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Travel: CIBT – Visa and Passport Alert Service

Travel Service Guide

Last Revised: April 15, 2021

Applies to Concur Travel:

Professional/Premium edition

TMC Partners Direct Customers

Standard edition

TMC Partners Direct Customers

Travel: CIBT – Visa and Passport Alert Service Travel Service Guide i Last Revised: April 15, 2021

© 2004 - 2021 SAP Concur All rights reserved.

Contents

CIBT – Visa and Passport Alert Service ........................................................................1

Section 1: IMPORTANT – About this Guide ...................................................................1

Section 2: Overview......................................................................................................1

Availability............................................................................................................. 2

Benefits ................................................................................................................ 2

Section 3: What the Traveler Sees ................................................................................2

If a Visa is Required ................................................................................................ 3

If a Visa is Not Required / Passport is Required .......................................................... 6

Section 4: Configuration ...............................................................................................9

Obtaining a CIBT Account Number ............................................................................ 9

Configuration in Concur Travel ................................................................................. 9

Setup of CIBT Integration in the SAP Concur App Center ........................................... 10

Reconnect Integration ........................................................................................... 14 Customer Connections Prior to February 25, 2021 ................................................ 14

Requesting Further Information .............................................................................. 15

Section 5: Legacy Integration Method ........................................................................ 15

Legacy Integration Method: Professional Edition ....................................................... 15

Legacy Integration Method: Standard Edition ........................................................... 17

Section 6: User Profile Requirements ......................................................................... 18

E-Mail Address ..................................................................................................... 18

Home Address...................................................................................................... 18

Passport Data ...................................................................................................... 18

Visa Data ............................................................................................................ 18

Section 7: FAQ ............................................................................................................ 19

General FAQs on CIBT ........................................................................................... 19

FAQs on the New Integration Method (CIBT as SAP Concur App Center Partner) ........... 21

ii Travel: CIBT – Visa and Passport Alert Service Travel Service Guide Last Revised: April 15, 2021


Revision History Date Revision Notes/Comments

April 15, 2021 Updated Configuration and FAQ sections

March 26, 2021 Updated information throughout regarding date of retirement of the Legacy

Integration retirement

February 1, 2021 Updated FAQs section and information on Legacy Integration retirement

October 30, 2020 Updated Configuration in Concur Travel, Legacy Integration Method: Standard Edition, and FAQ sections re: planned transition period (from April to “the

second half of 2021).

October 19, 2020 Updated planned date for retirement of legacy CIBT integration method throughout the document.

February 20, 2020 Updated screenshots.

February 18, 2020 Full document revision, predominantly focused on CIBT – SAP Concur App Center integration

June 19, 2019 Removed "Concur" from the cover; no other changes; cover date not updated

March 10, 2019 Updated the copyright; no other changes; cover date not updated

March 6, 2019 Added a note about international visas

January 2, 2018 Updated the copyright; no other changes; cover date not updated

May 12, 2017 General updates and new screen samples

March 7, 2017 Cleaned up a few typos; no change in rev date

February 27, 2017 General updates and clarifications

February 20, 2017 Added information about The Netherlands, Singapore, Brazil, Austria, Belgium,

Spain, and Mexico

March 1, 2016 Added: A TMC can use one number for multiple customers.

April 15, 2015 Added information about France, Australia, and Switzerland

August 14, 2014 Removed the authorization information; no longer required

March 20, 2014 General updates; moved to the new format

Travel: CIBT – Visa and Passport Alert Service Travel Service Guide 1 Last Revised: April 15, 2021


CIBT – Visa and Passport Alert Service

Section 1: IMPORTANT – About this Guide

Be aware of the following:

• Infinite variables: Certain scenarios have an infinite number of variables or

extremely unusual circumstances, like rare cancellation or refund situations. So, not all scenarios can be presented in this guide. Also, certain processes may be influenced by third- or fourth-party providers. In some cases, you must contact the provider directly.

• User interface, fees, rates, schedules: When other providers change their

user interface (for example, web site) or their fees/rates/schedules, they are under no obligation to make SAP Concur aware of those changes. If a screen example in this guide is outdated because of a change made by a provider,

we will update that screen example when we become aware of the change and at our earliest convenience.

