Hawaii to end COVID-19 travel restrictions for US visitors later this month

Hawaii will end its COVID-19 restrictions on domestic travelers from the mainland on March 25, lifting the requirement for US travelers to present vaccination certificates and a negative pre-arrival test.

Currently, visitors who are US citizens must upload proof of vaccination or proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 72-hours to Hawaii's Safe Travels website prior to departure in order to skip the state's mandatory five-day quarantine.

But beginning at 12:01 am, March 26, passengers arriving from US points of origin will not have to show a COVID-19 vaccination certificate or a pre-travel negative test result, Governor David Ige announced on Tuesday.

Incoming passengers will also no longer be required to create a Safe Travels account or provide travelers information and trip details either.

In his announcement about the decision, Ige said Hawaii is seeing lower case counts, and hospitalizations are coming down.

What you need to know about traveling to Hawaii now

For now, the Safe Travels program will remain in place until March 25. US travelers to the Aloha state on domestic flights need to upload proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to the Safe Travels site in order to bypass the state-mandated quarantine.

Those arriving on international flights who are not US citizens must present both proof of vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than one day prior to departure, per federal law. That policy will continue even after the Sunset Program ends for domestic travelers.

While states across the US are lifting their mask mandates, Hawai'i's mask mandate will remain in place for now.

Hawaii's vaccination rate remains high

Currently, 76.5% of Hawaii’s population is fully vaccinated and the state has one of the highest vaccination rates in the United States.

The state established its online Safe Travels program in September 2020. By October 15, 2020, it has opened the program to allow visitors to Hawaii to upload proof of a negative COVID-19 test as a way to bypass the state’s strict quarantine requirements.

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Statistics posted to Hawaii’s Department of Health website shows between August 22, 2021, and January 13, 2022, the state could trace just 1% of COVID-19 cases to non-resident travel risk factors while 3% were associated with residents with travel risk factors.

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Safety recommendations and restrictions during a pandemic can change rapidly. Lonely Planet recommends that travelers always check with local authorities for up-to-date guidance before traveling during Covid-19.