Hawaii Travel Restrictions

'Safe Travels' Updates for 2022

Quarantine Period Reduced & Health Questionnaire no longer required

Safe Travels Hawaii remains in place for domestic travel from the U.S. and its Territories. The mandatory self-quarantine period for those arriving in the Hawaiian Islands who are not fully vaccinated or do not have a negative pre-travel test result has been reduced from 10 days to five (5) days, effective January 3, 2022.

Additionally, beginning January 4, 2022, travelers do not need to complete the Health Questionnaire prior to departure to receive a QR code.

Maui to update the definition of 'fully vaccinated'

New policy for restaurants, etc. begins January 8, 2022

Effective on Maui beginning January 8, 2022, the definition of 'fully vaccinated' will now include getting a booster shot to further increase immunity against COVID-19. This change primarily affects bars, restaurants, and gyms. To the best of our knowledge, this rule change does NOT affect Safe Travels to Maui at this time. According to Maui Mayor Victorino, restaurant patrons can continue to dine outdoors without having a vaccination card, or they can optionally also receive take-out.

At this time, no other island in Hawaii appears to be following Maui's lead on the booster requirement, but we'll continue to monitor this situation closely. Oahu has not updated its Safe Access Oahu rules to include boosters at this time, but the vaccine pass requirements remain in place on Oahu, for indoor dining, etc. Currently, neither Kauai nor the Big Island has any special rules for restaurants; the rules are at the discretion of each individual restaurant to decide if they want to implement any type of requirement for entry. However, a word to the wise - if you plan to visit those islands in the near future, be sure to carry proof of vaccination with you, as some establishments may require proof of vaccination. Additionally, the Big Island of Hawaii, whose mayor recently tested positive for COVID himself, did recently re-impose a reduced 10-person limit (previously the limit was up to 25-persons) on social gatherings.

Quicklinks & Resources on this page...

• Current Vaccine Exemption - rules and requirements as of July 8, 2021; What you need to know to travel to Hawaii now if you've been fully vaccinated in the U.S.
• International Travelers - rules and requirements as of December 6, 2021; Hawaii has updated international traveler rules under the new federal U.S. requirements.
• Non-vaccinated Travelers - the travel rules, testing requirements, & restrictions for all travelers who have NOT received an approved COVID-19 vaccination.

• Easing Restrictions - Updates on the latest easing of local restrictions within Hawaii
• 'Vaccine Pass' program on Oahu and Maui - required for entry into establishments.
• Summary of all topics - overview of the topics found on this page

Due to the surge in local cases caused by the Delta variant that occurred earlier this year, certain restrictions have been reinstated on Maui and Oahu. As of late 2021, some rules have begun to ease again (see below for details). We're monitoring this situation closely and will keep this page updated accordingly.

U.S. Travelers: Vaccine Exemptions are now available

Currently, there is now a vaccine exemption available to those who can provide proof of being fully vaccinated within the U.S.  Hawaii Governor David Ige has announced that the state of Hawaii will now allow travelers vaccinated within the U.S. to skip quarantine without getting a COVID test prior to traveling to the Hawaiian Islands.

• The exemption is for those vaccinated in all US states and territories; more information and the official steps to follow are included below.
• We've also now included a Vaccine Exemption FAQ on our Hawaii Travel & COVID-19 Vaccine page.
• The State of Hawaii will also accept vaccine records that are digitally validated by Digital Health Pass Partners (AZOVA, CLEAR, and CommonPass). Travelers who use one of the State's partners to link their digitally validated vaccine records with Safe Travels may enjoy expedited processing at the airport (no secondary visual inspection of paper vaccine records).
• Currently, as of January 10, 2022, Hawaii had a statewide vaccination rate of 74.8%, according to local state data from the Hawaii Department of Health.

For International Travelers

Travel Rules updated on December 6, 2021

The Presidential Proclamation and CDC Order are effective for travel from international airports to the United States. "Direct International Travelers" will no longer need to have a Safe Travel Account to present upon arrival to Hawaii, starting November 8, 2021. "Non-Direct International Travel" will be considered domestic travel and passengers must have a Safe Travels account. Please see below for additional details on each type of travel as the rules were updated for December 2021.

Direct International Travel to Hawaii

All air passengers 2 years of age or older with a flight departing to the United States from a foreign country at or after 12:01am EST (5:01am GMT) on December 6, 2021, are required to show a negative COVID-19 viral test result taken no more than 1 day before travel, or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 in the past 90 days, before they board their flight.

