Bringing Pets To: Hawaii

Hawaii is the only US state with mandatory quarantine laws for dogs and cats, designed to protect its rabies-free status. If your paperwork is complete and correctly timed, your pet qualifies for direct release at the airport with no quarantine. Get the sequence or timing wrong, and your pet faces up to 120 days in quarantine at a cost of $1,080. The process is not difficult, but every step must be done in the right order and within specific windows.

Entry Requirements at a glance

Microchip

Your pet must have an electronic microchip implanted before the OIE-FAVN rabies blood test is performed. Have your veterinarian scan the microchip to verify it is working and that the microchip number matches all documentation. If the microchip cannot be read at arrival, your pet will not qualify for direct airport release or the 5-day-or-less program and will be quarantined for up to 120 days.

Confirm the microchip number is accurate on every document before you submit anything. A mismatch between the microchip number on the import form, blood test results, or health certificate will cause delays or disqualification.

Rabies Vaccination

Your pet must be vaccinated at least twice for rabies in its lifetime. The two vaccinations must be administered more than 30 days apart.

The most recent rabies vaccination must meet all of the following:

• Administered more than 30 days before your pet's arrival in Hawaii.
• Not expired when your pet arrives in Hawaii.
• For a 1-year vaccine: administered no more than 12 months before arrival. For a 3-year vaccine: administered no more than 36 months before arrival.

The date and type of vaccine must appear on the pet's vaccination certificates and health certificate. Your veterinarian must provide original signed rabies vaccination certificates for the two most recent vaccinations. Photocopies are not accepted.

Puppies and kittens: Due to the minimum time needed to complete two rabies vaccinations and the FAVN blood test with required waiting periods, a newborn puppy or kitten will be about 6 months old by the time all preparations are complete. Puppies and kittens that cannot meet all 5-day-or-less requirements will be quarantined for 120 days.

OIE-FAVN Rabies Blood Test

After your pet has received at least two rabies vaccinations (with the most recent at least 30 days old), your USDA-accredited veterinarian must draw blood for an OIE-FAVN rabies antibody test.

The blood sample must be sent to one of these approved laboratories:

RFFIT tests are not accepted from any lab.

Key timing rules:

• The day after the lab receives your pet's blood sample must be no fewer than 30 days and no more than 36 months before your pet's arrival in Hawaii.
• The test result must be 0.5 IU/ml or greater.
• Your veterinarian must list "Hawaii" as the destination on the lab submission form. KSU, AU, MU, and DOD will then send your pet's results directly to Hawaii's Animal Quarantine Station.

FAVN testing labs may have processing times of 6 to 8 weeks. Plan accordingly. If you are requesting a Neighbor Island Inspection Permit, a passing FAVN result is required before the permit can be issued.

You can check your pet's FAVN test results and 30-day waiting period status online at the Hawaii Department of Agriculture website: dab.hawaii.gov/ai/aqs/animal-quarantine-microchip-search.

If you use an intermediate lab (such as Antech or Idexx), be aware that the transfer may delay when the approved lab actually receives the sample, which affects your 30-day waiting period start date.

Health Certificate and Tick Treatment

Within 14 days of your pet's arrival in Hawaii, your USDA-accredited veterinarian must issue a domestic health certificate (APHIS-7001) confirming your pet is healthy enough for travel. This certificate does not need to be endorsed by the USDA.

Your vet must also treat your pet for ticks with a product containing Fipronil or another long-acting product labeled to kill ticks within 14 days of arrival. Revolution (selamectin) is not accepted. A current list of accepted active ingredients is available at dab.hawaii.gov/ai/main/tick-treatments. The product name and date of treatment must be recorded on the health certificate.

The original health certificate and copies of the rabies vaccination certificates and FAVN blood test results must travel with your pet.

If you do not send the original health certificate to the Animal Quarantine Station with your advance document submission, you must provide it to the inspector upon arrival. Failure to present the original health certificate (photocopies are not accepted) will prevent your pet from being released.

Submitting Your Documents

You must submit the following to the Hawaii Animal Quarantine Station so it is received at least 10 days before your pet's arrival (for Honolulu direct release) or at least 30 days before arrival (for neighbor island arrivals with a Neighbor Island Inspection Permit):

• Completed Dog and Cat Import Form AQS-279 (Rev. 1/24). One form per pet. The form does not need to be notarized.
• Two original rabies vaccination certificates with actual veterinarian signatures.
• Fee payment by cashier's check or money order only (no personal checks), payable to: Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity. Include your pet's microchip number with payment.

Mail documents to: Animal Quarantine Station, 99-951 Halawa Valley Street, Aiea, Hawaii 96701

Send all documents together as a complete set. Use mail with return receipt or an overnight carrier with tracking. Do not send documents separately.

Direct Release at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (Honolulu)

Direct airport release in Honolulu is the standard method of entry for pets meeting all 5-day-or-less requirements.

Inspection hours at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, including weekends and holidays.

It may take up to one hour for the airline to transport your pet to the Airport Animal Quarantine Holding Facility after landing.

To have your pet released the same day, your flight should arrive no later than 3:30 p.m.

Pets arriving after inspection hours will be held overnight. Pets held overnight must be picked up by 10:00 a.m. the following morning, or an additional $59 will be charged.

Pets on international flights must also clear US Customs before release. Check with your airline about Customs hours of operation.

Pets will not qualify for direct release if ticks or other parasites are found at the time of inspection.

Pets may only be released to the consignee identified on the shipmaster's declaration. If you are not traveling with your pet, arrange with the airline to consign your pet to the person who will pick them up.