• Permissions: A company's admin may or may not have the correct

permissions to manage the feature described in this guide. If an admin needs to manage this feature and does not have the proper permissions, they should contact the company's SAP Concur administrator.

Also, the admin should be aware that some of the tasks described in this

guide cannot be completed by the company. In this case, the client must contact their TMC (if a TMC provides their support) or SAP Concur (if SAP Concur provides their support).

Section 2: Overview

CIBT provides a fast, easy way to obtain a travel visa, passport, and other documents for travel – anywhere in the world – including popular destinations such as China, India, Russia, Brazil, Australia, and Saudi Arabia. CIBT assists over one million people annually in obtaining the documents required for international travel.

Travel documents are never optional and must be obtained prior to departure. Last-minute requests drive higher costs through increased consular fees, service fees, and shipping/courier fees. Travelers and travel managers face many challenges, like validating information from multiple sources, lack of knowledge about required travel

documents, and non-compliance with corporate policies on travel documents. CIBT can help with all of that.

Visa Alert is a travel document notification service that sends an email to a traveler

who booked a trip to a visa-required or international destination. After an international trip is booked through Concur Travel, the trip data is sent to CIBT to determine the visa and passport requirements. A travel document notification email is sent to the traveler with instructions about acquiring visa and passport application

forms directly from CIBT.

2 Travel: CIBT – Visa and Passport Alert Service Travel Service Guide Last Revised: April 15, 2021


Availability

Currently, the service is available for travelers whose profiles are associated or reside in a Concur Travel configuration based in any of the following countries:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Norway, Spain, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, UK, and the US. An update on Italy will be included in this document when applicable.

Benefits

This valuable travel document notification service automatically sends an email to

any traveler – using Concur Travel – who books a trip to an international destination that requires a visa. All Concur Travel customers using this service receive a 25% discount on CIBT service fee rates once a relationship is established with CIBT. If the Concur Travel customer has a pre-existing relationship with CIBT, the customer receives the rate discount that was previously negotiated between the customer and CIBT.

Some Concur Travel customers use their TMC’s negotiated rate. This scenario can

also be accommodated.

By integrating with SAP Concur solutions, CIBT's Visa Alert solution enhances a traveler's experience and provides control to travel managers and account

administrators. Travelers are no longer required to determine where to validate foreign entry requirements as they are automatically notified via email after booking their trip. Travel managers and account administrators can monitor the travelers that have applied for their travel documents and can follow up as necessary. In addition, sending the notification to the traveler at booking allows the maximum amount of time for the traveler to obtain the required documents, which will minimize the need for expedited processing fees.

Section 3: What the Traveler Sees

There is no visible indication to the traveler at the time of booking that the feature is enabled or if action is required. Concur Travel automatically engages with CIBT in the

background to begin the passenger experience. A typical flow is:

• Concur Travel sends the trip itinerary data to CIBT.

• CIBT determines whether a travel visa is required.

• CIBT generates and sends an email to the traveler (and travel arranger, if the email is provided) within 24 hours of booking.

If a visa required: The email notifies the traveler of visa requirements

and contains a link to visa services at CIBTvisas.com.

If a visa not required: The email notifies the traveler of passport requirements and contains a link to passport services at CIBTvisas.com.



• The traveler clicks the link on the email to begin the order process.

• CIBT engages and works directly with the traveler to obtain the required travel documentation.

The following pages describe the traveler experience.

If a Visa is Required

The following example experience is based on a passenger who has booked a trip through Concur Travel from New York (JFK), United States to Beijing (PEK), China.

Example:

Concur Travel passes data about the booked trip and the traveler to CIBT.

CIBT's Visa Alert system captures the data and then determines if a visa is required.

If so, CIBT auto-generates and sends the email alert to the traveler and travel arranger (if applicable).



Example email:

From: [email protected] Subject: Trip Id XXXXXX - A Travel Visa Is Required

mailto:[email protected]



The traveler clicks the link in the email. This page appears.

