These indices are appropriate for missions lasting from a few weeks to a few months since they are calculated according to the specific expenses incurred during such missions.

The short-term expatriate will in general stay on the home payroll and will not be accompanied by partner and children. Accommodation will be in a hotel or in a furnished apartment provided by the employer.

The home country will remain the country of reference for the main spending of the short-term expatriate. That is why Short-term Mission Indices are based on the spending patterns in the home country; it is thus a Home Based type of index.