HONOLULU (KHON2) — For anyone planning to travel to the Hawaiian Islands, it is important to know about the Safe Travels Hawaii program entry requirements before boarding your flight.

This includes a pre-travel testing program, the Mandatory State of Hawaii Travel and Health Form, and temperature screenings at all Hawaii airports upon arrival.

There have been many updates since this guide was created on March 22, 2021. Look for the text bolded in red for important changes to the Safe Travels program. The program is expected to end in late summer if the state reaches a 70% fully vaccinated rate.

Below are critical dates to remember when planning your trip:

Effective June 15, inter-county travel restrictions will end. That means inter-county travelers will not longer be subjected to testing and quarantine rules. Previously, inter-county travelers could only bypass the rules if they were fully vaccinated. Details here.

Effective June 15, travelers entering the state who have been vaccinated in Hawaii may bypass quarantine without a pre-travel test. Details here.

Effective July 8: Hawaii will accept vaccination records from other states and U.S. territories to allow fully vaccinated travelers to bypass pre-travel testing and quarantine rules. Travelers must bring a hard copy of their vaccination record if they’re heading to Hawaii. Details here.

The following information will help you avoid unnecessary headaches at the airport and allow you to bypass the state’s 10-day quarantine requirement.

1. Take a pre-travel test from one of Hawaii’s Trusted Testing and Travel Partners within 72 hours of departure.

• Hawaii will ONLY accept test results from the list of trusted testing and travel partners.
• If your test results are not yet available when you arrive in Hawaii, you need to quarantine.
• If you receive an indeterminate result or inconclusive result prior to departure, you will be placed in a 10-day quarantine upon arrival. 
• If you receive a positive test result while you are in Hawaii, you must quarantine until you recover and at least 10 days have passed since the start of symptoms or positive test; at least 24 hours must also have passed without a fever and use of medicine.
  • Health services guidance will be provided to you by the Hawaii State Department of Health.
  • If you are traveling with others, they will be required to quarantine for 10 days since their last contact with you, plus another 10 days after you are cleared from isolation if staying together.

For Domestic Trans-Pacific Travel

EFFECTIVE JULY 8: Hawaii will accept vaccination records from other states and U.S. territories to allow fully vaccinated travelers to bypass pre-travel testing and quarantine rules. Travelers must bring a hard copy of their vaccination record if they’re heading to Hawaii. 

• Proof of a negative test result must be uploaded or brought in hand in hard copy prior to
  departure, or you must quarantine for 10 days.
• Must take a nucleic acid amplification (NAAT) pre-travel test within 72 hours from the final leg of departure.
  • If you have a multi-city flight itinerary, the departure time is from the last city you leave before arriving at a Hawaii airport (e.g. If your travel is from Chicago to Seattle to Honolulu, the departure time to look at is your flight from Seattle).
  • Again, Hawaii will accept test results only from trusted testing and travel partners.
  • Travelers will not be able to obtain a NAAT test upon arrival at any Hawaii airport.
  • This applies to all passengers ages 5 and over; travelers must pay for the test.
• Must complete Safe Travels Hawaii online form prior to arrival.
• Travelers to Maui must download the AlohaSafe Alert app.
  • Beginning May 4: Maui to require a post-arrival test for Trans-Pacific travelers due to the uptick in cases. See details below.
• Travelers to Kauai must receive a negative pre-travel test result before departure.
  • Kauai has an Enhanced Movement Quarantine “Resort Bubble” program, which accepts any COVID-19 diagnostic test (antigen or PCR test) with emergency use authorization from the FDA. This is an option for travelers who arrive with a test that is FDA approved but not approved by Hawaii’s Safe Travels program. 
    • Travelers must stay on the Resort Bubble property for 72 hours or more until they take a post-travel test. Resort staff will verify your negative post-travel test result and will update the system to release you from quarantine. 
    • If you arrive with no pre-travel test, you cannot participate in the Resort Bubble program and will have to quarantine for 10 days or leave the state.

Remember, Trans-Pacific travelers arriving without a confirmed negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departure are subject to a mandatory 10-day quarantine.

