BREAKING: Maui Post-Arrival Testing and Inter-County Travel FAQs

Requirements differ between trans-Pacific travelers and those who are in Hawaiʻi and plan to travel to Maui from another county.

The County of Maui released the following guidelines and advise travelers to read these FAQs before making plans to travel to islands within Maui County.

Some key programs beginning in the coming days include:

• Starting May 11, 2021, fully vaccinated travelers who received their vaccine in Hawaiʻi may travel inter-county (Kauaʻi, Maui, and Hawaiʻi) without having to take a pre-travel test or quarantining for 10 days. 
• Starting May 4, 2021, the County of Maui will begin the soft rollout of a secondary test upon arrival at Kahului Airport for trans-Pacific flights (for both visitors and returning residents, including mainland arrivals).

Trans-Pacific Travel

What is a trans-Pacific traveler and what must I do to come to Maui?

Trans-Pacific travelers are those who fly directly from a mainland gateway city into Kahului Airport. This includes returning residents.

Travelers who enroll in the state’s Safe Travels program may bypass Hawaiʻi’s mandatory 10-day quarantine by testing negative on a pre-departure COVID-19 test no earlier than 72 hours prior to the last leg of departure to Maui. Only Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests administered by the state’s trusted testing partners are recognized as valid.

Maui County has added a new requirement, to begin May 4. All trans-Pacific travelers participating in the state’s Safe Travels Program will be subject to an additional rapid COVID test upon arrival at Kahului Airport.

I am fully vaccinated; must I still satisfy the pre-departure requirements?

Yes, all trans-Pacific travelers headed for Kahului, Maui directly from a mainland city must satisfy all pre-departure requirements even if fully vaccinated.

I am fully vaccinated; must I take the post-arrival rapid COVID test?

No. Maui County will provide an exception for fully vaccinated trans-Pacific travelers from the post-arrival rapid COVID test requirement with proof of vaccination. Trans-Pacific travelers will still need to take a pre-departure test (as specified by the Safe Travels Program) to be receive the travel quarantine exception. Upon disembarking your aircraft, your proof of vaccination will be confirmed, after which you may bypass the post-arrival test and depart the airport.

Fully vaccinated means receiving both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or one dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine, plus completing 14 days after your final dose. Proof of vaccination means presenting your original CDC vaccination card or certificate of vaccination downloaded from the CDC’s Vaccination Administration Management System (VAMS).

Please note that falsifying a federal document is a felony punishable by high fines, prison time, or both.

How much does the rapid test cost?

There is no cost to the traveler.

How long will it take to get test results?

Your rapid test results should be available to you within 15 to 20 minutes.

What happens if I test positive?

Should your rapid antigen test return positive, you will be asked to return to take a confirmatory PCR test at the airport testing facility. You will be notified right away if your confirmatory test returns negative. Should you refuse to take a confirmatory test, or if your confirmatory test is positive, you will be required to complete the full 10-day quarantine at your designated place of lodging at your own expense.

I am traveling with children, are they required to take the post-arrival rapid COVID test?

Children under the age of five are not required to take the post-arrival test. However, minors between the ages of 5 and 16 are required to be tested even if their parent or guardian has been vaccinated. Vaccinated minors, aged 16 and 17, with vaccine documentation are exempt from the post-arrival test.

Why are you requiring a post-arrival test?

Maui County is first and foremost a community, so our top priority is the health and wellbeing of our residents. The post-arrival test provides an additional layer of protection given the limited healthcare capacity we have within the County.

What else should I know?

Maui County’s Public Health Emergency Rules remain in full force. Please note that wearing face coverings is mandatory in all public areas, gatherings are subject participant capacity limits, and physical distancing is required. Other restrictions include reduced occupancy limits in restaurants, retail businesses and activities. Maui Police Department officers regularly cite or arrest those who refuse to comply with the County’s mandatory public health rules.

Why does Maui County have such strict requirements?

As an isolated island community, our healthcare resources are limited so we must be vigilant about preventing COVID-19 infections, especially from new variants. Leisure travelers opposed to Maui County’s public health rules should choose a different vacation destination or delay travel to Maui County until public health mandates are no longer necessary.

Inter-County Travel

What are the requirements for inter-county travel?

Those who are already in the state and want to travel to Maui County from Hawaiʻi County, Kauai County and/or the City and County of Honolulu are subject to the same Safe Travels pre-travel requirements. Anyone who does not satisfy these requirements is subject to the mandatory 10-day quarantine.

I am a fully vaccinated resident, must I still be tested before traveling to Maui County from another county?

Yes, this will be required until May 11, 2021. This is the first day the state of Hawaiʻi will exempt fully-vaccinated residents from pre-departure testing requirements if they were vaccinated within the state of Hawaiʻi, have proof of vaccination, and upload their vaccination records into the Safe Travels program any time after May 7, 2021.

Fully vaccinated means receiving both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, one dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine, plus 14 days following your final dose. Proof of vaccination means uploading your original CDC vaccination card or certificate of vaccination downloaded from the CDC’s Vaccination Administration Management System (VAMS).

I am fully vaccinated, but not in the state of Hawaiʻi. May I be exempted from pre-travel testing for inter-County travel?

No, not at this time. Authorities must confirm vaccination records with the Hawaiʻi Department of Health before approving an exemption.