IMPORTANT NOTE: Visitors to Kauai are NOT eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccine, even if they received their first dose prior to their trip. Please keep this in mind while planning travel.
Visitors and residents traveling to Kauai are subject to a 10-day quarantine, unless granted an exemption through the State of Hawaii Safe Travels program with an approved negative pre-travel test or vaccine record for inter-island travel, or by participating in the Kauai Resort Bubble program.
Travelers who have recently recovered from COVID-19 may also be eligible to be exempt from the travel quarantine.
Critical infrastructure employees and those who must travel for medical needs to or from the County of Kauai may apply for a modified quarantine without the need for a negative pre-travel test, or having to participate in the Kauai Resort Bubble program.
Transpacific Travel – Safe Travels Program
Travelers from out of state are able to participate in the State of Hawaii’s Safe Travels Program. A 10-day mandatory quarantine will be required for transpacific travelers arriving WITHOUT a negative result from an accepted COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) test taken within the 72 hours before departure of the final leg of their trip to Hawaii. Travelers will not be able to obtain an accepted COVID-19 test upon arrival at any Hawaii airport.
To qualify, transpacific travelers must do the following:
- Create a Safe Travels account and complete the mandatory State of Hawaii Travel and Health Form at: https://travel.hawaii.gov/
- Take a pre-travel test from one of the State of Hawaii’s U.S. Domestic, International, or Airline Trusted Testing and Travel Partners within the 72 hours before departure of the final leg of their trip to Hawaii. A list of transpacific Trusted Testing and Travel Partners can be found at https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel-partners/
For transpacific travel, the state of Hawaii will ONLY accept Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) from a certified Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) lab test results from the specific U.S. Domestic, International, or Airline labs on that list. If you arrive with a test from any non-qualifying lab on the list, or a test that is not a NAAT test, you will have to quarantine for 10-days (or the length of your stay whichever is shorter), or participate in the Resort Bubble program, or leave the state.
Travelers arriving from out of state MUST have their negative test results BEFORE flying to Hawaii. If you receive your results after traveling to Hawaii, you will have to quarantine for 10-days (or the length of your stay whichever is shorter), or participate in the Resort Bubble program, or leave the state.
- The negative test result MUST be uploaded onto Safe Travels prior to departure or printed out prior to departure with hard copy in hand when arriving in Hawaii.
- Please consider the duration and considerable expense of possible quarantine before traveling.
Inter-Island Travel – Safe Travels Program
Travelers flying to Kauai from Oahu, Maui County, or the Big Island of Hawaii can avoid quarantine by taking the following steps:
- Create a Safe Travels account and complete the mandatory State of Hawaii Travel and Health Form at: https://travel.hawaii.gov/
- Take a pre-travel test from one of the State of Hawaii’s Hawaii Inter-Island Trusted Testing and Travel Partners within 72 hours of departing to Kauai. A list of Trusted Testing and Travel Partners for Hawaii inter-island travel can be found at https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel-partners/
For inter-island travel, the state of Hawaii will ONLY accept Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) from a certified Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) lab test results from the specific Hawaii Inter-Island labs on that list. If you arrive with a test from any non-qualifying lab on the list, or a test that is not a NAAT test, you will have to quarantine for 10-days (or the length of your stay whichever is shorter), or participate in the Resort Bubble program, or leave the county.
Pre-travel tests for the purpose of entering Kauai cannot be taken on Kauai.
If a traveler has made one or more trips entering the State or traveling between counties after a
test is administered, then that test shall not meet the requirement of an approved COVID-19 test for
purposes of the negative test exception to enter the County of Kauai.
- Once received, upload negative test results to your Safe Travels account. If your test results are not available prior to arriving on Kauai, you will have to self-quarantine until your negative results do come in.
Inter-Island Travel – Vaccine Passport Program
Travelers who have been vaccinated in the State of Hawaii and are flying to Kauai from Oahu, Maui County, or the Big Island of Hawaii can avoid quarantine by taking the following steps:
- Create a Safe Travels account and complete the mandatory State of Hawaii Travel and Health Form at: https://travel.hawaii.gov/
- Upload an image of your CDC vaccination card or VAMS Vaccination Certificate to your Safe Travels account prior to departure with hard copy (an original is highly recommended) in hand when arriving on Kauai.