The traveler must confirm the following fields:

• I hold a passport from

• State of Residence

• I am going to

• The purpose of trip is

The traveler will be prompted to answer additional questions regarding the visa

validity and/or number of entries into the destination country and click Submit.



The traveler is then directed to the visa requirements page, which informs the traveler that a visa is required, and provides the details for securing the visa.

The traveler has two options to start their application process through CIBT:

• Email Application Kit: This option initiates an email of the entire packet of

information and government forms that must be filled out and submitted to a CIBT processing office to secure a visa.

• Start Order: This option allows the traveler to fill out the order form online, then all government forms are emailed to the traveler to sign and submit to a

CIBT processing office to secure a visa.

If a Visa is Not Required / Passport is Required

The following example experience is based on a passenger who has booked a trip through Concur Travel from New York (JFK), United States to Mexico City (MEX), Mexico.

Concur Travel passes data about the booked trip and the traveler to CIBT.

CIBT's Visa Alert system captures the data and then determines if a visa is required.

If a visa is not required but a passport is required, CIBT generates and sends the email alert to the traveler and travel arranger (if applicable).



Example email:

From: [email protected] Subject: Trip ID XXXXXXX - Travel Documents Are Required

The user clicks the link. The traveler must determine if their passport is valid for

travel:

• Are there at least 6 months of validity left before expiration?

• Are there empty pages for immigration and customs stamps?

• Is the passport in good condition, without rips or tears?



If the user determines that they need a passport, the user selects the appropriate options and clicks Submit.

The traveler is directed to the passport requirements page, which provides the traveler with details on how to receive the selected passport service.



The traveler is able to start the application process through CIBT by clicking the Start Order button. The traveler completes and submits the order form online. Then all government forms are emailed to the traveler to sign and submit to a CIBT processing office to secure a valid passport.

Section 4: Configuration

Obtaining a CIBT Account Number

Whether for Professional Travel or Standard Travel, the first step is to obtain an

account number from CIBT.

IMPORTANT:

• These steps are required for all Concur Travel customers, even if they

already have an account/agreement with CIBT.

• A unique CIBT account number must be created and utilized for every Concur Travel customer. This ensures the successful connectivity to the company's negotiated fees with CIBT. The one exception to this rule, however, is that

a TMC can use one number for multiple customers.

• A unique account number is required for each country configuration for a customer.

To obtain an account number

1. Email [email protected]. CIBT will issue a unique account number.

2. CIBT will match the account number on their end to the Concur Travel country configuration. There is no need to configure the CIBT account number anywhere in Concur Travel.

Configuration in Concur Travel

SAP Concur solutions and CIBT launched a new integration method through the SAP

Concur App Center in February 2020.

New: SAP Concur customers are asked to setup the integration through the SAP Concur App Center. Please find instructions in the following section. Please ignore the existing integration settings on the Concur Travel Admin layer described below; they

are planned to be removed after retirement of the legacy integration on August 1, 2021.

Existing: SAP Concur customers using the legacy integration method with CIBT are

kindly asked to switch to the new integration method via the SAP Concur App Center before the end of the transition period to maintain the connection and enjoy the benefits of the SAP Concur – CIBT integration in the future. The retirement date for the legacy integration is August 1, 2021.



Benefits of the new integration method:

• CIBT has integrated to SAP Concur’s Itinerary API and Travel Profile API and has released an SAP Concur App Center Connector to facilitate the continuous, real-time flow of itineraries to better serve Clients and travelers.

• CIBT will be able to support Clients and travelers in more countries and via a more stable, scalable integration.

NOTE: SAP Concur solutions will ultimately communicate and execute the retirement of the Legacy Batch File protocol. The retirement is planned for August 1, 2021.

Setup of CIBT Integration in the SAP Concur App Center

To setup CIBT Integration:

1. Navigate to the SAP Concur App Center and find the CIBT application.

2. Click Connect.



NOTE: If the Connect button is not available, your user does not have Admin privileges in Concur Travel. Contact your company administrator for assistance.

3. Review and opt-in to the following elements in the appearing overlay:

SAP Concur App Center End-User Terms & Conditions

Shared Information

Company Authorization to Link Services

NOTE: Opt-in is required only once. If you have previously enabled other SAP Concur App Center partners and accepted the electronic Company Authorization to Link Services, you may not be required to opt-in again.



