and must be recalculated from the applicable rate.
What you may need
- online or prescribed advance requisition;
- movement sanction, transfer order or LTC leave sanction, as applicable;
- tickets and boarding passes, including DTS ticket amounts;
- completed adjustment claim showing advance on both relevant sides;
- delivery receipts for personal effects or private conveyance; and
- evidence of the date the claim was submitted to the controlling authority.
Authorities and source references
- Rules 17, 17-A and 18, Travel Regulations
- Rules 290 and 292, General Financial Rules 2017
- GoI, MoD letter No. 12630/TA/Mov C/198/D(Mov)/2018, 6 December 2018
- DoPT OM No. 31011/3/2015-Estt(A-IV), 1 April 2015
- GoI, MoD, DMA letter No. 12692/PI/Mov C/42/D(Mov)/2022, 18 January 2022
Related guidance
- Preparing Travelling Allowance Claims
- Temporary Duty Travel Entitlements
- Permanent Duty Move Entitlements
- Travel Entitlements on Retirement
About this guidance
This is a plain-language summary for general information. It is not an official order or an authority for a claim. Confirm the applicable order and your individual eligibility with the competent authority or PCDA(O) before acting.