BRINGING A DOG FROMThailand →to Hawaii

Microchip readable by a universal scanner, implanted BEFORE the rabies vaccine (otherwise the vaccine is invalid); the number must be on every form and document.

implanted before the rabies vaccine

Rabies vaccine given at 12 weeks (84 days) of age or older — for dogs from high-risk countries a vaccine given earlier is not accepted, whatever the label says. A first vaccine must be given at least 28 days before the dog enters the U.S. The vaccine must still be valid on arrival (next due date after the arrival date). Unvaccinated dogs are refused.

first (primary) vaccine only

CDC "Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip": completed (typed) by the dog's vet and endorsed by an official government veterinarian of the exporting country (can be the same person), no more than 30 days before travel; valid for one entry, for 30 days after the vet signs. Printed original travels with the dog. Documents must be in English or with a certified English translation.

Reservation, made by the owner before travel, at a CDC-registered animal care facility (ACF) at the arrival airport, for a veterinary examination and revaccination with a U.S.-licensed rabies vaccine on arrival. The facility checks the documents before confirming; the confirmation must be shown to the airline before boarding and to CBP. All facility costs are paid by the importer.

CDC Dog Import Form for this one trip (free, one per dog), naming the ACF airport; valid only on the arrival date shown; new form if the date or airport changes; photo within 15 days for dogs under one year. The airline must refuse boarding without the receipt and proof of the ACF reservation.

Arrive by air, on an international flight, directly at the airport of the facility holding the reservation: ATL, DFW (only DFW), IAD, JFK (not EWR/LGA), LAX, MIA, PHL or SEA (list of 2026-09-01; see the entry points). Some facilities take cargo only (SEA) or prefer cargo (LAX). No domestic connection before the facility's services; no land border; no seaport (except service dogs); no entry via Alaska, Hawaii or U.S. territories (no facility there).

At least 6 months old on arrival.

The airline hands the dog to a CBP-bonded transporter who takes it to the facility for a veterinary examination and revaccination with a U.S.-licensed rabies vaccine; ticks, fleas or illness are reported to CDC, may need tests or treatment, or lead to refusal. The owner collects the dog when the facility releases it (can take more than one day).

USDA APHIS screwworm certificate: signed by a full-time salaried veterinary official (official government veterinarian) of the region of origin, stating that the dog was inspected for screwworm within 5 days before shipment to the U.S. and is free of screwworm (or was infested, quarantined and treated until free). No set template; it may be a separate document or part of an export health certificate. A certificate signed by an accredited (private) vet should be countersigned by an official vet; from Mexico, an authorised clinical vet (SENASICA MVRA directory) may sign on the official vet's behalf. Checked with the dog at the port.

Working electronic microchip implanted BEFORE the FAVN blood sample is taken (the lab needs the number); the vet should scan it beforehand. A pet that cannot be identified by scanning goes into 120-day quarantine.

implanted before the FAVN blood sample is taken

At least two rabies vaccinations in the pet's lifetime, given more than 30 days apart (for a pet never vaccinated: two vaccines at least 30 days apart; puppies cannot be vaccinated before 3 months with current vaccines).

more than 30 days after the previous vaccine

The most recent rabies vaccine more than 30 days before arrival and still within its licensed booster interval on arrival (1-year vaccine: 12 months; 3-year vaccine: 36 months). Arriving within 30 days of the last vaccine means quarantine until the 30 days are over. Original certificates (signed in ink) for the 2 most recent vaccines, with vaccine name, lot/serial number, booster interval, date and lot expiry.

OIE-FAVN rabies antibody test (not RFFIT, not the KSU micro-screen) at Kansas State University, Auburn University, University of Missouri or the DoD laboratory, with "HAWAII" as destination on the submission form; result 0.5 IU/ml or more. The day after the lab RECEIVES the sample must be at least 30 days and at most 36 months before arrival (the 30-day wait). Results go straight to the Animal Quarantine Station and can be checked online; labs report delays of 1–2 months.

counted from the day after the lab received the sample

counted from the day after the lab received the sample

Original health certificate in English issued by a veterinarian within 14 days before arrival, with the microchip number, rabies vaccine details and the tick treatment. It may be mailed with the other documents or handed to the inspector on arrival (photocopies not accepted).

Since New World screwworm was found in Texas and New Mexico (June 2026), the certificate must carry the statement "All animals were inspected and found free of evidence of New World Screwworm infestation."

The page says "animals requiring a CVI"; pets need a health certificate (CVI), so it is read as applying to dogs and cats. The page gives no start date.

Tick treatment by a veterinarian within 14 days before arrival with a long-acting product labelled to kill ticks (e.g. fipronil; Revolution is not accepted); product and date written on the health certificate. A pet with ticks or other parasites on arrival is not released at the airport.

Dog & Cat Import Form AQS-279 (one per pet; the legal owner must be named), the original certificates of the 2 most recent rabies vaccines and the fee, received by the Animal Quarantine Station in ‘Aiea at least 10 days before arrival for Direct Airport Release in Honolulu — by tracked mail or online through the Hawai‘i Pet Owner Portal (https://hipop.ais.hawaii.gov/). Late papers: higher fee and possibly no release at the airport.

Airline staff take every pet to the Airport Animal Quarantine Holding Facility for inspection. Released only to the owner, co-owner or authorised handler named on AQS-279 (or the consignee), in its crate — pets may not leave the crate on airport property. No airport release if ticks or other parasites are found.

Dogs 90 days or older on arrival: vaccinated against canine distemper, infectious hepatitis (or adenovirus-2), parvovirus, parainfluenza and Bordetella bronchiseptica (kennel cough) at least 10 days before arrival and still within the manufacturer's booster interval, certified on the health certificate. Required by the rule (HAR §4-29-8) for every dog entering Hawaii, including by Direct Airport Release; the current checklists do not list these vaccines, so the Station may not check them, but the law does. Leptospirosis is asked only by the 2019 brochure for pets going into quarantine — recommended, not required by the rule.

The rule applies to every entry, even where the checklists do not repeat it. Ask the Station (rabiesfree@hawaii.gov) if in doubt.