4. Fill in the activation form in the overlay hosted by CIBT.

First Name, Last Name, & Email

Company/Business Name

Country

Indicate if the company is an existing client. If yes, enter the CIBT account code for activation.

NOTE: If you are required to activate CIBT for multiple countries / travel configurations in Concur Travel, please use the Add another company entity option. The following image shows an example with data filled in for multiple countries / travel configurations. If you want

to enable additional countries after enabling the integration with CIBT through the SAP Concur App Center, please contact your CIBT representative. CIBT requires your business name and the list of countries to enable new countries.



5. At submission, the information provided will be sent via email to [email protected].

6. CIBT will activate the client in the CIBT database system for Visa Alert.

mailto:[email protected]



Reconnect Integration

Customer Connections Prior to February 25, 2021

While the new CIBTvisas SAP Concur App Center integration has been available since February 15, 2020, all customers who connected with CIBTvisas on or before

February 24, 2021 must reconnect. The version that you connected to has since been updated. Joint customers who connected after February 24, 2021 are using the newest integration, and no action is required.

To reconnect the Integration

1. Go to the SAP Concur App Center and find the CIBT application.

2. Click Disconnect.

3. To reconnect, follow the steps as described in the Setup of CIBT Integration in the SAP Concur App Center section.



Requesting Further Information

If you would like to learn more about CIBT’s offering, you can use the form below, available for you in the SAP Concur App Center, to request that a representative

from CIBT contact you.

Section 5: Legacy Integration Method

Legacy Integration Method: Professional Edition

If you have an existing CIBT account but have not configured your account with the new methodology described in the Configuration section, you are still able to administer your account from Concur Travel, utilizing the existing legacy integration methodology.

! IMPORTANT: This section describes the legacy integration setup method, which is targeted for retirement on August 1, 2021.

IT IS PREFERRED THAT YOU DO NOT USE THIS METHOD, but use the new method described in the Configuration section. The configuration steps described in this section are listed here only for transparency only.

1. Click Administration > Travel (on the sub-menu) > Travel System Admin and access the desired client travel configuration.

NOTE: Depending on your permissions, the page may appear immediately after you click Administration or Travel.



2. In the Wizard Options section of the travel configuration page, find the Send Profile/Travel Data to CIBT check box.

3. After any change, save the configuration.

4. In the Company-Specific Configuration section of the left menu, click Manage CIBT Configuration. This page appears.

5. The form that will appear allows to enter the following data:

Field / Link Description

Company Name Locate the desired company.

Add New

Country Config Click to add a new country.

Country Select the appropriate country, as listed in the Availability section of the Overview in this guide.

Account Number Enter the CIBT unique number provided by CIBT.



6. For any changes, click Insert.

Legacy Integration Method: Standard Edition

If you have an existing CIBT account but have not configured your account with the new methodology described in the Configuration section, you are still able to administer your account from Concur Travel, utilizing the existing legacy integration methodology.

! IMPORTANT: This section describes the legacy integration setup method, which is targeted for retirement on August 1, 2021.

IT IS PREFERRED THAT YOU DO NOT USE THIS METHOD, but use the new method described in the Configuration section. The configuration steps described in this section are listed here only for transparency only.

1. In the Travel Setup Wizard, click the Discounts and Travel Content setup step.

2. Select the desired configuration.

3. Click the Visa/Passport Services tab.



4. The CIBT Account Number field was used with the legacy integration method to enter the CIBT account number.

5. For any changes, click Save.

Section 6: User Profile Requirements

NOTE: Inform your employees of the requirements detailed in the User Profile Requirements of this guide.

E-Mail Address

The Email 1 field in Profile must contain a valid email address. No other email addresses in the user profile are passed to CIBT:

Home Address

A valid home address should to be available in the user's profile. If there is no home address in the profile or the home address is incomplete, the work address is used.

Passport Data

Valid passport information should be stored in the user profile. Currently, CIBT will

only acknowledge the first-listed passport in the traveler's profile.

