This depends. Each airline charges its own fee to transport pets to Hawaii. It can cost anywhere from $200 to over $1,000 per pet depending on where you’re departing from, where your animal will be in the aircraft, how big your pet is, etc. Direct Release at the airport is $165 per pet, it’s $224 for the 5 Day-or-Less programs and $1,080 for the full 120-day quarantine. All pets arriving before the eligible date of entry will be quarantined and charged $14.30 each day in addition to program fees.
The below pricing are fees for animal quarantine once your pet is already in Hawaii. They do not include airline fees or vet fees.
Direct Release: $165
5 Day-or-Less Program: $224
Full 120-Day Quarantine: $1,080
*Early Arrivals: $14.30 per day plus $224
**Neighbor Island Inspection Permit: $145 + Inspection Fee (if applicable)
*Animals arriving early, before the qualifying date
**Neighbor Island Inspection Permit is for Direct Release & the 5 Day-or-Less Program only
You may pay the required fees on-site at the airport; however, for faster processing you can mail a cashier’s check or money order (payable to: Department of Agriculture) to the Animal Quarantine Station with the required documents 10 days or more prior to arrival (see Step 6). Payment must be made for the exact amount and submitted with Form AQS-278 Dog and Cat Import Form to ensure proper credit.
If you are unable to pick up your pet upon arrival, your pet will be transported to Halawa Valley, to the Animal Quarantine Station (see contact information), or to an approved animal holding facility on neighbor islands. If a pet stays between 0 and 5 days, the cost will be $224. Fees for any additional days will be $18.70/day.
Please Note: There are no discounts for multiple pets. There are also no discounts for owners that provide food for their pet. The U.S. Department of Defense may reimburse active duty military members with dogs or cats up to $550 per family for quarantine expenses. Military members should check with their command on whether this is available to them.
Let’s say that you have one cat that you want to move to Hawaii. The below pricing is a rough estimate of what that might cost if you chose to do Direct Airport Release and were flying to a neighbor island.
Vet Fees:
Tick/Flea Meds: $25
Rabies Vaccinations: $45 (x2) = $90
Microchip: $42
OIE-FAVN Blood Test: $250
Health Certificate: $65
Lab Testing: $90
Traveling Fees:
Airline-Approved Pet Kennel: $75
Airline Ticket: $350
Direct Release: $165
Neighbor Island Inspection: $145
Total Cost: $1,297
And yes, that’s the total cost for one cat.
