TLDR: The UK is part of the British Isles, one of only four origins that Hawaii has designated as exempt from the standard quarantine program. This means no FAVN blood test and no rabies vaccination history requirement. What you do need is an official government health certificate, two owner affidavits, a captain's airline certification, and a sealed transport container. Your pet must also have lived in the British Isles for at least six months before departure. Getting the documentation wrong still results in quarantine.
This is the most significant advantage UK-based pet owners have when moving to Hawaii. While a pet moving from the US mainland needs a minimum of 4 to 6 months of preparation (see our Hawaii pet import timeline for a full breakdown), a pet moving from the UK can be ready in a matter of weeks if the six-month residency requirement is already met.
Hawaii's exemption covers the British Isles, which under Hawaii Administrative Rules Chapter 4-29 includes: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands.
If you and your pet are moving from any of these locations, the British Isles exemption applies. The exemption applies based on where your pet has been living, not your nationality or passport.
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| FAVN blood test | Not required |
| Rabies vaccinations | Not required by Hawaii (UK export requirements apply separately) |
| 6-month residency | Pet must have lived in the British Isles for at least 6 months immediately before shipment |
| Health certificate | Original; issued within 14 days of transport; by a government-appointed veterinarian |
| Owner affidavit | Original; certifying the pet has not left the British Isles during the 6-month period |
| Captain/airline affidavit | Original; certifying the pet was transported on one aircraft without off-loading |
| Sealed container | Pet transported in a sealed container; opening must break the seal |
| Port of entry | Honolulu (HNL) only |
| Fee | $45 plus $14.30 per day until release |
| US Customs | Required on arrival before AQS release |
This is the single most important qualifying condition. Your pet must have lived in the British Isles continuously for at least six months immediately before the date of shipment to Hawaii. The owner affidavit you submit certifies this under oath.
Travel outside the British Isles during that six-month period disqualifies your pet from the exemption. The only exception is if your pet traveled to another exempt area (Australia, New Zealand, or Guam) or to Hawaii itself during the period. Travel to any other destination, including the US mainland, mainland Europe, or any other country, breaks the six-month qualifying period.
If your pet has traveled internationally in the past six months, the exemption does not apply. Your pet would need to complete the standard Hawaii import process instead. See the Hawaii pet import requirements guide for what that process involves.
1. Official government health certificate
An original health certificate issued within 14 days of transport, certifying that your pet is free of external parasites and signs of transmissible disease. Critically, this must be issued by a veterinarian holding a current appointment as an officer of the government of the country of origin. In the UK this means a Local Veterinary Inspector (LVI) or Official Veterinarian (OV) appointed by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). A private veterinarian alone cannot issue this certificate. The certificate must be original; photocopies are not accepted.
2. Owner affidavit
An original affidavit executed by you as owner or consignor, certifying that your pet was not outside the British Isles during the six-month period immediately before the date of shipment. This affidavit must be original and signed.
3. Captain or airline affidavit
An original affidavit from the captain of the aircraft or the senior station official of the airline, attesting that your pet was transported on a single aircraft from the point of origin to Honolulu without off-loading. If your pet must be transferred to a second aircraft during transit, the off-loading must be directly supervised by the officer in charge of each aircraft, who must certify in writing that the pet did not come into physical contact with any other animal. That certification must include the officer's name, position, title, airline name, business address, phone number, and the exact date, time, aircraft, and flight number for both the arriving and departing flights.
4. Sealed container
Your pet must travel in a container that is sealed such that removing the animal would break the seal. This is a specific requirement of the British Isles exemption checklist. Standard airline-approved IATA crates with sealed doors satisfy this requirement if sealed correctly.
British Isles pets must arrive at Honolulu (Daniel K. Inouye International Airport). Direct flights to Maui, Kauai, or the Big Island are not available under the British Isles exemption. There is no Neighbor Island Inspection Permit process for exempt-area pets. If your final destination is a neighbor island, your pet arrives in Honolulu, clears inspection and US Customs, and then travels on a separate inter-island flight. For details on what that onward connection involves, see our guide to moving your pet to Maui or the equivalent page for your destination island.
The fee for British Isles, Australian, Guam, and New Zealand pets is $45 plus $14.30 for each day after arrival until release. This is significantly less than the $185 direct release fee for US mainland pets.
Your pet must arrive at the Airport Animal Quarantine Holding Facility at Honolulu during inspection hours of 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Verify current hours with AQS at rabiesfree@hawaii.gov or (808) 483-7151, or at dab.hawaii.gov/ai/aqs/aqs-info/, before finalizing travel plans. Allow up to one hour for the airline to transport your pet from the aircraft to the AAQHF. Plan your flight to arrive by 3:30 PM to allow time for transport and release the same day.
Your pet will also need to clear US Customs on arrival before it can be released from the AAQHF. This is an additional step that does not apply to domestic US arrivals. Allow time for Customs clearance when planning your arrival logistics.
Moving your pet out of the UK requires compliance with UK export rules managed by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). Before your pet can leave the UK for Hawaii, you will need to arrange the official health certificate through an APHA-appointed Official Veterinarian. Contact APHA or your OV well in advance to understand current export documentation requirements and booking lead times. The OV appointment and certificate issuance must happen within 14 days of your pet's travel date, so timing is important.
A pet that arrives without all required documents, or whose documents are deficient in any way, will not be released under the exemption. The pet will be inspected on arrival, and any indication of transmissible disease in any animal in the shipment is sufficient reason to quarantine all animals in that shipment. Quarantine under the standard program can be up to 120 days.
Getting a detail wrong on the owner affidavit, presenting a certificate signed by a private vet rather than a government-appointed one, or having a pet that traveled outside the British Isles in the past six months are the most common ways the British Isles exemption is lost.
The British Isles exemption significantly simplifies the Hawaii import process, but the documentation requirements are precise. The government-appointed veterinarian, the captain's affidavit, and the sealed container requirement all need to be coordinated correctly. PetRelocation's relocation coordinators guide the full process including UK export documentation and Hawaii AQS submission.
Get a free quote from PetRelocation and a relocation manager will walk you through every step.
Does the UK qualify for Hawaii's British Isles exemption? Yes. England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands all qualify under Hawaii's British Isles exemption. The exemption is based on where your pet has been living, not your nationality.
Do I need a FAVN test to move my pet from the UK to Hawaii? No. The British Isles exemption does not require the OIE-FAVN rabies antibody blood test. This is the most significant difference from the standard Hawaii import process, which requires the FAVN test and a minimum 4 to 6 month preparation timeline.
What is the six-month residency requirement? Your pet must have lived continuously in the British Isles for at least six months immediately before the date of shipment to Hawaii. Travel outside the British Isles during that period disqualifies the exemption, except for travel to other exempt areas (Australia, New Zealand, Guam) or to Hawaii itself.
Who can issue the health certificate for the British Isles exemption? The certificate must be issued by a veterinarian holding a current appointment as an officer of the government of the country of origin. In the UK this is an Official Veterinarian (OV) appointed by the Animal and Plant Health Agency. A private veterinarian cannot issue this certificate for the British Isles exemption.
Can my pet fly directly to Maui or Kauai from the UK? No. British Isles exempt pets must arrive at Honolulu. There is no neighbor island direct arrival process for exempt-area pets. If your final destination is a neighbor island, your pet clears Honolulu first and then travels on a separate inter-island flight.
What does it cost to bring a pet to Hawaii from the UK? The exemption fee is $45 plus $14.30 per day until release. This is significantly lower than the $185 direct release fee for US mainland pets. Airline transport fees apply separately; contact your carrier for current rates.