Kona Veterinary Service: Moving to Hawaii

Travel Requirements

The travel requirements stated must be met and are the responsibility of the owner.

Domestic travel INTO the state of Hawaii

The islands of Hawaii are currently rabies-free! To prevent introduction of the virus to the islands, there are strict requirements for incoming animals. If you are planning to move your pets to Hawaii (or return from a trip) it is important to plan ahead. If your pet is not up to date on their rabies vaccine or rabies titer (FAVN), this process may take over 2-3 months. See our page on Rabies Vaccine and Titer for more information.

Minimum Requirements:

A microchip
Original vaccine certificates for at least 2 rabies vaccines (> than 30 days apart)
A passing rabies titer level
A Neighbor-Island permit (if arriving directly into Kona airport).
A Health Certificate (must be issued by a veterinarian within 10 days of arrival)
All paperwork for the return trip must be filed with the Hawaii Department of Agriculture a minimum of 10 days prior to departure for Honolulu arrivals (and a minimum of thirty days prior to departure for Kona arrivals).

Please refer to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture website for detailed instructions and checklists for travel into the state of Hawaii: hdoa.hawaii.gov/ai/aqs/aqs-info.

We thank everyone who chose us to perform their pets' inspection in the past, but we are no longer providing inspection services at this time.

Domestic travel OUT of the state of Hawaii

Requirements for moving pets to the mainland are determined by each individual state. Please research thoroughly if you are not familiar with the requirements of the state you are traveling to.

You can find import information by state at www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel/interstate-pet-travel

Minimum Requirements:

A Health Certificate (issued by a veterinarian within 10 days of travel).
A current rabies vaccine (depending on the state of entry)

Appointments for Health certificates should be scheduled within 10 days of travel, ideally 3-5 days before the flight (if the patient is receiving a rabies vaccine). Please plan ahead and schedule your appointment as soon as you know your travel dates. If travel plans change outside of the 10 days of the issued health certificate, another exam must be done and another health certificate must be issued.

Airline Requirements

All airlines have different requirements and restrictions. Please speak with your airline prior to your health certificate appointment and bring any additional forms with you on that day.