Only inter-island travelers who have been fully vaccinated are eligible to participate in the Vaccine Passport Program. Travelers are considered fully vaccinated on the 15th day after their second dose in a 2-dose series, like the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or on the 15th day after a single-dose vaccine, like Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.
At least one dose recorded on your CDC vaccination card must have been received in the State of Hawaii.
Critical Workers and Medical Appointments
The County of Kauai continues its modified quarantine program for critical infrastructure employees and those who must travel for medical needs. To apply for a modified quarantine, please click here. Please note that this process does not supersede any employer or school policies.
Recently Recovered from COVID-19
Travelers who have recently recovered from COVID-19 may be eligible to be exempt from the travel quarantine. Travelers will need to apply through the modified quarantine process and be prepared to provide:
- A copy of a positive Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) from a Clinical Laboratory Improvements Amendments (CLIA) certified laboratory taken no more than 90 days prior to departure date; and
- A signed letter from a medical provider stating that you have no exhibited symptoms and are fully recovered – this letter must be signed at least 10 days after the positive test and no more than 14 days from departure date.
Quarantine for 10 Days
Participation in either the Safe Travels program or the Resort Bubble program is voluntary.
If you arrive on Kauai without valid proof of a negative COVID-19 test result, you will be subject to the State of Hawaii’s strict 10-day mandatory self-quarantine requirement and will need to adhere to the following guidelines:
- Under self-quarantine, you will not be allowed to leave the room at your place of lodging under any circumstances, except for a medical emergency or to depart the state.
- Individuals subject to Hawaii’s 10-day mandatory self-quarantine are NOT allowed to stay in short-term rentals and vacation rentals on Kauai.
- Travelers are not allowed to rent a car for the duration of their self-quarantine.
- Quarantine is enforced by the Hawaii National Guard and the Kauai Police Department, who conduct unannounced checks at quarantine locations. Violators are subject to arrest and prosecution.
- Travelers who violate the terms of the 10-day mandatory self-quarantine will be prosecuted and may face fines of up to $5,000 and one year in prison.
- If you are in quarantine on another Hawaiian island, you cannot travel to Kauai.
Transpacific and Inter-Island Travel “Resort Bubbles”
Kauai has an Enhanced Movement Quarantine “Resort Bubble” program which accepts any COVID-19 diagnostic test (antigen or PCR test) with emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This is an option for travelers who arrive with a test that is FDA approved but not approved by the state of Hawaii’s Safe Travels program. Travelers must stay on the Resort Bubble property for 72 hours or more until they take a post-travel test. If you arrive with no pre-travel test, you cannot participate in the Resort Bubble program and will have to quarantine for 10-days or leave the state.
In the Resort Bubble, travelers wear a tracking wristband and are allowed to leave their rooms to access the resort property within the bubble, as designated by their hotel. They cannot leave the designated bubble area until completing the program and being certified by their hotel.
To qualify, travelers must do the following:
• Create a Safe Travels account and complete the mandatory State of Hawaii Travel and Health Form at: https://travel.hawaii.gov/
• Take a pre-travel test within 72 hours before the final leg of departure for their trip to Kauai and receive a negative test result.
This test can be any COVID-19 diagnostic test (antigen or PCR test) with emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The lab does not need to be on the state’s Trusted Testing and Travel Partners list for use in Kauai’s resort bubble program.
• Make a reservation at an approved Enhanced Movement Quarantine (EMQ) “resort bubble” hotel on Kauai. For a list of approved resort bubbles, please visit: https://kauaiforward.com/travel/#Accommodations
• Guests should consult their resort for transportation options as travelers will not be allowed to rent a car until graduated from the Resort Bubble program.
• Provide proof of your negative pre-travel test result to resort staff upon check-in.
• After 72 hours or more on Kauai, take a post-travel test. Guests can consult resort on post-travel testing options. Please note, the County of Kauai, in partnership with the Kauai District Health Office, is now providing free COVID-19 testing for anyone without symptoms every weekday except holidays. These tests can be used by participants in Kauai's Enhanced Movement Quarantine (EMQ) Resort Bubble program as a post-travel test needed to be released from quarantine. For more information please visit https://www.kauai.gov/COVIDTest.
• Resort staff will verify your negative post-travel test result and will update the system to release you from quarantine.
Properties interested in learning more about becoming an EMQ may email the Kauai Emergency Management Agency at kema@kauai.gov.