Hawaii’s Travel Entry Rules Change Once Again

This week, the State of Hawaii announced two small changes to its Safe Travel entry program, one impacting the quarantine period for some visitors and the other the questionnaire that visitors need to complete in order to enter the state. 

Starting Monday, the quarantine period for guests who don’t have a pre-travel test result or aren’t fully vaccinated will go from 10 days to 5 days with the day of arrival counting as the first day in that period. 

That period is only for domestic travel from the U.S. and its territories as international travelers will continue to have to abide by guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

Those who are fully vaccinated or test negative prior to arrival will not have to isolate at all. 

At the same time, the Safe Travels questionnaire, which was required to be filled out 24 hours before arrival and gave travelers a QR code to be used when they arrive, will no longer be required. 

Vaccinated travelers will still have to fill out some information, again through Hawaii’s Safe Travels program, but will not have to do it 24 hours before arrival. Instead, travelers will be able to submit their info at any time, including vaccination status. Doing that will then give them a QR code to use upon arrival, sent via email about a day before their travel. 

Hawaii, which has had one of the more strict domestic travel policies since the start of COVID, recently added some COVID-19 restrictions for those on the islands, including requiring proof of vaccination to enter bars and restaurants in Maui. 

Even with the restrictions, Hawaii remained one of the top domestic destinations in 2021 according to members of the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA). In a survey released last month, USTOA members said that Hawaii was the third most popular domestic choice for consumers, following the National Parks and Alaska.