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Can I Take My Dog To Hawaii On Vacation – Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission at no extra cost if you choose to make a purchase through my links. Read about our affiliate policies here.
If you want to go or visit Hawaii but can’t imagine going anywhere without your dog, you’ve probably wondered “Can you bring your dog to Hawaii?”
Can I Take My Dog To Hawaii On Vacation
When we moved from London to Maui, we had one big problem to solve: how to transport our beloved dog Hattie. We knew it was possible to bring her to Hawaii, but we had heard horror stories about dogs that had to be quarantined for six months after arriving in Hawaii.
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Yes, you can bring your dog by plane, but to avoid the six-month quarantine, you must apply for a Direct Airport Release (DAR). You must begin this process before you arrive in Hawaii. We will describe exactly how we followed the process and what we learned.
Our dogs are met at the Maui gate by a vet for direct release to the airport. She escaped the 6-month Hawaiian quarantine!
If you’re visiting or vacationing in Hawaii, check out our Hawaii recommendations, what to pack, our favorite activities, where to stay, rental car deals, and even a list of discount codes.
The Hawaii Department of Agriculture has checklists to guide you through the process of transporting your dog to Hawaii. They are a great resource, but I found them a bit confusing at times.
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Our dog was ready to leave cold England and head to the beaches of Maui. She didn’t regret going to Hawaii.
The microchip number will be used to identify your dog upon arrival in Hawaii and the number will be used in the blood test your dog is required to take. If your dog does not have a working microchip, get it fitted.
Hawaii is a rabies free state (amazing!) and the strict regulations they have in place are their way of protecting their habitat from rabies. Hawaii is the only state in the Union without rabies.
This means that they must ensure that every animal that enters the country has enough anti-rabies antibodies in their blood.
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To do this, your dog must be vaccinated against rabies at least twice in its life, and the last rabies vaccine must be active (not expired) before going outside.
Hattie had never had a rabies shot in her life (the UK is rabies free) so we had to give her two shots. The interval between vaccinations should be 30 days and after the second vaccination we wait 30 days to take her blood.
Planning and plenty of time are key to making sure you get everything done before you want to take your dog for a walk!
Now that you’ve given your dog two rabies shots and given him time to develop anti-rabies antibodies, it’s time to have a blood test done at one of the three approved labs.
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This was the most complicated part of the process for us, coming from the UK. If you live in the US, it should be pretty easy. Give your vet the names of the labs so they can coordinate sending samples to them.
Your dog’s blood sample will be sent to a laboratory, which will send the results (pass or fail) directly to the Department of Veterinary Medicine. You should also get a copy of the results from your doctor
If you want to check the status of the test and make sure the results have been received by the Department of Agriculture, you can search for animal quarantine microchip.
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After all the hard work is done, this is where it all comes together. Before applying for a permit, you must do two things:
Once you’ve agreed on these two details, it’s time to apply for your license. If you are unsure of the details, your veterinarian of choice in the Hawaiian Islands can assist you with the application process.
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If you are applying for a neighboring island inspection permit, submit the application at least 30 days before your planned arrival in Hawaii. The documents you must submit include:
We also sent a shipping label to the Ministry of Agriculture so that we could spend the night. We are very worried whether we will get permission to fly in time.
If, like us, you fly to a neighboring island, the Ministry of Agriculture will issue you a permit. This is the permit you will need to present to your airport before leaving for Hawaii (they will check it) and you will need to give it to your vet when you arrive.
Return to your vet 14 days before your flight for a health check to confirm your dog is fit to fly. You will also want to treat your dog for ticks at this appointment, as your vet will need to note this on the health certificate.
How To Get Your Dog To Hawaii: Skip Quarantine For Direct Airport Release
It’s a lot of work and time consuming to bring your loved ones with you to the islands. But it’s worth it. I was very nervous about the process and wasn’t sure what to expect when we landed, but it wasn’t easy.
Our vet met us at our door, scanned Hattie’s microchip number, checked the permit documents and off we went. This was the easiest part of the whole process.
Yes, the process to get a dog to Hawaii is long. But if you do move, it’s more than worth it. Now the girls can enjoy the beaches of Hawaii and lounge in the sun all day on our lanai. She loves it and we love her here.
You can expect to pay upwards of $500 for your dog’s flight, rabies blood test, health certificate and license. We paid $755 to bring the dog to Maui, broken down by cost:
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Most of these costs are standard, but choosing the right airline will save you money. It costs $100 to fly your dog to Hawaii from an airport in Alaska. It’s $225 on Hawaiian Airlines.
Looking for more budgeting tools for Hawaii? Find out how much a trip to Hawaii costs for two and for a family of four. See how we book travel and how to get cheap airline tickets. Get a cheap Hawaii vacation and book your stay with points!
I just outlined all the steps you need to take to bring your dog to Hawaii when you move. The steps to bring your dog on vacation are exactly the same. You have to decide if it’s worth bringing your dog on a trip to Hawaii.
Planning will take several months and is very expensive. The total cost to bring Hattie in (including buying the crazy footage) was about $1,000.
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If you decide to bring your dog to the air, be aware that your accommodation options will be very limited. As we traveled between the islands, we were lucky enough to find some hotels and vacation rentals that allowed us to bring the beauties. But this makes planning more and more complicated.
We understand that bringing your dog to Hawaii can be complicated, so to help you navigate, we’ve created a video sharing our experience with the process. Watch our video below as we walk you through our experience bringing our dog Hattie to Maui.
I am the co-founder of Hawaii Vacation Guide with my husband, Jordan. We have lived on Maui and Oahu and continue to travel, experience and learn about the Hawaiian Islands. We are traveling with our two children, Henry and Edith. I’m a planner! I love planning mainland and island trips, field trips and everything in between. I spend a lot of time surfing in Hawaii and my favorite time of year in Hawaii is whale season!
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