Taking your pet from Korea to Hawaii
Hawaii is the only rabies-free state in the U.S. and runs its own quarantine rules. Finish every step before you arrive and you can collect your pet at the airport; miss one and it may be held. The 30-day wait in particular is counted from the day the laboratory receives the blood sample, not the day it was drawn, so leave yourself room in the schedule.
Official rules last verified: 2026-08-26
Entry date calculator
Enter the date the laboratory received the sample to see when the 30-day wait ends and your pet can enter Hawaii. Hawaii counts from the day after receipt, so it lands on day 31 on the calendar. Add a planned departure date to check whether it works.
Enter a date to see the result here.
This only calculates the waiting period. Hawaii counts the 30 days from the day the laboratory receives the sample, so if you entered the blood draw date, the real entry date may fall later by however long international shipping takes. It does not check the vaccination order, document deadlines or airline conditions.
Airline conditions and scheduling in the app →The essentials
- Minimum lead timeAbout 5 months (interval, sample shipping, the 30-day wait and paperwork)
- Rabies vaccination2 or more doses · second at least 30 days after the first
- Titer thresholdFAVN 0.5 IU/mL or higher · one of four DAB-approved laboratories
- Waiting period30 days from the day the laboratory receives the sample
- Document deadlineMust reach the Animal Quarantine Station (AQS) more than 10 days before arrival
- Arrival airportHonolulu (HNL) · neighbor islands follow a separate process
Step by step
Order matters. A vaccination given before the microchip is not accepted, and the waiting period only starts once the laboratory has the sample in hand.
Microchip
FirstImplant an ISO 11784/11785 microchip. It must come before the rabies vaccination; any dose given before the chip is not recognized. The chip number must match across every document.
First rabies vaccination
After the chipHawaii requires rabies vaccination for dogs and cats that are 90 days of age or older on arrival. The age at which a pet can be vaccinated is set by the vaccine product label rather than a fixed number of days, so decide the timing with your vet. Ask for the certificate in English.
Second rabies vaccination
At least 30 days after the firstGive it at least 30 days after the first dose. The most recent dose must also be at least 30 days before arrival and still within the booster interval printed on the vaccine label.
Rabies titer test (FAVN blood draw)
After the second doseBlood is drawn to measure the rabies antibody level. The result must be 0.5 IU/mL or higher, and only FAVN results from the four DAB-approved laboratories (Auburn, Kansas State, Missouri, DOD) are accepted. RFFIT and the KSU Micro RFFIT (MRS) are not. The result is 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
Laboratory receipt = day 0Only once 30 days have passed since the laboratory received the sample does your pet qualify for 5-Day-Or-Less (5DOL) or Direct Airport Release (DAR). The clock starts at receipt, not at the blood draw, so allow for international shipping. Arriving before the wait is complete does not mean refusal — your pet is held for the remaining days and then released.
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 must issue the health certificate within 14 days of arrival, stating that the pet shows no signs of infectious disease and has been treated for ticks and fleas. The tick treatment must use a long-acting product, be given within 14 days of arrival, and be recorded with the product name and date; Revolution is not accepted. If ticks or other parasites are found on arrival, your pet loses direct airport release. This applies to cats as well as dogs. 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
Must arrive more than 10 days before your petMail these four 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 arrive more than 10 days before your pet does to qualify for 5-Day-Or-Less or Direct Airport Release. The health certificate is only valid if issued within 14 days of arrival, so if it cannot go with the rest in time, hand the original to the inspector on arrival.
Export quarantine certificate
From 10 days before departureThis is not a DAB entry requirement — it is the export quarantine step Korea applies when a pet leaves the country. APQA issues the certificate, and booking through the pet export quarantine reservation system lets you collect it from 10 days before departure.
Departure and arrival in Honolulu
Departure dayTo collect your pet at the airport, it must reach the quarantine facility by 16:30. Moving a pet from the aircraft to the facility can take the airline up to an hour, so flights arriving before 15:30 are recommended. After 16:30 your pet stays overnight at the holding facility and is released the following morning, with an additional fee if it is not collected by 10:00.
Documents to prepare
- Dog & Cat Import Form (AQS-279) — mailed set
- Two rabies vaccination certificates — mailed set
- Health certificate (within 14 days of arrival, tick treatment recorded) — mailed set
- Payment — mailed set
- FAVN test result
- Microchip identification
- Export quarantine certificate (issued by APQA)
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.
Is the 30-day wait counted from the blood draw?
No — it is counted from the day the laboratory receives the sample. Shipping a sample from Korea to a U.S. laboratory takes time, so counting from the draw date puts your estimate several days early. If you can confirm the receipt date, use that.
What happens if we arrive before the 30 days are up?
Your pet is not refused entry; it is held for the remaining days and then released. Collecting it at the airport becomes difficult, though, so it is better to depart after the wait is complete.
Do cats need the tick treatment too?
Yes. DAB Checklist 1 applies to "every dog or cat". The treatment must be given within 14 days of arrival and recorded on the health certificate, and if ticks or other parasites are found on arrival your pet loses direct airport release.
What does it take to collect my pet at the airport?
The document set must reach the Animal Quarantine Station more than 10 days before arrival, and the vaccination, titer and 30-day wait requirements must all be met. On the day, your pet must also reach the quarantine facility by 16:30, which is why flights arriving before 15:30 are recommended.
Which laboratory should run the titer test?
Only FAVN results from the four DAB-approved laboratories (Auburn, Kansas State, Missouri, DOD) are accepted. The same blood tested by RFFIT or the KSU Micro RFFIT (MRS) will not count, so confirm the method and the laboratory before the draw.
Can we fly straight to Kona or Kahului?
Entry through a neighbor island is a separate track and differs from this guide, which covers Honolulu. It needs its own inspection permit and the document deadline is earlier, so check directly with DAB before booking your flights.
Sources and verification dates
- Hawaii Department of Agriculture & Biosecurity (DAB) — animal quarantine information (Checklist 1) · 2026-08-26
- Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) — pet quarantine guide · 2026-07-25
This guide is reference information compiled from publicly available official rules. Final decisions rest with the Hawaii Department of Agriculture & Biosecurity, APQA 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 waiting period checks
- Document deadlines and D‑Day alerts
- Airline boarding conditions by weight and breed
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