Taking your pet from Japan to Hawaii
Hawaii is the only rabies-free state in the U.S. and runs its own quarantine program. Japan is not on Hawaii’s simplified-exemption list, so even departing from Japan you follow the full Checklist 1 requirements. Work through the steps below and your pet can qualify for Direct Airport Release in Honolulu.
Official rules last verified: 2026-08-27
Entry date calculator
Enter the blood draw date to see when the 30-day wait ends. Hawaii counts that wait from the day after the laboratory receives the sample, so international shipping time is added on top. Add a planned departure date to check whether it works.
Enter the blood draw date to see the result here.
This is calculated from the blood draw date. Hawaii actually counts from the day the laboratory receives the sample, so it can fall later by the shipping time, and this does not check the vaccination order, document deadlines or airline conditions.
Airline conditions and scheduling in the app →The essentials
- Rabies vaccinationAt least two doses in the pet’s lifetime · second at least 30 days after the first
- Titer testFAVN only · 0.5 IU/mL or higher · four DAB-approved laboratories
- Waiting period30 days from the lab’s receipt of the sample · result valid 36 months
- DocumentsMust reach AQS more than 10 days before arrival (mailed as one set)
- Health certificateIssued by an accredited veterinarian within 14 days of arrival · tick treatment recorded
- Arrival airportHonolulu (HNL) · pet must reach the facility by 16:30 for same-day release
Step by step
Order matters. A vaccination given before the microchip is not accepted, and the 30-day wait runs from the day the laboratory receives the sample, not from the blood draw. The documents also have to reach Hawaii more than 10 days before arrival.
Microchip
FirstImplant an ISO 11784/11785 microchip. It must come before every other quarantine step; any vaccination given before the chip is not recognized.
First rabies vaccination
After the chipHawaii requires at least two rabies vaccinations in the pet’s lifetime. The dose must follow the microchip, and the age at which a pet can be vaccinated follows the vaccine product label. Validity also depends on the product (1-year or 3-year).
Second rabies vaccination
At least 30 days after the firstGive the second dose at least 30 days after the first. Keep both certificates — two rabies vaccination certificates go into the document set you mail.
FAVN titer test (blood draw)
After the second doseBlood is drawn and the rabies antibody level is measured by FAVN; the result must be 0.5 IU/mL or higher. Only the four DAB-approved laboratories (Auburn, Kansas State, Missouri, DOD) are accepted, and RFFIT and the KSU Micro RFFIT (MRS) are not. The result stays valid for 36 months.
The clock starts when the lab receives the sample, not at the draw. If you do not know that date, the app allows for shipping. Check in the app →
30-day waiting period
Lab receipt of the sample = day 0The 30 days run from the day the laboratory receives the sample, not from the blood draw. The sample travels from Japan to a laboratory on the U.S. mainland, so counting from the draw date can land you a few days short. Arriving before the requirement is met can mean being held for the remaining days.
The end of the wait and the mailing deadline both have to hold. Enter your departure date to see them side by side. Check in the app →
Health certificate and tick treatment
Within 14 days of arrivalAn accredited veterinarian issues the health certificate within 14 days of arrival. Besides stating that your pet shows no signs of infectious disease, it must record the product name and date of a long-acting treatment that kills ticks (Revolution® is not acceptable). This treatment applies to both dogs and cats, and if ticks or other parasites are found on arrival your pet loses its direct airport release. Also, because of the current New World Screwworm outbreak in the United States, the certificate must carry the statement "All animals were inspected and found free of evidence of New World Screwworm infestation." Ask your veterinarian to add this line when the certificate is issued.
Mail the document set
More than 10 days before arrivalSend four things as one set to the Animal Quarantine Station (AQS): ① the Dog & Cat Import Form (AQS-279), ② two rabies vaccination certificates, ③ the health certificate and ④ payment. Instead of mailing, you can create an account on the online portal (HIPOP, hipop.ais.hawaii.gov) to upload the documents and pay by card. They must reach Hawaii more than 10 days before your pet does to qualify for 5-Day-Or-Less (5DOL) or Direct Airport Release (DAR). The health certificate is only valid if issued within 14 days of arrival, so if it cannot go with the rest, hand the original to the inspector on arrival. The address is Animal Quarantine Station, 99-951 Hālawa Valley St., ʻAiea, HI 96701 (fax +1-808-483-7161).
