Effective January 4th, Hawaii no longer requires tourists to complete a health questionnaire prior to boarding their flight to the islands. Previously the state required the questionnaire be submitted before issuing a QR code that could reduce processing time upon arrival. With the revised requirements, travelers are issued a QR code once their trip information is submitted to the Safe Travels website. The QR code is sent to the traveler again, via email one day prior to their flight departure.
Hawaii also revised their quarantine requirements for travelers who are unvaccinated and do not test Negative for COVID. The mandatory quarantine period was reduced from ten days to five days. This pretty much follows suit what the CDC did a few days earlier. Visitors who are fully vaccinated or have tested negative for COVID do not have to quarantine or isolate upon arrival.
Although the State has relaxed entry requirements, some of the individual islands are implementing certain stricter measures. On January 5th, Oahu’s Mayor reduced the number of people allowed at indoor events, down to ten people. On Maui, proof of full vaccination or a recent negative COVID test is required to get into restaurants and bars. The difference from this latest rule vs prior ones, is that fully vaccinated means a person must also have had their Booster shot. I anticipate that a similar rule will be initiated on Oahu before long.
As always, for the latest and most accurate information regarding travel to Hawaii and their Safe Travels program check out their website. Additional information is available at:
https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel/faqs/
This link will take you the State’s FAQ page for the Safe Travels Hawaii website.
Last week, the Federal Government announced that it will loosen restrictions on international travel effective November 8. The State of Hawaii has said it will follow the same guidelines as the federal government for international passengers who are traveling direct to Hawaii.
Beginning on November 8, non-US citizens traveling directly to Hawaii from an international destination must present BOTH vaccination records showing they are FULLY vaccinated AND a negative COVID-19 test result (NAAT or antigen) within three days of boarding a flight to the United States. US Citizens flying directly into Hawaii from an international destination have two options.
Hawaii’s Safe Travel program remains in effect for domestic travelers coming into Hawaii from other states. Currently, the Safe Travels Program requirements for domestic travelers include:
Any international travelers who may be entering Hawaii from another US state or territory will be treated as domestic travelers and will need to adhere to the rules and guidelines of the Safe Travels Program.
As always, we recommend you visit and consult the State of Hawaii Safe Travels website for any questions you may have and to obtain any forms you may need to complete. You’ll find a link below to the Safe Travels website.
PLEASE NOTE: In yet another Mandate, the Governor of Hawaii has changed the 14-day quarantine to a 10-day quarantine effective 12/17/2020.
Please Note, the requirements for traveling to Hawaii and bypassing the 14 10-day quarantine have recently changed. On November 16, Governor Ige of Hawaii announced his 15th COVID-19
Emergency Proclamation and Mandate. Part of that mandate changed the requirements for trans-Pacific arriving in Hawaii and being able to bypass the 14 10-day Quarantine requirements. In the interest of accuracy, I’ve pretty much done a “Cut & Paste” of information from the State’s website and included links to additional information.
Aloha! The State of Hawaii Safe Travels Hawaii program is a multilayered process designed to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our community from trans-Pacific visitor and resident passengers arriving at airports/ports across the Islands.
This enhanced entry into Hawaii includes a pre-travel testing program, the Mandatory State of Hawaii Travel and Health Form, and temperature screening at all Hawaii airports upon arrival. TEMPORARY: On Kaua‘i, as of Dec. 2, 2020, all travelers must quarantine 14 10-days upon arrival with or without a test.
The state of Hawaii will ONLY accept Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) from a certified Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) lab test results from TRUSTED TESTING AND TRAVEL PARTNERS.
A 14-day mandatory quarantine will be required for trans-Pacific travelers arriving WITHOUT a confirmed negative COVID-19 test taken within the 72 hours before departure of the final leg of their trip to Hawaii. Travelers will not be able to obtain a Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) upon arrival at any Hawaiʻi airport.
All trans-Pacific travelers who board a plane on the final leg of their trip to the Hawaiian Islands without first securing a negative test will be subject to mandatory quarantine. Tests must be taken with trusted testing and travel partners with 72 hours of departure.
The negative test result must be uploaded onto Safe Travels prior to departure or printed out prior to departure and hard copy in hand when arriving in Hawaii.
Travelers without a negative test result before boarding the final leg of their flight MUST quarantine for 14 days or the length of their stay, whichever is shorter. It is important travelers consider the duration and considerable expense of possible quarantine before embarking.
Travelers from Canada and Japan may also bypass the State of Hawaii’s mandatory 14 10-day quarantine by securing a pre-travel test from a trusted testing and travel partner 72 hours prior to departure on the final leg of their journey to Hawaii. Travelers from Canada and Japan who do not secure a negative COVID-19 test BEFORE departure will be subject to the same mandatory 14-day quarantine regulation as other trans-Pacific travelers. The negative test result must be uploaded onto Safe Travels prior to departure or printed out prior to departure and hard copy in hand when arriving in Hawaii.
For travelers from Canada, please visit Air Canada or WestJet.
For travelers from Japan, please visit Hawaii Tourism Japan (Japanese).
At this time, there are no other enhanced entry options available for international travel.
Please click HERE if you would like to be directed to the Safe Travels Hawaii Overview.