Step 2: Completing the claim form

A Claims Helpdesk is available at EMIA to assist you with the completion of your claim forms and the identification of documents required for the claim submission. Please utilise this facility to ease the process by contacting Ms Normelai Mashele on 012 394 1146. No claim will be considered unless accompanied by a copy of the Letter of Approval issued for participation in a Group Trade Mission. (A comprehensive list of the documentation required to support a claim form is outlined in the Claims Guidelines booklet which accompanies the claim form for Group Trade Missions and which will be sent to you by email if your apoplication is approved.)

Proof of payment (in the name of the approved entity and in the form of original/certified bank statements, stamped by the bank) of the relevant costs incurred during the visit should be provided. Please note; EMIA will accept a copy of an e-ticket, provided it is accompanied by original/certified copies of the boarding passes for each leg of journey. Boarding passes for additional legs/deviations not paid for by thedti do not have to be submitted with the claim. Also, a copy of the Exporter's Registration certificate (Customs and Excise certificate) is no longer required to be submitted with the EMIA claim for reimbursement purposes.

Step 3: Submitting the claim

The claim form and all supporting documentation, together with the relevant post-event questionnaire must be completed and submitted to EMIA within three (3) months after the date of return from the approved business destination or the compeletion of the mission. Incomplete claims and claim items received after the three (3) months will be rejected without exception. Customers will forfeit the "in principle" approval granted to them if they do not submit the claim form and all supporting documentation within three (3) months after the date of return from the approved business destination.

For approvals made after an event has occurred, a claim must be submitted within one (1) month of receipt of such notification of application approval. Claims, in respect of which claim items/documentation are outstanding after three (3) months, will be cancelled.

Should a traveller not return to South Africa immediately after the event and decide to remain abroad for some time, the claim will only be valid within the particular financial year (ie. April - March) and must therefore be claimed within this period. Amounts not claimed within the same financial year will not be able to be claimed in the following financial year, except for those firms which participated in events during the last three (3) months of the financial year, ie January - March. Firms that participated in events from January to March, have to submit their claims before 30 June of the particular year. Failure to lodge the claim before 30 June will result in the firm forfeiting the benefit and the claim being rejected.

Step 4: Processing of the claim

EMIA will provide a letter of acknowledgement to the claimant within 48 working hours of receipt of the claim. This Letter of Acknowledgement must accompany all future correspondence with EMIA. EMIA has committed to a turnaround time of twenty (20) working days for the processing of and decision on a complete claim. If a claim is complete with all the necessary supporting documentation, it may then be considered for approval.

Step 5: Approval/rejection of the claim and payment

EMIA will supply a notification of approval/rejection within twenty (20) working days of a claim being submitted to EMIA. Upon approval notification, a customer should wait for nine (9) working days for EMIA's finance division to effect payment. EMIA's finance division has committed to this turnaround time of nine (9) working days in order to deliver on customer service. A claim payment would thus be effected within thirty (30) working days of receipt of a complete claim.

Please note that the only acceptable forms of proof of payment for EMIA are:

• Cheque (certified copy with bank stamp);
• Bank draft (with original bank stamp);
• Credit card statement (certified copy); or a
• Certified copy of an electronic banking transfer (bank statements and electronic bank transfers must reflect the name of the beneficiary - bank statements must contain an original bank stamp).

The following forms of payment will not be considered for reimbursement:

• Cash payments
• Offset payments
• Book entries
• Third-party payments
• Credit notes
• Travellers' cheques