Second Test After Arrival for Non-Quarantine Travelers

• City and County of Honolulu: Not required
• County of Hawaii: A post-arrival test requirement for Trans-Pacific travelers at both Hilo and Kona airports is no longer in effect.
• Maui County: A post-test requirement for mainland travelers is effective on May 4 upon arrival at Kahului Airport.
  • The post-test is mandatory and Maui County will cover the cost.
  • Participants in the Safe Travels program will be subject to a rapid COVID-19 test upon arrival at Kahului Airport. Test results should be available to you within 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Anyone who declines or tests positive must quarantine for 10 days, even if they took the pre-test 72 hours prior to departure.
  • Vaccination exemption: Fully vaccinated travelers may bypass the post-arrival test and depart the airport after showing proof of vaccination.
    • Proof of vaccination means presenting your original CDC vaccination card or certificate of vaccination downloaded from the CDC’s Vaccination Administration Management System (VAMS).
    • Fully vaccinated means receiving both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or one dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine, plus completing 14 days after your final dose.
    • NOTE: Trans-Pacific travelers will still need to take a pre-departure test (as specified by the Safe Travels Program) to be receive the travel quarantine exception.
  • Children exemption: Under the age of five are not required to take the post-arrival test. However, those between the ages of 6 and 16 are required to be tested even if their parent or guardian has been vaccinated. Vaccinated minors, aged 16 & 17, with vaccine documentation are exempt from the post-arrival test.

• Kauai County: 72 hours after arrival for “resort bubble” guests only. See details above.
  • NOTE: Visitors who take a free voluntary COVID-19 test three days after arrival will get discounts at over 70 businesses on Kauai. Hotels are also offering voluntary post-arrival testing.

Traveling Inter-County (between counties)

Each county is managing their own inter-county travel quarantine process, so it’s important to do your research beforehand. See the vaccination exemption here.

A partial inter-county travel quarantine requirement applies to anyone traveling to and between the islands of Kauai, Maui and the Big Island. It does not apply to trans-Pacific travelers connecting through Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on Oahu.

• Traveling into City and County of Honolulu: No test and no quarantine required.
• Traveling into County of Hawaii:
  – Option 1: Pre-test 72 hours prior to departure; same requirements as domestic trans-Pacific.
  – Option 2: Post-arrival test in quarantine until negative test is received and verified; may break quarantine to test.
• Traveling into Maui County: Pre-test 72 hours prior to departure; download AlohaSafe Alert app; same requirements as domestic trans-Pacific.
• Traveling into Kauai County: Must receive a negative pre-travel test result before departure.
  • If you arrive with a test from any non-qualifying lab, or a test that is not a NAAT test, you will have to quarantine for 10 days, or participate in the Resort Bubble program, or leave.

International Trans-Pacific Travel

• Travelers from Canada, Japan & South Korea: Pre-test 72 hours prior to departure; same requirements as domestic trans-Pacific.
  • If travelers do not secure a negative COVID-19 test before departure, they will be subject to the same mandatory 10-day quarantine regulation as other trans-Pacific travelers.
• Travelers from Taiwan may bypass Hawaii’s mandatory 10-day quarantine if they take a COVID-19 test from a trusted testing partner. The test must be taken no earlier than 72 hours prior to departure and the negative test result submitted prior to departure for Hawaii.
• Effective June 21, travelers from French Polynesia will be able to bypass Hawaii’s 10-day quarantine by providing a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival. Details here.
• Effective Aug. 7, Hawaiian Airlines will reinstate once-weekly nonstop flying between Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) and Tahiti’s Fa’a’ā International Airport (PPT). Details here.
• Travelers originating from any other international destination and coming directly to Hawaii do not have the ability to test for purposes of bypassing the 10-day quarantine.
• Currently, there are no other pre-travel test exemptions.

Remember, negative test results must be uploaded onto Safe Travels prior to departure or printed out prior to departure and hard copy in hand when arriving in Hawaii.

2. Create a Safe Travels Hawaii account.

Completing the Safe Travels Hawaii program application form and obtaining your QR code(s) will significantly reduce your arrival airport processing time. Be sure to take these steps:

1. Create an online user account here.
2. Enter your traveler information and trip details in the form.
3. Upload your COVID-19 test result to the correct form.

Click here for answers and FAQ about the online application form.

If you need assistance with login or technical issues, call the Safe Travels Program at 1-800-GOHAWAII or (1-800-464-2924) from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. HST. Domestic and international callers are accepted.

3. Complete the Mandatory Hawaii Travel and Health Form via your Safe Travels account.

• You will receive a notice 24 hours prior to your departure time to the Hawaiian Islands to complete the Mandatory State of Hawaii Travel and Health Form via your Safe Travels Hawaii account. The names of each child traveling with an adult registering will also need to be included.
• Upon completing the form, a QR code will be emailed to you for each leg of your trip, which you need to present to airport personnel upon deplaning in Hawaii.
  • The QR code can be either on paper or on your mobile phone, and must also be presented with a legally valid photo ID. 

Pre-Clear Partners

After completing these three steps, you are now qualified for pre-cleared arrival into Hawaii. In anticipation of increased summer travel, the state is expanding Pre-Clear programs that allow travelers to deplane and bypass airport screening lines once in Hawaii. You just need to confirm your compliance with the Safe Travels Program prior to departure.

