diff --git a/src/components/DestinationPicker.tsx b/src/components/DestinationPicker.tsx
index 8ffee6e20d3f..73b9597fe9bf 100644
--- a/src/components/DestinationPicker.tsx
+++ b/src/components/DestinationPicker.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import React, {useMemo} from 'react';
+import type {ForwardedRef} from 'react';
 import useDebouncedState from '@hooks/useDebouncedState';
 import useLocalize from '@hooks/useLocalize';
 import useOnyx from '@hooks/useOnyx';
@@ -12,15 +13,17 @@ import ONYXKEYS from '@src/ONYXKEYS';
 // eslint-disable-next-line no-restricted-imports
 import SelectionList from './SelectionListWithSections';
 import RadioListItem from './SelectionListWithSections/RadioListItem';
-import type {ListItem} from './SelectionListWithSections/types';
+import type {ListItem, SelectionListHandle} from './SelectionListWithSections/types';
 
 type DestinationPickerProps = {
     policyID: string;
     selectedDestination?: string;
     onSubmit: (item: ListItem & {currency: string}) => void;
+    ref?: ForwardedRef<SelectionListHandle>;
+    textInputAutoFocus?: boolean;
 };
 
-function DestinationPicker({selectedDestination, policyID, onSubmit}: DestinationPickerProps) {
+function DestinationPicker({selectedDestination, policyID, onSubmit, ref, textInputAutoFocus = false}: DestinationPickerProps) {
     const policy = usePolicy(policyID);
     const customUnit = getPerDiemCustomUnit(policy);
     const [policyRecentlyUsedDestinations] = useOnyx(`${ONYXKEYS.COLLECTION.POLICY_RECENTLY_USED_DESTINATIONS}${policyID}`, {canBeMissing: true});
@@ -71,6 +74,7 @@ function DestinationPicker({selectedDestination, policyID, onSubmit}: Destinatio
 
     return (
         <SelectionList
+            ref={ref}
             key={selectedDestination}
             sections={sections}
             headerMessage={headerMessage}
@@ -81,6 +85,7 @@ function DestinationPicker({selectedDestination, policyID, onSubmit}: Destinatio
             ListItem={RadioListItem}
             initiallyFocusedOptionKey={selectedOptionKey ?? undefined}
             shouldHideKeyboardOnScroll={false}
+            textInputAutoFocus={textInputAutoFocus}
             shouldUpdateFocusedIndex
         />
     );
diff --git a/src/pages/iou/request/IOURequestStartPage.tsx b/src/pages/iou/request/IOURequestStartPage.tsx
index b2e52369c9f9..4288e7130970 100644
--- a/src/pages/iou/request/IOURequestStartPage.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/iou/request/IOURequestStartPage.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import DragAndDropProvider from '@components/DragAndDrop/Provider';
 import FocusTrapContainerElement from '@components/FocusTrap/FocusTrapContainerElement';
 import HeaderWithBackButton from '@components/HeaderWithBackButton';
 import {useProductTrainingContext} from '@components/ProductTrainingContext';
+import type {AnimatedTextInputRef} from '@components/RNTextInput';
 import ScreenWrapper from '@components/ScreenWrapper';
 import TabSelector from '@components/TabSelector/TabSelector';
 import useCurrentUserPersonalDetails from '@hooks/useCurrentUserPersonalDetails';
@@ -87,6 +88,8 @@ function IOURequestStartPage({
     const [nvpDismissedProductTraining] = useOnyx(ONYXKEYS.NVP_DISMISSED_PRODUCT_TRAINING, {canBeMissing: true});
     const hasOnlyPersonalPolicies = useMemo(() => hasOnlyPersonalPoliciesUtil(allPolicies), [allPolicies]);
 
+    const perDiemInputRef = useRef<AnimatedTextInputRef | null>(null);
+
     const tabTitles = {
         [CONST.IOU.TYPE.REQUEST]: translate('iou.createExpense'),
         [CONST.IOU.TYPE.SUBMIT]: translate('iou.createExpense'),
@@ -99,6 +102,18 @@ function IOURequestStartPage({
         [CONST.IOU.TYPE.CREATE]: translate('iou.createExpense'),
     };
 
+    const onTabSelectFocusHandler = ({index}: {index: number}) => {
+        // We requestAnimationFrame since the function is called in the animate block in the web implementation
+        // which fixes a locked animation glitch when swiping between tabs, and aligns with the native implementation internal delay
+        requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+            //  2 - PerDiem
+            if (index !== 2) {
+                return;
+            }
+            perDiemInputRef.current?.focus?.();
+        });
+    };
+
     const isFromGlobalCreate = isEmptyObject(report?.reportID);
     const currentUserPersonalDetails = useCurrentUserPersonalDetails();
     const policiesWithPerDiemEnabledAndHasRates = useMemo(
@@ -241,6 +256,8 @@ function IOURequestStartPage({
 
     useHandleBackButton(onBackButtonPress);
 
