and beaches in Hawaii with your beloved best 
friend
CAN be stress-free. Plan ahead, map it out, give yourself 60 days from your trip to start your check list.
Also, it is much easier the 2nd trip!You will need some help to navigate the complexity of the Hawaii rules. 
I think they make it “seem” complicated to deter the practice, however, if you know how and have connections, it really can be simple.
Be of good cheer🥂! You are going to Hawaii, and it is, after all, …Hawaii
. Planning 
and navigating
is part of the experience!
When I say “simple”, it doesn’t mean “easy” necessarily, but it means if you listen🦻 to advice, follow our recommendations, you’ll be fine.
You can travel✈️ with your pet🐾 to Hawaii, but trying to absorb all of the government forms and required tests can becomes a maze of mishmash rules 
and regulations.
As we review pet🐾 travel to Maui🌴, also take note that the neighboring Hawaiian islands will be similar.
The first rule
is stay in a place that accepts pets. We highly recommend this penthouse unit ✅ in Maui, Lahaina. Hololani resort is a pet 🐾friendly environment and the unit is breathtaking.
It does cost money💰 to take your pet to Hawaii. To make it cost effective, plan on staying 3+ weeks on the islands🏝️ (Now we’re talking! 📣We know you just needed that excuse:). If just a week or less, from a cost perspective, you might as well board your pet😿. Let me explain.
Overview: You will need to first make sure that your pets are “chipped” and also have 2 most current rabies vaccinations💉 with the original certificates, this is validated with the FAVN titer test🧪(good for 3 years), health certificate 10 days prior to travel that also includes flea and tick treatment (approved), , and then there is the airline✈️ pet🐾 fees💲 (unless you have a service animal🐕🦺 ).
OK time to get down to it.💭💡📝
CLICK HERE FOR an essential check-list for what is needed for your dog/ cat for travel to HI: ✅
The state of Hawaii has you “quarantine” 😷your dog on the mainland prior to travel so you can have a “direct release“. This means someone will greet you at the airport to validate the paperwork and you can have “fluffy”🐩 in your arms as you exit the airport.
In order to ensure direct release you need to make sure to follow the check-list, this includes rabies vaccines💉, an RFID chip, and a FAVN test
to verify your pet is free of rabies(see resources below). Your pet needs a rabies shot and a certificate at least 60 days before you leave**. The chip is so when you arrive at the airport they can verify the pet is the same pet that was vaccinated. The original rabies vaccination certificate will be required with the RFID and it must be in English.
Rabies** 💉: Two rabies vaccinations are required. The pet’s most recent rabies vaccination must not be expired when your pet arrives in Hawaii. If arrival in Hawaii occurs before 30 days has elapsed from the most recent rabies vaccination, the animal is subject to quarantine until the 30 days are completed.
- Your pet must have been vaccinated at least twice for rabies in its lifetime.
- These rabies vaccines must have been administered more than 30 days apart.
- Not less than 30 days before the pet’s date of arrival in Hawaii
- Not more than the vaccine’s licensed booster interval listed on the manufacturer’s label
Submit your dogs blood work for a FAVN test. (see resources below) This shows that your dog has rabies antibodies and is immune. The lab results will be sent to your vet and to Hawaii Animal Quarantine Microchip Search. You’ll have to ensure your vet is knowledgeable about this procedure. If not you will probably want to seek one that has submitted the bloodwork.
You’ll be clicking on this very routinely to ensure that they have received the FAVN test using your pets microchip id: Animal Quarantine Microchip Search
We used, and recommend, the Auburn University testing center because we had timely results. You must use a Hawaii approved testing facility. Auburn U. posts the results of the FAVN tests on Friday’s. Once you see your FAVN test results at Auburn U. you’ll know that Hawaii has it too!
Documents you must submit to the Dept of Agriculture:
- Two of the most recent original rabies vaccine certificates. Must be originals signed by the veterinarian.
