The U.S. General Services Administration for fiscal year 2027 increased its standard allowable per diem rates for federal travelers by $3 to $181, according to GSA.
The increase is due entirely to a $3 year-over-year increase in the lodging allowance for the 2027 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1 and runs through Sept. 30, 2027, to $113. The standard allowable rate for meals and incidentals will hold steady for the third straight year at $68 per day.
The per diem is the maximum allowance that federal employees and those traveling on government-contracted business are reimbursed for expenses incurred while traveling in U.S. areas not designated as "non-standard areas," which have per diems higher than the standard rate. GSA for fiscal year 2027 decreased the non-standard areas by one from 2026 levels to 295.
The move comes after GSA held per diem rates steady for fiscal year 2026 for the first time in five years.