Bringing a dog or cat to Hawaii
Hawaii is rabies-free and one of the hardest US destinations: dogs and cats need 2 rabies vaccines, a microchip, a passing FAVN blood test and a 30-day wait to qualify for release at the airport or within 5 days. Any mistake means up to 120 days' quarantine. Federal CDC dog rules still apply when arriving from abroad.
Which rules apply to you
Hawaii sorts arriving pets by where they travel from. Find your group, then follow its steps.
| Arriving from | Titer test | Wait after sample | Permit | Quarantine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rabies-free exempt areasPets coming directly from the British Isles, Australia, New Zealand or Guam. These follow a separate Hawaii checklist (not reviewed in detail). | No | — | No | Only if rules not met |
| All other origins (US mainland and other countries)Dogs and cats from the US mainland or any area not on Hawaii's exempt list. | Yes | 30 days | No | Only if rules not met |
Step by step
Use the exempt-area checklist
Get the Hawaii checklist for pets from the British Isles, Australia, Guam or New Zealand from dab.hawaii.gov/ai and follow it exactly.
Meet federal rules too
International arrivals must also meet CDC dog entry rules (CDC Dog Import Form, 6 months minimum age).
Depends on the exempt-area checklist.
Microchip before the blood test
The microchip must be implanted before the FAVN blood draw. A pet whose chip cannot be scanned on arrival goes into 120-day quarantine.
Give two rabies vaccines
Give at least 2 rabies vaccines in the pet's lifetime, more than 30 days apart. The latest one must be given more than 30 days before arrival and must still be valid on arrival.
Do the OIE-FAVN test
Send blood to an approved lab (Kansas State University, the DoD Food Analysis and Diagnostic Laboratory, or Auburn University per the 2019 brochure) with 'Hawaii' as the destination. The result must be 0.5 IU/ml or higher. RFFIT tests are not accepted.
Wait 30 days
Arrive no earlier than 30 days after the day the lab received the sample. Early arrivals are held at $14.30 per day plus fees.
Treat for ticks and get a health certificate
Within 14 days before arrival, a vet gives a long-acting tick treatment (fipronil or equivalent; Revolution is not accepted) and issues a health certificate in English. The certificate must also state that the animal is free of screwworm.
Send documents 10 days ahead
Send the original AQS-279 form, two original rabies certificates and the fee so they reach the Animal Quarantine Station at least 10 days before arrival. You can also apply online through the Hawaii Pet Owner Portal (HIPOP).
Choose an airport
Honolulu (HNL) needs no permit. Arrive by 3:30 pm. Kona, Kahului and Lihue need a Neighbor Island Inspection Permit and a booking with an approved vet clinic.
Same-day release at the airport if all rules are met and documents arrive 10+ days ahead. Otherwise release within 5 days at the Halawa station. Up to 120 days' quarantine if any requirement is missed.
Good to know
- Cats
- Same as dogs. Hybrid cats such as Bengal and Savannah are prohibited.
- Banned breeds
- Wolf and wolf hybrids, Dingo, Bengal cat, Savannah cat, Other non-domestic dogs/cats and hybrids
- How many pets
- Not specified
- Parasite treatment
- Long-acting tick treatment (fipronil or equivalent; Revolution not accepted) within 14 days before arrival, recorded on the health certificate. Pets with ticks on arrival lose airport release.
- Arrival
- Honolulu (HNL) direct airport release, inspections 8:30 am-4:30 pm. Kona (KOA), Kahului (OGG) and Lihue (LIH) need a Neighbor Island Inspection Permit. Cabin travel into Hawaii is airline-dependent.
- Fees: $185 direct airport release at HNL ($244 if documents arrive late); $244 for 5-day-or-less; $165 for neighbor-island release; $1,080 for the 120-day program (2019 brochure figure).
- FAVN results can take 1-2 months. Test early.
- Since New World screwworm was found in Texas/New Mexico in 2026, health certificates must state the animal is screwworm-free.
- Puppies and kittens usually cannot finish the steps before about 6 months old. Pregnant animals are prohibited from entering.
- Hawaii residents should test before leaving so their pets can come back without quarantine.
What we could not confirm
- The approved FAVN lab list is from memory and the 2019 brochure. The brochure also lists Auburn University, which may no longer be approved. Check the current checklist.
- The current 2023 checklist PDFs and the exempt-area checklist could not be fetched. Exempt-area requirements (e.g. whether a microchip or health certificate is still needed) are not detailed here.
- The $1,080 120-day fee comes from the 2019 brochure and may be out of date.
- No explicit maximum number of pets was found.
Sources
Checked against official sources on 2026-10-28. Rules change: confirm with Hawaii Department of Agriculture & Biosecurity, Animal Quarantine Branch before booking.