Export inspection in Japan
From 10 days before departureFrom 10 days before departure, Japan’s Animal Quarantine Service (AQS) can endorse the health certificate and carry out the export inspection. Apply through NACCS or by email at least 14 days before the date you want. This is not a DAB entry requirement — it is Japan’s export quarantine procedure for taking a pet out of the country.
Departure and arrival in Honolulu
Departure dayThe Hawaii quarantine facility operates 08:30–16:30 daily. Your pet must reach the facility by 16:30 to qualify for same-day Direct Airport Release. Airlines can take up to an hour to bring the pet over, so aim for a flight that lands by 15:30. Pets arriving after 16:30 are held overnight and released the next morning, with a $59 fee if they are not collected by 10:00 a.m.
The mailed set and what to carry on arrival
- Dog & Cat Import Form (AQS-279)
- Two rabies vaccination certificates (first and second dose)
- Health certificate (issued within 14 days of arrival · tick treatment recorded)
- Payment (sent in advance)
- FAVN titer test result (0.5 IU/mL or higher)
- Microchip identification
Frequently asked questions
Can my pet get a rabies booster right before departure?
The most recent rabies vaccination must be more than 30 days before the arrival date in Hawaii. If it was given within 30 days of arrival, the pet stays in quarantine until the 30 days have passed. This does not apply if the pet has had three or more rabies vaccinations and the latest one was given before the previous vaccination expired. If you are considering a booster just before departure to renew an expiring vaccination, check this condition first.
Do we still need the FAVN test coming from Japan?
Yes. Hawaii does not include Japan among the regions that get a simplified exemption, the way the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Guam do. Departing from Japan you still meet every Checklist 1 requirement: microchip, two vaccinations, FAVN, the 30-day wait, tick treatment, health certificate and documents arriving 10 days ahead.
Does the 30-day wait start on the day of the blood draw?
No. It starts on the day the laboratory receives the sample. The sample has to travel from Japan to an approved laboratory on the U.S. mainland, so counting from the draw date can put you ahead of the real date. Building a few spare days into the plan is safer.
What happens if the documents arrive late?
The set must reach Hawaii more than 10 days before arrival to qualify for 5-Day-Or-Less (5DOL) or Direct Airport Release (DAR). If it is late, your pet does not qualify and may be held. If only the health certificate is late, though, you can hand the original to the inspector on arrival.
Do cats need the tick treatment too?
Yes. Hawaii’s rules make no distinction between dogs and cats. Within 14 days of arrival your pet must be treated with a long-acting product that kills ticks, and the product name and treatment date must be recorded on the health certificate. Revolution® is not acceptable.
Can we arrive at an airport other than Honolulu?
Entry through the neighbor islands (Kona, Kahului, Lihue) is a separate track. It needs a Neighbor Island Inspection Permit and the document deadline differs. This guide covers arrival in Honolulu (HNL), so check directly with the Animal Quarantine Station if you plan to fly to a neighbor island.
What if we arrive without meeting every requirement?
Your pet is not refused entry but is held for the remaining period. Where documentation is substantially incomplete, quarantine of up to 120 days can apply. Check both the waiting period and whether your documents have arrived before you travel.
Sources and verification dates
- Hawaii Department of Agriculture & Biosecurity (DAB) — animal quarantine information (Checklist 1) · 2026-08-26
- Hawaii Department of Agriculture & Biosecurity (DAB) — Animal Quarantine Station · 2026-07-17
- Animal Quarantine Service (MAFF) — exporting dogs and cats from Japan · 2026-08-27
This guide is reference information compiled from publicly available official rules. Final decisions rest with the Hawaii Department of Agriculture & Biosecurity, Japan’s Animal Quarantine Service and your airline, and actual procedures may differ as rules change or depending on conditions on the day. Please confirm directly with the authorities and your airline before you travel.
If you need help with dates and scheduling
Enter your pet’s vaccination dates and planned departure in the TabiPet app, and it lays out the steps above around your own dates. Your first diagnosis is free.
- Vaccination order and validity checks
- Waiting-period start date and document deadlines
- Airline boarding conditions by weight and breed
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