Air passengers will also be required to confirm in the form of an attestation that the information they present is true.

For the full list of requirements and exemptions, please review the language in the Order.

Example of Direct International Travel

Aircraft begins flight in another country and ends the flight at the port of federal debarkation in Hawaii. Passengers are subjected to U.S. customs processing in Hawaii. This category will be either:

1. A non-stop flight - from one airport to another, without any stops along the way.
2. A direct flight - from one airport to another but includes stops in one or more cities along the way. The flight number or aircraft and passengers' boarding pass remain the same.

• e.g.; Narita, Japan direct flight to Honolulu, Hawaii, USA OR Manilla, Philippines direct flight to Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
• Process for both the above: Adhere to U.S. Federal process for international travel; No Safe Travels Hawaii or state requirement 

Non-Direct International Travel to Hawaii

International passengers entering the U.S. from another state or territory will be treated as domestic travelers when entering the State of Hawaii. The Safe Travels Hawaii program remains in place for domestic travelers.

Example of Non-Direct International Travel

Aircraft begins flight in another country and ends the flight at a port of federal debarkation not in Hawaii. Passengers are subjected to U.S. customs processing, not in Hawaii. This category will consist of:

1. Connecting flights - from one (Non-U.S.) city to another (U.S.) city, with a layover stop in between to change planes (in the U.S.). Each flight requires a separate boarding pass, but the passenger is on one itinerary.

• e.g.; London, England direct flight to Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Clears customs in Atlanta and boards another aircraft to Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. OR Mexico City, Mexico direct flight to Los Angles, California, USA. Clears customs in Los Angeles and boards another aircraft to Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
• Process for both examples above: Adhere to U.S. Federal process for the international portion of travel; Adhere to Safe Travels Hawaii requirement for the domestic portion of travel

To reiterate, current Safe Travels Hawaii requirements for domestic travelers include:

• Creating a Safe Travels Hawaii account on a digital device
• Entering trip details with the Safe Travels application
• Filling out a health form (requirement ends January 4, 2022), and
• Attesting that all information is correct.
• More information and the official steps to follow are included below.
• A Vaccine Exemption FAQ is also included on our Hawaii Travel & COVID-19 Vaccine page.

Example of Domestic Travel

Aircraft begins flight in the U.S. and ends* in Hawaii. *Can be Non-stop, direct, or connecting

• e.g.; San Francisco, California to Hawaii. OR New York, New York to Seattle, Washington to Hawaii
• Process for both examples above*: Adhere to Safe Travels Hawaii requirement for travel
  • *Exception: No Safe Travel Hawaii requirement for Hawaii intra-state (inter-county) travel

Currently, domestic travelers may bypass the state’s mandatory 5-day quarantine (number of required days changed on January 3, 2022) in one of two ways:

1. Upload a vaccination document; or
2. Upload a negative NAAT test result.
   • The test must be taken by a Trusted Travel Partner (TTP) within three days of departure for the State of Hawaii.

Also, as of November 8, 2021, the State of Hawaii, in alignment with the federal government, will accept vaccines approved or authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and vaccines listed for emergency use by the World Health Organization. A list of currently accepted vaccines is posted on the CDC’s website.

For non-vaccinated travelers

For all other domestic travelers, including those who do not qualify for an existing vaccine exemption, there is a pre-travel testing option that will allow travelers an alternative, allowing them to bypass Hawaii's mandatory 5-day quarantine (number of required days changed on January 3, 2022) restrictions, as long as they bring along proof of a negative COVID-19 test from a state-approved trusted testing partner. All travelers must have their negative test results within 72 hours prior to the final leg of departure as an alternative to Hawaii's quarantine requirements. 

For all domestic travelers who do not get properly tested or who have not been vaccinated in accordance with the current vaccine exemptions, Hawaii Governor David Ige mandates all visitors arriving in the Hawaiian Islands to self-quarantine for 5 days, meaning all passengers traveling to Hawaii (visitors and returning residents) must self-quarantine for 5 days following their arrival.

Editor's Note...

To best assist potential Hawaii travelers, we will provide additional updates on pertinent Hawaii Travel Restrictions here regularly, from official sources, on this page as more information becomes available to us. We also encourage our readers to sign up for our weekly emails on Hawaii Travel updates and other developments.

