U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and State of Hawaii travel requirements

The United States recently established new entry requirements for international travel, requiring that all non-U.S. citizens and non-U.S. immigrants entering the country by plane be fully vaccinated. Limited exceptions apply.

In addition, the State of Hawaii removed its current entry requirements for international travel and aligned to the U.S. government’s order. If all U.S. entry requirements are met, travelers flying from another country directly into Hawaii do not have to quarantine (unless traveling with an exceptionOpens external link to page that may not meet accessibility guidelines that requires quarantining).

Those who travel from outside the U.S to the U.S. Mainland or a U.S. territory before traveling to Hawaii (even for a layover) will need to follow U.S. domestic travel requirements under the Safe Travels programOpens external link to page that may not meet accessibility guidelines to bypass quarantine. This includes creating a Safe Travels account and either showing proof of vaccination (vaccine must be approved by WHO) or a negative COVID-19 test taken from a Hawaii trusted testing partnerOpens external link to page that may not meet accessibility guidelines no more than 72 hours prior to departure from that U.S. state or territory.

A summary of entry requirements is outlined below. Full details on the new U.S. entry requirements can be found on the CDC’s websiteOpens external link to page that may not meet accessibility guidelines. A flow chart outlining the process can also be found hereOpens external link to page that may not meet accessibility guidelines.

Requirements for all international travelers as of Dec. 6, 2021:

• Show proof of a negative COVID-19 test (nucleic acid amplification test [NAAT] or antigen) taken no more than 1 day prior to the last leg of departure to the U.S. All travelers 2 years and older need to complete this step. Please note that this new 1-day requirement was previously 3 days, so plan accordingly.
• Complete the CDC passenger forms, which include an attestation and contact tracing form. Forms need to be completed for all travelers 2 years and older prior to boarding and can be downloaded and printed prior to arriving at the airport. The forms are linked below:
  • CDC passenger attestation forms
  • CDC contact tracing forms
• All non-U.S. citizens and non-U.S. immigrants must be fully vaccinated to enter the country by plane (limited exceptions apply – see below). U.S. citizens are not required to be vaccinated, but they do need to meet the pre-travel testing requirement and sign the CDC attestation mentioned above.
• Vaccinated travelers need to show proof of full vaccination status prior to boarding. See details on accepted vaccinesOpens external link to page that may not meet accessibility guidelines, as well as acceptable forms of proof of vaccinationOpens external link to page that may not meet accessibility guidelines. Children under the age of 18 are not required to show proof of vaccination.

Exceptions for unvaccinated non-U.S. citizens and non-U.S. immigrants

• If you are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19, you will not be able to board a flight to the United States unless you meet the criteria for an exception under the U.S. government proclamation and CDC’s Order. See the full list of exceptions and requirements for each listed hereOpens external link to page that may not meet accessibility guidelines. Please note that some exceptions will require post-arrival testing, quarantine upon arrival or possibly even agreement to vaccination after 60 days in the U.S., so it’s critical that you read through the full requirements.
• Show proof of a negative COVID-19 test (nucleic acid amplification test [NAAT] or antigen) taken no more than 1 day prior to the last leg of departure to the U.S. All travelers 2 years and older need to complete this step.
• Complete the CDC passenger forms, which include an attestation and contact tracing form. Forms need to be completed for all travelers 2 years and older prior to boarding and can be downloaded and printed prior to arriving at the airport. The forms are linked below:
  • CDC passenger attestation forms
  • CDC contact tracing forms