The pre-clearance option streamlines the arrival process, providing travelers peace of mind. The list continues to grow as airline carriers resume and add routes to Hawaii. Please see individual carrier websites for the latest list of originating cities.

• Alaska Airlines: Pre-Clear is offered from all U.S. mainland hubs with non-stop flights to Hawaii.
• All Nippon Airways: Currently in training and will soon offer pre-clearance for its flights from Japan.
• Hawaiian Airlines: Over 15 cities, including Japan and Korea, offer Pre-Clear. Austin and other locations are coming soon.
• Japan Airlines: Pre-Clear is currently offered for premier guests out of Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) and will be expanded to all travelers starting March 26.
• Southwest Airlines: Offering Pre-Clear service from five gateway airports in California.
• United Airlines: Pre-Clear is offered from all U.S. mainland hubs with flights to Hawaii.

Travelers meeting Hawaii’s testing requirements will receive a Pre-Clear wristband from their air carrier’s guest-service agents who will verify their documents before boarding. Once in Hawaii, travelers will be allowed to deplane and bypass airport screening lines.

Additional Efforts to Hawaii’s Safe Travels Program

• Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and United Airlines have partnered with multiple testing providers to offer COVID-19 travel testing — available by appointment in person, at-home or drive-through.
• Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach and other Waikiki Highgate properties offer pre-travel testing coordination and Safe Travels Hawaii Concierge services.
• Travelers on select flights from Los Angeles to Honolulu through Delta Air Lines and United Airlines can enroll and use CLEAR’s Health Pass to securely link their negative COVID-19 test results to their verified identity before traveling.
• Oakland International Airport (OAK) offers several approved COVID-19 testing options available only to passengers ticketed to fly from OAK nonstop to Hawaii on Hawaiian Airlines or Southwest Airlines.
• Southern California’s Ontario International Airport: Travelers may bypass quarantine if they take a COVID-19 test from a trusted testing partner. The test must be taken no earlier than 72 hours prior to departure and the negative test result submitted prior to departure for Hawaii.

Airlines and Airport Protocols

While you are in-flight or deplaning, you must follow the guidance of your air carrier with regard to physical distancing, face covering and sanitation processes.

• All travelers are required to wear a face covering at all Hawaii airports.
• If travelers are subject to Hawaii’s 10-day self-quarantine, they must continue wearing a face covering until in the room of their confirmed place of lodging.
• Removal of face coverings is allowed for young children and those with health conditions preventing them from wearing one.
• All incoming trans-Pacific Hawaii travelers will receive temperature checks upon arrival. Temperature scans will be taken via thermal temperature screening.
  • Photos will be temporarily retained only for those with temperatures of 100.4 degrees F and above to help airport staff identify them and conduct additional assessments.
• All incoming trans-Pacific Hawaii travelers arriving with a temperature of 100.4 degrees F or higher, displaying COVID-19 symptoms, and/or providing answers on the Mandatory State of Hawaii Travel and Health Form requiring additional testing will be required to complete a secondary screening at the airport performed by trained health care staff.

Quarantine Guidelines

If you arrive in Hawaii without valid proof of a negative COVID-19 NAAT, you will be subject to the 10-day self-quarantine requirement and will need to adhere to the following guidelines.

• You are not allowed to leave the room at your place of lodging under any circumstances, except for a medical emergency or to depart the state.
• You are not allowed to stay in short-term rentals and vacation rentals on Kauai, Maui and the Big Island.
• You are not allowed to rent a car in Hawaii for the duration of their self-quarantine.
• Travelers who violate the terms of the 10-day mandatory self-quarantine will be prosecuted and may face fines of up to $5,000 and one year in prison.

You will be responsible for 100% of the cost of your mandatory self-quarantining for the 10-day requirement, including accommodations, food and other deliveries. Vacation rentals of any kind for less than 30 days are not permitted as accepted self-quarantine accommodations.

Below are just a few examples of what happens to self-quarantine violators:

TRAVELER ALERT

• Hawaii does not charge fees to apply for the Safe Travels program, to create a Safe Travels account, to access the Safe Travels application, or for Safe Travels information. 
• The official websites for the State of Hawaii’s Safe Travels Program are travel.hawaii.gov, hawaiicovid19.com/travel and ets.hawaii.gov/travelhelp.
• The websites listed below are NOT affiliated with the State of Hawaii Safe Travels Program:
  • safetravels.com
  • hawaiisafetravel.com
  • safetravelshawaii.com
  • safetravelhawaii.com

Now that you have taken these steps, you can take a deep breath and enjoy your time in Hawaii!

This information is provided by the Hawaii State Department of Health, the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, and the Office of Enterprise Technology Services.