How to import employee travel data into ComplyEur
Prepare, map, validate and correct an employee or trip spreadsheet before importing it into ComplyEur. Includes templates and error fixes.
By James Walsh, Founder, ComplyEur
- Published
- 07 September 2026
- Updated
- 07 September 2026
- Reading time
- 6 min read
A clean import starts with a small, predictable file. This walkthrough explains the templates, preview checks and common corrections.
The quickest safe route
Download the template for the information you want to import, copy your data into it, then upload the completed CSV or Excel file. ComplyEur will ask you to confirm how your columns map to its fields, clarify ambiguous dates, and preview errors before anything is added.
For a trip list, the required facts are the employee's email address, entry date, exit date and destination country. For an employee list, provide first name, last name and email address. Keep a backup of the source file and correct all error rows in the preview before you complete the import.
Do not include passport scans, notes about companions, or a detailed holiday itinerary. They are unnecessary for a Schengen day calculation and increase the amount of personal data your organisation must protect.
Choose the right import format
ComplyEur supports three starting formats:
| Format | Use it when | Required structure |
|---|---|---|
| Employees | You need to create the people before adding trips | First name, last name and email |
| Simple trip list | Each row represents one visit | Employee email, entry date, exit date and country |
| Schedule or Gantt | Employees are rows and dated columns contain country codes | Employee identity followed by dated columns |
Download the matching template from the Import area. Starting with the template reduces mapping work, but an existing spreadsheet can also be used. The mapping screen lets you connect differently named headings such as Traveller email to the expected employee-email field.
CSV, XLS and XLSX files are accepted. A standard employee or trip import is limited to 500 data rows and a 10 MB request. Split a larger file into logical batches rather than deleting validation columns or combining several journeys into one row.
Prepare an employee file
Use one row per employee. The required columns are:
`text
first_name,last_name,email
Alex,Smith,alex.smith@example.com
`
Nationality and passport number are optional mapping fields. Only include them when your organisation has decided they are necessary, documented the purpose and told employees how the data will be used.
Check for duplicate email addresses before uploading. An email is a more dependable match than a name: two employees can share a name, and names can be written in several ways. The preview identifies conflicts so you can decide whether a row represents an existing person or a separate employee.
Prepare a trip file
Use one row per continuous visit. A simple trip file needs these fields:
`text
employee_email,entry_date,exit_date,country,purpose
alex.smith@example.com,2026-10-05,2026-10-08,France,Customer meetings
`
Use ISO dates in YYYY-MM-DD form where possible. They remove the ambiguity in a value such as 03/04/2026, which can mean 3 April or 4 March. If a file contains ambiguous numeric dates, ComplyEur asks whether it should read them as day/month or month/day before showing the preview.
Country names and recognised two-letter country codes can be mapped. Review every warning for an unrecognised destination. Ireland and Cyprus are in the EU but outside the common Schengen short-stay calculation; the Schengen country guide explains the distinction.
The purpose is optional. Use a short operational label such as Internal meeting or Customer training. It does not determine whether the activity is permitted work; that requires a separate country-specific check.
Map and preview before importing
After upload, check every proposed column mapping. Auto-detection saves time, but a familiar heading can still mean something different in your organisation.
Then review the date interpretation and preview totals:
- Confirm all required fields are mapped once.
- Check sample values beside each mapping.
- Confirm day/month or month/day when prompted.
- Read file-level warnings and individual row messages.
- Compare valid, warning and error counts with the source file.
- Spot-check the first, last and several middle rows.
- Complete the import only when the preview represents what you intended.
A warning deserves review but may not block a row. An error means the row cannot be safely imported as written. Fixing the source file and uploading it again usually leaves a clearer audit trail than making many one-off corrections.
Common errors and what to change
| Message or symptom | Likely cause | Correction |
|---|---|---|
| Required field is not mapped | A heading was not recognised | Select the matching target field on the mapping screen |
| Invalid email | Missing or malformed employee email | Correct it and use the same address in employee and trip files |
| Exit date is before entry date | Dates are reversed or interpreted in the wrong order | Correct the values or confirm the intended date format |
| Country is not recognised | Spelling, code or destination is unsupported | Use the template spelling or recognised country code |
| Employee cannot be matched | The trip email does not match an existing or imported employee | Import the employee or correct the trip email |
| Too many rows | More than 500 standard data rows | Split the file into smaller batches |
| Workbook or worksheet is too large | Extra sheets, columns or formatted blank cells inflated the file | Copy the required data into a clean template |
| First worksheet is hidden | Import data is on a hidden sheet | Move it to a visible first worksheet |
If a formula cell is present, replace it with its displayed value before upload. Spreadsheet formula prefixes can create security risks when files are later opened or exported. OWASP's CSV injection guidance (opens in a new tab) explains why untrusted spreadsheet cells need careful handling.
Check the result after completion
Open several imported employees and compare their trips with the source. Check same-day journeys, overlapping visits and trips crossing a month or year boundary. Both arrival and departure count as presence days, and overlapping records should not count the same calendar day twice.
Keep the import summary or session reference under your organisation's retention policy. If an import produced the wrong result, investigate before adding another copy of the same file. Duplicate data can be harder to identify once later trips have been entered manually.
You can test individual dates with the free Schengen calculator and read the 90/180-day calculation guide before comparing the imported result.
Data protection checklist
The UK's data-minimisation principle requires organisations to collect information that is adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary. The Information Commissioner's Office also says retention periods must be based on the organisation's purpose rather than keeping information just in case.
Before importing, confirm that employees have received suitable privacy information, access is limited by role, optional columns have a documented purpose, and an appropriate retention period exists. The ICO data-minimisation guidance (opens in a new tab) and ICO employment-record guidance (opens in a new tab) provide the primary requirements.
Sources and review date
- ICO guidance on data minimisation (opens in a new tab)
- ICO guidance on collecting and keeping employment records (opens in a new tab)
- OWASP guidance on CSV injection (opens in a new tab)
- RFC 4180: common CSV format (opens in a new tab)
Sources last checked: 2026-09-07.
This guide describes the current ComplyEur import workflow and general data-handling considerations. Your organisation remains responsible for its lawful basis, privacy information, access controls and retention decisions.
Request private beta access to the import workflow or check one traveller's dates first.
Read next
About the author
Founder, ComplyEur
Founder of ComplyEur. Built the deterministic 90/180-day calculation engine behind the product.
Put the guidance into practice
Review ComplyEur options or speak with the team about your travel process.