How to travel to Hawaii with the new COVID test program in place

How to travel to Hawaii with the new COVID test program in place

We recently had some personal experience with returning to Hawaii after taking a COVID test and wanted to share our recommendations.

Step 1: Look at Hawaii’s trusted partners for a COVID test https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel-partners/. This really is the first step because without this you can take a test that the state will not approve (you would still have to quarantine for 14 days). Please also research the requirements for each county that you plan to visit. In addition to state requirements, each county can have additional rules.
Step 2: Receive results before stepping on your Hawaii flight. There are reports of visitors who arrive and results never come, so they only see the island from their hotel room. It can take more than 4 to 5 days to receive results. These results would then not be recognized by the state of Hawaii since the maximum is 72 hours.
Step 3: Fill out your Hawaii Safe Travels website profile https://travel.hawaii.gov/#/.
Step 4: Book flight. We recommend a route through Oakland because that airport is offering free rapid tests that are approved by the state of Hawaii. If your results aren’t in before your last flight to Hawaii, you can test in Oakland at the airport or this might just be part of your plan because it’s the only site with free testing for everyone. Please also check if there are other airports that offer free testing. Please also check the pricing. Some tests are over $200.
Step 5: Submit your test results to your Hawaii Safe Travels website profile.
Step 6: Generate your QR code to present at the airport.

Enjoy your Hawaii vacation!!

Please remember that with limited hospital beds, the Hawaii government is being very careful about social distancing and wearing a mask. We want our guests to have the best experience and a citation or fine is usually not what people are looking to encounter.