Visa Data

If an international visa is already issued, those should be stored in the Concur Travel traveler’s profile. CIBT consumes that data in their visa check and adapts the message in the email sent out to the traveler accordingly (asking to confirm validity and offering visa services if not).



Section 7: FAQ

General FAQs on CIBT

Q. What if I have a contract with CIBT already?

A. Your existing CIBT negotiated rates will apply. A unique CIBT/Concur

Travel Account Number must be assigned by CIBT. You may want to compare the discount savings that Concur Travel has negotiated with your rates. Concur Travel rates are available to use for customers instead of their company rates if Concur Travel rates are more favorable.

Q. If I already have a contract with CIBT, what is the added value of this service?

A. Important business trips can risk being delayed or result in increased expense simply because the traveler was not aware of the documents

required for travel. Airlines will deny boarding without correct travel documentation.

The benefit of Visa Alert is that it proactively evaluates the document

requirements at the time of booking rather than relying on the traveler or travel arranger to reactively seek the information. The timeliness of delivering the information also ensures that the maximum amount of time is available to process the visa or passport, resulting in reduced incidence of emergency or

rush processing fees.

Q. What if I don't have a contract with CIBT?

A. You will receive a 25% discount on the CIBT retail rate if the Concur Travel/CIBT integration is activated. Contact [email protected] to receive a CIBT Account Number. You may also use your TMC’s account number if that is more beneficial.

Q. Can a TMC use their CIBT account number for multiple clients?

A. CIBT does allow a TMC to use the same unique ID number for multiple clients under that TMC.

Q. Are the emails customizable?

A. Customization is limited to email branding (companies may choose to

include their logo on emails from CIBT). CIBT will work with you to define customization at the time of account setup.

Q. Are the email notification emails sent from CIBT localized?

A. Yes, based on the country in which the CIBT account number is based, the email is sent in all languages that CIBT supports. The native language will be on top of the mail and English language beneath. For countries without CIBT language support, notification emails are being sent in English language.



Q. To whom will the visa alert email be sent?

A. Concur Travel will send both the traveler and the travel arranger's email addresses to CIBT and CIBT will send the alert email to both the traveler and the travel arranger.

Q. What data does Concur Travel send to CIBT?

A. CIBT is connected to SAP Concur’s Profile and Itinerary APIs. Among the

data provided to CIBT are the following:

• Itinerary Record Locator

• Concur Travel Trip ID number

• Arrival Date

• Departure Date

• Transaction Type (like air or car)

• Destination Country Code

• Destination Location Name

• Destination Location Code

• Name Prefix

• First Name

• Last Name

• Middle Name

• Name Suffix

• Language Preference

• State

• Country

• Postal Code

• Email-Address Traveler

• Passport Expiry Date

• Passport Citizenship

• Passport Country Issued

• Traveler State of Residence

• Visas

• First Name Travel Arranger

• Last Name Travel Arranger

• Email-Address Travel

Arranger.

Q. When will the data be sent to CIBT?

A. For all trips with the status Approval Hold, User Hold, and Booked – the data will be sent to CIBT right after the user confirms the booking.

Q. Does it work for offline PNRs, for example, trips that come in through reporting or TripLink?

A. Yes. It does work for offline PNRs and for TripLink trips.

Q. Will Transit Visa also be considered in the CIBT Visa and Passport check?

A. Currently, visa and passport requirements are only checked for the final destination. If transit or stopover countries are part of the trip, the traveler must inform CIBT so they will be advised of any requirements for

interim stops and/or connection cities.



FAQs on the New Integration Method (CIBT as SAP Concur App Center

Partner)

Q. Is the CIBT – SAP Concur App Center integration available now?

A. Yes. The CIBT – SAP Concur App Center integration is available to all clients.

Q. How long will the legacy integration be maintained?

A. Maintenance for the legacy integration is planned up to August 1, 2021 at which point we plan to retire the service in favor of the improved SAP Concur

App Center integration.

Q. Do I have to do anything to turn off the legacy Batch File Protocol?

A. No, CIBT will disable that service in their system at the time they enable

the CIBT - SAP Concur App Center integration.

Q. What will happen when the legacy integration is retired?

A. If a customer does not take action to update to the SAP Concur App Center integration before the retirement, their CIBTvisas service will be disrupted.