After signing release documents, you are responsible for transporting your pet from the Airport Animal Quarantine Holding Facility to your vehicle. The facility will deliver crated animals only to the sidewalk area in front of the facility. Airport security regulations do not permit animals to be released from their crate on airport property. Vehicles must be large enough to accommodate the intact crate.

Neighbor Island Inspection Permit (NIIP): Direct Release at Kona, Kahului, or Lihue

If your final destination is not Oahu, your pet can fly directly to Kona International Airport at Keahole (KOA) on the Island of Hawaii, Kahului Airport (OGG) on Maui, or Lihue Airport (LIH) on Kauai. No permit is required for arrivals at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu.

To fly directly to a neighbor island, you must obtain a Neighbor Island Inspection Permit (NIIP) issued by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture before travel. Without a valid NIIP, airlines are not permitted to fly a dog or cat directly to Kona, Kahului, or Lihue from outside the state of Hawaii.

How to obtain a NIIP:

• Your pet must have a passing FAVN blood test result before you can request the permit.
• Contact an approved veterinary facility on your destination island and make a reservation for the arrival inspection. The facility will send a confirmation to the Animal Quarantine Station. The NIIP will not be issued without this confirmation.
• Submit all required documents to the Animal Quarantine Station at least 30 days before your pet's planned arrival (see document list below).
• Once everything is confirmed, the NIIP will be emailed to the primary owner's email address listed on the AQS-279 form.
• You must print the NIIP and present it to the airline before boarding. A printed copy must accompany your pet on the aircraft and be submitted to the inspector upon arrival.

Approved veterinary facilities by island

Kona (KOA):

Kahului (OGG):

Lihue (LIH):

For the most current list of approved facilities, visit dab.hawaii.gov/ai/nivetfac.

Documents required for NIIP (received at least 30 days before arrival):

• Completed AQS-279 form
• Two original rabies vaccination certificates
• $165 payment by cashier's check or money order
• Flight information (airline, flight number, date, and time of arrival)
• A letter requesting direct airport release at your specific island

Allow time for the NIIP to be processed and issued. FAVN lab processing delays of 6 to 8 weeks are common, and the NIIP cannot be issued until a passing result is confirmed. Plan well ahead of your travel date.

If your pet does not meet all requirements at arrival on a neighbor island, the pet will be denied entry and transported to Honolulu for inspection and quarantine, or transported out of state at the owner's expense. Check with your airline well in advance, as some airlines may not participate in neighbor island pet transport.

Only cats and dogs fully meeting all import requirements may fly directly to a neighbor island. All other species must enter through the Honolulu airport's animal quarantine facility.

You are responsible for the inspection fee charged by the private veterinary facility at the neighbor island airport. This fee is separate from the $165 NIIP fee paid to the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity.

Transiting Through Honolulu to a Neighbor Island

If you are connecting through Honolulu to a neighbor island, your pet will follow the standard Honolulu direct release process. Allow enough time between flights for your pet's documentation to be inspected and cleared. Pets arriving on Thursday or Friday may not transfer to neighbor island quarantine stations or approved hospitals until the following Monday due to limited weekend inter-island service.

5-Day-or-Less Quarantine Program

If your pet meets all import requirements but arrives outside inspection hours or does not qualify for same-day direct release, the pet will be entered into the 5-day-or-less quarantine program.

The first day of quarantine is the day following arrival. After all documents are received and verified, you may pick up your pet at the Animal Quarantine Station, 99-951 Halawa Valley Street, Aiea, Hawaii 96701, phone (808) 483-7151.

The fee for the 5-day-or-less program is $244 per pet.

If your pet arrives before the 30-day FAVN waiting period has elapsed, the pet is disqualified from both direct release and the 5-day-or-less program. In that case, the pet will be quarantined and assessed $14.30 per day in addition to the $244 program fee. There are no exceptions.

Additional daily fees apply for each day your pet remains at the Animal Quarantine Station beyond the scheduled release date.

120-Day Quarantine

Pets that do not meet the requirements for the 5-day-or-less program will be quarantined for up to 120 days at the Animal Quarantine Station in Aiea. The cost of 120-day quarantine is $1,080 per pet.

Animal Quarantine Station Contact Information

Due to the large volume of calls and the time zone difference, email is the recommended method of contact.

Business counter hours:

Pet release hours:

Pet visitation hours:

Timeline: Moving Your Pet to Hawaii

Common mistakes that cause problems:

• Arriving before the 30-day FAVN waiting period has elapsed, resulting in automatic quarantine with daily fees
• Using an intermediate lab that delays when the approved lab actually receives the blood sample, pushing the waiting period start date later than expected
• Booking flights before confirming FAVN results or NIIP issuance
• Submitting documents fewer than 10 days before arrival, triggering the higher $244 fee instead of $185
• Sending documents separately instead of as a complete set
• Not confirming that the airline participates in neighbor island pet transport before booking
• Microchip number mismatches across documents

How PetRelocation Can Help

PetRelocation has coordinated thousands of moves to Hawaii over more than 20 years. Which service fits your move depends on how much of the process you want to manage yourself.

Complete Support covers the full process: USDA-accredited vet coordination, FAVN blood test scheduling, document preparation and submission, NIIP arrangements for neighbor island arrivals, flight booking, and guidance through the arrival inspection.

Vet Paperwork Support focuses on the documentation chain: vaccination timing, FAVN test coordination, health certificate preparation, and AQS-279 submission, while you manage the flight logistics.

Consultation gives you direct access to a relocation coordinator to work through your specific situation and timeline before deciding how to proceed.

Ready to move your pet to Hawaii? Get a free quote from PetRelocation and a relocation manager will walk you through every step.