Jeff Dorman
Can I Take My Dog To Hawaii On Vacation – Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you decide to make a purchase through my links, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Read our affiliate policy here.
If you’ve ever wanted to visit or move to Hawaii but feel like you can’t go anywhere without your dog, you’re probably wondering, “Can you take a dog to Hawaii?” Maybe you thought.
Can I Take My Dog To Hawaii On Vacation
When we moved from London to Maui we had a big problem to solve. This is exactly how our beloved dog, Hattie, carries us. We knew it was possible to get him to Hawaii, but we heard horror stories about dogs that had to be quarantined for six months when we got there.
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Yes, you can take your dog to Hawaii. However, to avoid the six-month quarantine, you must apply for Direct Departure (DAR) at the airport. You should start this process a few months before you arrive in Hawaii. We’ll cover exactly how we went through the process and what we learned.
Our dog, Hattie, meets the vet at the Maui gate to depart directly from the airport. He survived the six-month quarantine in Hawaii!
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The Hawaii Department of Agriculture offers a checklist to guide you through the process of bringing a dog to Hawaii. It’s a great resource but I found it a bit confusing at times.
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Our dog was ready to leave the cold of England and head to the beaches of Maui. He did not regret going to Hawaii.
The microchip number is used to identify the dog upon arrival in Hawaii and is also used for any blood tests the dog may need. If your dog does not have a working microchip, get one.
Hawaii is a rabies free state (surprise!). And strict rules govern how they protect their habitat to ensure they remain rabies free. Hawaii is the only rabies free state in the Union.
This means that we must ensure that every animal that enters the state has adequate amounts of rabies antibodies in its blood.
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To do this, your dog must have received at least two rabies vaccinations in its lifetime and its most recent rabies vaccination must be current (not expired) before arriving in Hawaii.
Hattie has never had a rabies vaccine in her life (there is no rabies disease in the UK) so we had to give her two vaccinations. The vaccination must be given 30 days apart, and you must wait 30 days after the second dose to do a blood test.
Planning and plenty of time is the key to getting it all done before you take your dog to Hawaii!
Now that you have given your dog two doses of the rabies vaccine and given him time to develop rabies antibodies, it is time to have his blood tested by one of three approved laboratories.
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As we are from the UK this was the most complicated process. This will be much easier to do if you live in the United States. Give your veterinarian the name of the laboratory; He/she should be able to coordinate the shipment of samples.
Your dog’s blood sample is sent to the lab, and the lab sends the results (pass or fail) directly to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. You should also get a copy of your results from your vet.
You can search using the Animal Quarantine Microchip Search to check the status of your test and see if your results have been received by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture.
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After all your hard work, this is where it all comes together. Before applying for a permit, you must do two things:
After taking care of these two details, it is time to apply for a permit. If you are unsure of any details, your Hawaiian Islands veterinarian of choice can assist you with the application process.
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If you are applying for a Neighbor Island Inspection Permit, please submit your application documents at least 30 days prior to your scheduled arrival in Hawaii. The documents you must submit include:
We also sent a shipping label to the Department of Agriculture to allow overnight use of the permit. We were really nervous about getting our permits back in time for our flight.
If you are flying to one of the neighboring islands like us, the Ministry of Agriculture will send you your permit by post. This is the permit you must present to the airline before you go to Hawaii (they will verify it) and to your vet when you arrive.
Visit the vet within 14 days of your flight for a health check and to ensure your dog is fit to fly. At this appointment, you will want your dog to be treated for ticks, as your vet will also note this on your health certificate.
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Taking your furry friend to the island with you takes a lot of work and a lot of time. But worth it. I was really nervous about the process and wasn’t sure what was going to happen when I landed, but it couldn’t have been easier.
Our vet met us at the door, scanned Hattie’s microchip number, reviewed our permit paperwork, and we were on our way. This was the easiest part of the whole process.
Yes, the process of taking a dog to Hawaii takes a lot of time. But if you’re moving it’s worth it. Hattie can now enjoy Hawaiian beaches and sunbathe on the porch all day. He loves it here and we love having him here.
You can expect to pay $500 or more for your dog’s flight, rabies blood test, health certificate and permit. We paid $755 to bring our dog to Maui. The distribution according to costs is as follows:
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Most of these costs are standard, but you can save money by choosing the right airline. The cost to take your dog to Hawaii with Alaska Airlines is $100. On Hawaiian Airlines it’s $225.
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We’ve just explained all the steps you need to take to bring your dog to Hawaii when you move. The steps to bring a dog on holiday are the same. You need to decide if it is worth taking your dog to Hawaii for your trip.
It takes months of planning and costs a lot of money. The total cost to bring Hattie (including the rabies vaccine) was about $1,000.
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If you decide to take your dog to Hawaii, know that the accommodation options will be more limited. We were fortunate to find a few hotels and vacation homes where we could take Hattie while we traveled between the islands. But this always makes planning more complicated.
We know that taking a dog to Hawaii can be complicated, so we even created a video that shares our experiences with the process to help you sort it all out. Watch the video below where we tell you about our experience bringing our dog, Hattie, to Maui.
I am the co-founder of The 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 children Henry and Edith. I’m a planner! I love planning mainland trips, island hopping adventures, travel days, and everything in between. I spend a lot of time SUPing in Hawaii, and my favorite time of year in Hawaii is whale season!
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