- Dog and Cat Import form (one for every pet – see below link)
- Cashier’s Check or Money order (per pet) (Made payable to Department of Agriculture)
- Letter requesting Direct Airport Release and be sure to include your pets microchip number.
- (Optional but recommended): Send with your packet a prepaid express envelope for quarantine to mail your permit to you. (For immediate requests (less than 30 days) a FedEx account number is required, and there is no guarantee that the permit will be issued!)
- All of the above documents & payment should be sent together to: (30 days prior to arrival)
ANIMAL QUARANTINE STATION
99-951 Halawa Valley St. Aiea, Hawaii 96701
● Once all documents listed above have been sent to quarantine, and your flight is booked, fill out the Maui Humane Society Airport Inspection Questionnaire and send it to Maui Humane Society. You have two options to do this
- Email quarantine@mauihumanesociety.org or fax: 866-485-8283
*In order for the Animal Quarantine Station to issue and mail the permit, they must receive your paperwork AND the Maui Humane Society (MHS) confirmation. There are two separate fees that must be submitted for the permit to be generated. One fee to the state, and the other fee to MHS (Maui Humane Society).
The DOA reviews your information and with the FAVN test results will and overnight you back (the reason you send them the overnight envelope) an Orange Sticker that you place on your kennel for your dog or cat. When you arrive at the airport. The orange sticker is reviewed by the Human Society representative and you are good to go.
If you are traveling to Maui. There is a Direct Release Program through the Maui Humane Society is worth the money. Judson Goode is amazing❤️ to work with.
Last item, before you leave 10 days (no more) you must have a veterinarian complete a health screen for your pet and give a certificate. This must include flea and tick treatments that are approved by the state of HI. (see resources for details below). Take this paperwork with you and show to airport representative.
If all this sounds complicated, it really isn’t, well, maybe just a little😊 But, once you get it down it is navigable. If you think about it from the island 🏝️side, HI wants to ensure our babies 👼 are not importing rabies so these steps are in place to prevent this.
ALOHA!
Resource Links:
FAVN Test Process and Microchip:
Animal Quarantine Microchip Search
ELECTRONIC MICROCHIP IMPLANTATION: An electronic microchip (U.S. or ISO spec.) must be implanted prior to or when blood is collected for rabies serology (OIE-FAVN test). The microchip number must be recorded on the laboratory submission form completed by your veterinarian.
Laboratories will not perform the OIE-FAVN test without a numeric or alphanumeric electronic microchip sequence recorded on the submission form.
PRE-ARRIVAL RABIES BLOOD TEST (OIE-FAVN): A passing result is 0.5 International Units (IU) or more. Laboratory results will be sent to your veterinarian and directly to Animal Quarantine. Do not call laboratories about results. Instead contact your veterinarian to make sure that the result is adequate and to obtain a copy of the results. If blood is collected for the OIE-FAVN test at the same time as rabies vaccination, your animal may fail the test. If this occurs, repeat testing in 10 to 14 days usually results in an adequate test result. Be sure HAWAII is listed as the destination on the lab submission form!
• For the 5-Day-Or-Less Program: The most recent OIE-FAVN test is valid for 36 months. Animal must wait at least 30 days from the time the blood sample is received by the laboratory before arriving in Hawaii to be considered for 5-Day-Or-Less quarantine. The mandatory waiting period after passing the test is 30 days.
PRE-ARRIVAL WAITING PERIODS: Animals must meet both of the following minimum waiting periods after a recent rabies vaccination or passing an OIE-FAVN blood test.
- Following a successful OIE-FAVN test result, animals must wait at least 30 days before arriving in Hawaii. If arrival occurs before 30 days has elapsed, the animal is subject to quarantine until 30 days are completed for it to then qualify for the 5-Day-Or-Less program.
- Following the most recent rabies vaccination, animals must wait at least 30 days before arriving in Hawaii. If arrival occurs before 30 days has elapsed from the most recent rabies vaccination, the animal is subject to quarantine until 30 days are completed for it to then qualify for the 5-Day-Or- Less program.