+    const shouldShowWorkspaceSelectForPerDiem = moreThanOnePerDiemExist && !hasCurrentPolicyPerDiemEnabled;
+
     return (
         <AccessOrNotFoundWrapper
             reportID={reportID}
@@ -273,6 +290,7 @@ function IOURequestStartPage({
                                 id={CONST.TAB.IOU_REQUEST_TYPE}
                                 defaultSelectedTab={defaultSelectedTab}
                                 onTabSelected={onTabSelected}
+                                onTabSelect={onTabSelectFocusHandler}
                                 tabBar={TabSelector}
                                 onTabBarFocusTrapContainerElementChanged={setTabBarContainerElement}
                                 onActiveTabFocusTrapContainerElementChanged={setActiveTabContainerElement}
@@ -324,14 +342,16 @@ function IOURequestStartPage({
                                     <TopTab.Screen name={CONST.TAB_REQUEST.PER_DIEM}>
                                         {() => (
                                             <TabScreenWithFocusTrapWrapper>
-                                                {moreThanOnePerDiemExist && !hasCurrentPolicyPerDiemEnabled ? (
+                                                {shouldShowWorkspaceSelectForPerDiem ? (
                                                     <IOURequestStepPerDiemWorkspace
                                                         route={route}
                                                         navigation={navigation}
                                                     />
                                                 ) : (
                                                     <IOURequestStepDestination
+                                                        shouldAutoFocusInput={false}
                                                         openedFromStartPage
+                                                        ref={perDiemInputRef}
                                                         explicitPolicyID={moreThanOnePerDiemExist ? undefined : policiesWithPerDiemEnabledAndHasRates.at(0)?.id}
                                                         route={route}
                                                         navigation={navigation}
diff --git a/src/pages/iou/request/step/IOURequestStepDestination.tsx b/src/pages/iou/request/step/IOURequestStepDestination.tsx
index 859c535ef14d..bd759ce66449 100644
--- a/src/pages/iou/request/step/IOURequestStepDestination.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/iou/request/step/IOURequestStepDestination.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-import React, {useEffect} from 'react';
+import React, {useEffect, useImperativeHandle, useRef} from 'react';
+import type {ForwardedRef} from 'react';
 import {InteractionManager, View} from 'react-native';
 import ActivityIndicator from '@components/ActivityIndicator';
 import FullPageOfflineBlockingView from '@components/BlockingViews/FullPageOfflineBlockingView';
@@ -6,7 +7,7 @@ import Button from '@components/Button';
 import DestinationPicker from '@components/DestinationPicker';
 import FixedFooter from '@components/FixedFooter';
 import ScreenWrapper from '@components/ScreenWrapper';
-import type {ListItem} from '@components/SelectionListWithSections/types';
+import type {ListItem, SelectionListHandle} from '@components/SelectionListWithSections/types';
 import WorkspaceEmptyStateSection from '@components/WorkspaceEmptyStateSection';
 import useCurrentUserPersonalDetails from '@hooks/useCurrentUserPersonalDetails';
 import {useMemoizedLazyIllustrations} from '@hooks/useLazyAsset';
@@ -43,10 +44,16 @@ import withFullTransactionOrNotFound from './withFullTransactionOrNotFound';
 import type {WithWritableReportOrNotFoundProps} from './withWritableReportOrNotFound';
 import withWritableReportOrNotFound from './withWritableReportOrNotFound';
 
+type IOURequestStepDestinationRef = {
+    focus?: () => void;
+};
+
 type IOURequestStepDestinationProps = WithWritableReportOrNotFoundProps<typeof SCREENS.MONEY_REQUEST.STEP_DESTINATION | typeof SCREENS.MONEY_REQUEST.CREATE> &
     WithFullTransactionOrNotFoundProps<typeof SCREENS.MONEY_REQUEST.STEP_DESTINATION | typeof SCREENS.MONEY_REQUEST.CREATE> & {
         openedFromStartPage?: boolean;
         explicitPolicyID?: string;
+        shouldAutoFocusInput?: boolean;
+        ref: ForwardedRef<IOURequestStepDestinationRef>;
     };
 
 function IOURequestStepDestination({
@@ -57,6 +64,8 @@ function IOURequestStepDestination({
     transaction,
     openedFromStartPage = false,
     explicitPolicyID,
+    shouldAutoFocusInput = true,
+    ref,
 }: IOURequestStepDestinationProps) {
     const [policy, policyMetadata] = useOnyx(`${ONYXKEYS.COLLECTION.POLICY}${explicitPolicyID ?? getIOURequestPolicyID(transaction, report)}`, {canBeMissing: false});
     const personalPolicy = usePersonalPolicy();
@@ -70,6 +79,12 @@ function IOURequestStepDestination({
     const illustrations = useMemoizedLazyIllustrations(['EmptyStateExpenses']);
     const {translate} = useLocalize();
 
+    const destinationSelectionListRef = useRef<SelectionListHandle | null>(null);
+
+    useImperativeHandle(ref, () => ({
+        focus: destinationSelectionListRef.current?.focusTextInput,
+    }));
+
     // eslint-disable-next-line rulesdir/no-negated-variables
     const shouldShowNotFoundPage = isEmptyObject(policy);
 
@@ -196,6 +211,8 @@ function IOURequestStepDestination({
                 )}
                 {!shouldShowEmptyState && !isLoading && !shouldShowOfflineView && !!policy?.id && (
                     <DestinationPicker
+                        textInputAutoFocus={shouldAutoFocusInput}
+                        ref={destinationSelectionListRef}
                         selectedDestination={selectedDestination}
                         policyID={policy.id}
                         onSubmit={updateDestination}