Below we've also made sure to provide detailed information on the individual restrictions on each county/island within the state of Hawaii.

The culture of the Hawaiian Islands promotes kuleana (responsibility) and aloha (love, peace, and compassion). Now that travelers can once again enjoy the incredible beauty and diverse cultures of the Hawaiian Islands, the state of Hawaii is asking for your kokua (help) in keeping Hawaii safe. If you are still trying to decide which Hawaii Island to visit, the following information should aid you in making the best choices.

Additional Resources

• Detailed information on Hawaii's use of Health/Vaccine passports can be found in our article: Hawaii Vaccine & Health Passport Travel →
• Hawaii's pre-travel testing procedures (including Pre-Clear) for domestic U.S trans-Pacific, inter-island, and international travel can be found on our Hawaii COVID Testing Requirements →
• A complete list of the trusted travel partners, currently approved by the state of Hawaii, for pre-travel testing can be found here: Hawaii Trusted Travel Partners & Test Costs →
• Additional details on Hawaii's policy for vaccinated travelers, including a vaccine FAQ, can be found in our updated article: Hawaii COVID-19 Vaccination Policies →
• Now that Hawaii has reopened to travelers with restrictions, we've created an article to cover everything you need to know about What is Open, Closed, or Reopening Soon →
• Information on the latest with Hawaii rental cars and per-island transportation options can be found here: Rental Car Notice & Transporation Options →

Some Restrictions are easing within Hawaii...

On November 23, 2021, Governor Ige and the county mayors announced the next phase of state and county measures related to COVID-19, beginning December 1, 2021.

As we understand the rules, beginning December 1, 2021 - indoor restaurant dining seating no longer has to have six-foot distancing, though all patrons will still need to present their vaccine cards or a recent negative test.  Gyms are additionally now back to 100% capacity and there are no outdoor restrictions for social gatherings or sporting events at this time.

The following basic measures have proven to be effective and will remain unchanged in the next emergency proclamation relating to COVID-19:

• The Hawaii Safe Travels Program;
• The indoor mask mandate;
• The vaccination or testing requirements for state executive and county employees; and
• The vaccination or testing requirements for contractors and visitors to state facilities.

"Hawaii residents have worn their masks and avoided large gatherings, even important family events. Most of our residents are vaccinated. We worked together to keep our communities as safe as possible during this pandemic. The State of Hawaii is now ready to move from overall state coordination back to the counties," said Governor Ige.

Governor Ige has announced he will sign another emergency proclamation on November 29, 2021. He announced the following changes:

• As of December 1, 2021, the individual Hawaii counties will no longer be required to obtain the approval of the governor or the director of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HIEMA) prior to issuing county emergency orders, rules or proclamations.
• Counties will continue to have direct responsibility for emergency management with their respective counties. Emergencies are usually county-specific and county-led, with the state serving in a supporting role.

"The nature of this emergency was like no other, and it required a level of federal, state and county coordination that we’ve never before seen. I’m grateful for the leadership of our mayors and for the collaboration and close working relationship that we have. Together, with the people of Hawaii, we arrived at this point. But the pandemic is not over. We urge residents to remain vigilant as we continue to protect the health and safety of our kama'aina, re-energize our economy and strengthen our communities," Governor Ige said.

Once signed on November 29, 2021, the proclamation relating to COVID-19 will continue through January 28, 2022, unless terminated or superseded by a separate proclamation.

Inter-island Restrictions have ended

As of June 15, 2021, the inter-island restrictions have now officially ended between all islands. No pre-travel testing is required for travel between the Hawaiian Islands at this time.

'Vaccine Pass' program now in effect on Oahu & Maui

Required for entry into Oahu & Maui establishments

On Oahu, as of September 13, 2021, as per a new emergency order signed by Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, all customers wishing to enter Oahu restaurants, bars, gyms, and other Oahu establishments will need to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test; part of the city of Honolulu's Safe Access Oahu program.

On Maui, as of September 15, 2021, vaccine cards will be required to dine indoors at Maui restaurants. Maui County Mayor Michael Victorino has said, "Customers will be required to show vaccination, vaccination cards, or some sort of verification. And those who don't have it, if they have outside seating, they're allowed to sit outside and/or takeout."

More details about these new programs for Maui and Oahu can be found on our page for Hawaii Vaccine Passports →

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