Q. Do I have to sign any legal documents to enable the new integration?

A. A Client will have to opt-in to SAP Concur’s Letter of Authorization (LOA) before their data can be shared with CIBT. This is done during the SAP Concur

App Center connection flow in the form of an electronic LOA (eLOA).

Some Clients may not see a requirement to opt-in to an eLOA because they have already opted-in during the connection flow of another SAP Concur App

Center partner.

Q. Will the Legacy Integration be disabled in Concur Travel System Administration so new clients do not enable the Legacy Integration instead of the SAP Concur App Center integration?

A. No, the Legacy Integration will not be disabled because it would require significant development work. Instead, there will be text (below) published on the pages where the CIBTvisa Legacy Integration is enabled that reads: "The

Integration of Concur Travel and CIBT by means of this checkbox will soon be deprecated. To maintain the functionality, please use the SAP Concur App Center for integration setup and the Travel Service Guide on CIBT for setup instructions. Details on the deprecation will be published via Travel Release

Notes."

Q. Is there any change in pricing/cost for CIBTvisas?

A. No, there is no change to pricing or cost. The change is in how data is delivered to CIBTvisas from SAP Concur solutions.



Q. What is the impact to the users while Concur Travel is switching from the legacy integration to the SAP Concur App Center integration?

A. Prior to the retirement date of the legacy integration, there is no impact. There will be no lapse in service from CIBTvisas and requests made prior to switching will still be valid.

Q. Does the End User experience change as part of this Migration?

A. No, an End User (or Traveler) will receive the same experience before and after the Migration.

Q. What if my TMC is the Admin for Concur Travel?

A. Only an individual with Admin rights for Concur Travel will be able to enable the CIBT - SAP Concur App Center integration. The TMC will have to login to Concur Travel for a client and go to the SAP Concur App Center to

enable the CIBT - SAP Concur App Center integration for that client.

Q. Will a TMC maintain commissions from clients that have entered their account number with CIBT?

A. TMC commissions will not be affected unless the client fails to migrate to the SAP Concur App Center integration before deprecation of the legacy integration. If the Client fails to migrate once deprecation happens then there

will be a loss of service and commissions.

Q. I haven’t used CIBT Visa Service in the past but want to start using it now. What should I do?

A. Please go to the SAP Concur App Center listing for CIBT (link) for one of two options:

• Submit a request for information to CIBTvisas from the link under

the Connect button. CIBTvisas will respond to party submitting the request.

• If ready, you can also enable the SAP Concur App Center

connection by clicking the Connect button and opting-in to the necessary terms and filling out the necessary information. If the user doesn’t have the appropriate Admin rights, the Connect button will not be actionable.

Q. After I have migrated to the SAP Concur App Center, what are the steps to add Countries / Configurations to CIBTvisas service?

A. If you wish to enable/add new countries for CIBT’s services after the initial

setup, please email your CIBT Account Manager. CIBT will need your SAP Concur entity/business name and the country names in order to enable new countries.



Q. I want to add a country/configuration to my CIBTvisas service, do I have to migrate all of my countries/configuration to CIBTvisas - SAP Concur App Center integration?

A. Yes, a client would need to migrate to the SAP Concur App Center to add new countries/configurations to CIBTvisa service

CIBT – Visa and Passport Alert ServiceSection 1: IMPORTANT – About this GuideSection 2: OverviewAvailabilityBenefits

Section 3: What the Traveler SeesIf a Visa is RequiredIf a Visa is Not Required / Passport is Required

Section 4: ConfigurationObtaining a CIBT Account NumberConfiguration in Concur TravelSetup of CIBT Integration in the SAP Concur App CenterReconnect IntegrationCustomer Connections Prior to February 25, 2021

Requesting Further Information

Section 5: Legacy Integration MethodLegacy Integration Method: Professional EditionLegacy Integration Method: Standard Edition

Section 6: User Profile RequirementsE-Mail AddressHome AddressPassport DataVisa Data

Section 7: FAQGeneral FAQs on CIBTFAQs on the New Integration Method (CIBT as SAP Concur App Center Partner)