Regulations for a pet traveling to Hawaii from the continental United States are governed by the state of Hawaii. These regulations and requirements may change at any time and without notice. Due to the complexity and variability in transporting pets to Hawaii, Oswego Veterinary Hospital has a protocol in place that outlines the responsibilities of both the client and the veterinarian.
The pet import process should start as soon as the client has determined the date of travel and the Hawaiian island they will be flying to. An approximate departure date is sufficient for the initial veterinary consultation as long as there is sufficient time to complete the requirements needed.
Hawaii’s current pet import protocol requires the pet owner to fill out and submit the import form well in advance of the pet’s travel date. It is the responsibility of the pet owner to obtain written documentation of the requirements needed for their pet. The State of Hawaii Animal Industry Division website http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/ai/aqs/aqs-info/ is a good resource for pet travel requirements and determining which Health Certificate Requirement checklist to use based on which airport the pet arrives at. This site also provides a link to the AQS-279 form that the pet owner must fill out and mail, along with the documents listed on the form, to Hawaii prior to travel.
Vaccination requirements and documentation, microchip requirements, and Rabies titer requirements are especially important. A waiting period of 21 to 30 days between Rabies vaccination and FAVN (Rabies Titer) blood draw is advised for optimum antibody response. Please allow 3 to 4 weeks AFTER blood draw for FAVN test results to be available. There is usually a 30 day minimum waiting period after the blood draw for a successful FAVN rabies antibody test and arrival in Hawaii.
Oswego Veterinary Hospital elects to provide Hawaii health certification under the following conditions:
- Prior to the first meeting with the veterinarian, the client is responsible for researching, printing, and filling out to the best of their ability the appropriate travel documents.
- If the pet is not yet a patient of Oswego Veterinary Hospital, the client will need to provide microchip information, date of implantation, previous records, rabies certificates, and all vaccine information.
Once this information is gathered, the pet owner/client needs to:
- Sign at the bottom of this document that you have read and understand the contents prior to the initial consultation.
- Schedule the initial consultation/exam with a veterinarian. The destination airport should be relayed to Oswego Veterinary Hospital staff when this appointment is made so sufficient time can be allotted for the visit. At this visit we will review the client’s paperwork, whether any additional testing or vaccines are needed, check the microchip function/number and draw blood for the Rabies FAVN if needed.
Fees - examinations, treatments, testing and vaccinations are charged at each visit as needed. The fee for the signed Health Certificate that will accompany the pet is $130. This does not include the exam and parasite treatment required for departure. The cost per additional pet traveling on the same health certificate on the same date is $110.
All travel-related appointments should be scheduled with the same veterinarian if possible.
I understand that if I choose to have Oswego Veterinary Hospital oversee my travel to Hawaii, I am responsible for the applicable charges as outlined above, and have read and understand my role in this process.
Oswego Veterinary Hospital will take our guidance from the State of Hawaii Animal Industry Division and will perform our responsibilities to assist with and endorse travel in a timely manner. However, ultimately it is the pet owner's responsibility to ensure all requirements have been completed correctly within the necessary timeline.
If proper requirements are not completed and/or documents are improperly completed, the pet may not be allowed to embark on journey or be subject to additional costs including but not limited to additional treatments and/or a quarantine period as required by Hawaii. These costs for any additional treatment and/or quarantine, and/or the cost associated with the refusal for the pet to enter Hawaii are the responsibility of the pet owner.
While we will make every effort to confirm all requirements are met, Oswego Veterinary Hospital will make no claim of warranty, suitability, or acceptability for Hawaii health certificate beyond our endorsement on the forms provided by the owner. We do not warrant in any way that the pet will not be quarantined.
I hold Oswego Veterinary Hospital, its doctors, and staff harmless for any errors or omissions related to requirements and documentation for my pet's travels.
