Moving Pets to Hawaii from Australia

TLDR: Australia is one of only four origins that Hawaii has designated as exempt from the standard quarantine program. A pet moving from Australia to Hawaii does not need the OIE-FAVN blood test and does not need a Hawaiian-side rabies vaccination history. What it does need is an official government health certificate, two owner affidavits, a captain's airline certification, and six months of continuous residency in Australia before departure. The Australian export side also requires a DAFF export permit, which needs to be arranged before travel.

If your pet has lived in Australia for at least six months without leaving, the Hawaii import process is significantly simpler than the 4 to 6 month standard process. Most of the complexity for Australia-origin pets is on the Australian export side, not the Hawaii side. Pets moving from another exempt origin can find the equivalent process in our guide to moving pets to Hawaii from the UK.

Australia Is on Hawaii's Exempt List

Hawaii grants a simplified entry process to pets originating from four specific areas: the British Isles, Australia, Guam, and New Zealand. These origins have been designated as equivalent or stricter in their rabies prevention and control standards. Australia qualifies because it is rabies-free.

This means an Australian-origin pet does not need the OIE-FAVN rabies antibody blood test that US mainland pets require. It also means the minimum preparation timeline is weeks rather than months, provided the six-month residency requirement is met.

Requirements at a Glance

The Six-Month Residency Requirement

Your pet must have lived continuously in Australia for at least six months immediately before the date of shipment to Hawaii. The owner affidavit you submit certifies this under oath.

Travel outside Australia during that six-month period disqualifies your pet from the exemption. The only exception is travel to another exempt area: the British Isles, New Zealand, or Guam, or to Hawaii itself. Travel to any other country, including the US mainland, Asia, or any other destination, breaks the six-month qualifying period.

If your pet has traveled internationally in the past six months, the exemption does not apply and your pet must complete the full standard Hawaii import process. The Hawaii pet import timeline covers what that process involves and how long it takes from different starting points.

The Documents You Need on the Hawaii Side

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. This must be issued by a veterinarian holding a current appointment as an officer of the Australian government. In Australia this means an Accredited Veterinarian operating under the Australian government's export certification program. A private veterinarian without government accreditation 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 Australia during the six-month period immediately before the date of shipment. Travel to another exempt area during that period is permitted. The affidavit must include the name of the airline, flight number, and scheduled date of departure.

3. Captain or airline affidavit
An original affidavit from the captain of the aircraft or the senior station official of the airline, certifying that your pet was transported on a single aircraft from Australia 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 flights.

4. Sealed container
Your pet must travel in a container that is sealed such that removing the animal would break the seal. Standard IATA-compliant airline crates with sealed doors satisfy this requirement when sealed correctly.

The Australian Export Side

Moving a pet out of Australia requires a DAFF (Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) export permit. This is a separate process from Hawaii's import requirements and must be arranged before travel.

The export permit process is managed by DAFF's animal biosecurity team. Your Australian Accredited Veterinarian will need to issue an export health certificate in addition to the Hawaii entry documents. The DAFF process includes the formal export documentation and may require a pre-export inspection depending on the destination.

For current export requirements, forms, and processing times, contact DAFF directly or consult their website at agriculture.gov.au. Export documentation requirements can change, and the DAFF process needs to be completed concurrently with your Hawaii import preparation. Begin the DAFF export process early so both sides of the move are ready before your travel date.

Honolulu Only

Australian-origin pets must arrive at Honolulu (Daniel K. Inouye International Airport). There is no direct arrival option at Maui, Kauai, or the Big Island under the Australian exemption. 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.

Fees and Arrival

The fee for Australian, British Isles, 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 [email protected] 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 ensure same-day release.

Your pet will also need to clear US Customs on arrival before it can be released from the AAQHF. This additional Customs step does not apply to domestic US arrivals. Allow time for Customs clearance when planning your arrival day.

If Your Pet Has Traveled Outside Australia

If your pet has left Australia during the six-month period before your travel date and traveled to a non-exempt destination, the exemption does not apply. Your pet must complete the full standard Hawaii import process.

The full standard process involves microchipping, two rabies vaccinations, an OIE-FAVN blood test, health certificate, tick treatment, and AQS-279 submission, with a minimum timeline of 4 to 6 months. See the Hawaii pet import requirements guide for the full process.

What Happens If Something Goes Wrong

A pet that arrives without all required documents, or whose documents are deficient, will not be released under the exemption. 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.

The most common ways the Australian exemption is lost: a pet that traveled outside Australia within the six-month period, a health certificate signed by a veterinarian without government appointment status, or missing the captain's affidavit.

How PetRelocation Can Help

The Australian exemption simplifies the Hawaii entry process considerably, but both the DAFF export documentation on the Australian side and the AQS exemption documents on the Hawaii side need to be coordinated precisely. PetRelocation's relocation coordinators guide the full process including Australian export coordination and Hawaii AQS submission.

Get a free quote from PetRelocation and a relocation manager will walk you through every step.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Australia qualify for Hawaii's exemption from the standard quarantine program? Yes. Australia is one of four designated exempt origins. Pets that have lived in Australia for at least six months before shipment and meet all documentation requirements qualify for the simplified entry process. No FAVN test is required.

Do I need a FAVN test to move my pet from Australia to Hawaii? No. The Australian exemption does not require the OIE-FAVN rabies antibody blood test. This is the most significant difference from the standard Hawaii import process.

What is the six-month residency requirement? Your pet must have lived continuously in Australia for at least six months immediately before the date of shipment. Travel outside Australia during that period disqualifies the exemption unless the travel was to another exempt area such as the British Isles, New Zealand, or Guam.

Do I need an Australian export permit? Yes. Moving a pet out of Australia requires a DAFF export permit in addition to the Hawaii import documents. Contact DAFF at agriculture.gov.au for current export requirements and processing times. Begin this process early as it runs concurrently with your Hawaii preparation.

Who can issue the health certificate for Australian pets entering Hawaii? The health certificate must be issued by a veterinarian holding a current appointment as an officer of the Australian government. In Australia this means an Accredited Veterinarian operating under DAFF's export certification program. A private veterinarian without government accreditation cannot issue this certificate.

Can my pet fly directly from Australia to Maui or Kauai? No. Australian-origin pets must arrive at Honolulu. There is no neighbor island direct arrival option for exempt-area pets. If your destination is a neighbor island, your pet clears Honolulu first and then travels on a separate inter-island flight.