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Pet travel route

Dog or cat from the Dominican Republic to Hawaii (US)

Possible. With nothing done yet, start at least 9 weeks ahead. The main steps: rabies vaccination #1, rabies vaccination #2 (a booster, more than 30 days before arrival) and rabies antibody blood test (OIE-FAVN) and a 30-day wait and 4 more.

Rules checked up to 12 October 2026From 3 official pages

Make my dated plan Reverse: Hawaii (US) → Dominican Republic

In short

Limited official guidance. The authority for leaving the Dominican Republic publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. DIGEGA's page lists the steps and documents but gives no deadline before departure and doesn't say when the Dominican veterinary college (COLVET) stamp or the VUCE single-window process is needed. Start early and ask DIGEGA (809-535-9689, ext. 307) what applies to your destination.

Limited official guidance. The authority for entering Hawaii (US) publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. Hawaii's own checklists (PDF) could not be read: they hold details this page does not, such as the microchip rule and the result needed on the rabies antibody test. Pets arriving from the British Isles, Australia, Guam and New Zealand follow a different checklist that we have not read. The pages were read from stored copies of Hawaii's official pages because the site blocks automated readers; the pre-arrival waits below come from those pages. Contact the Animal Quarantine Station (rabiesfree@hawaii.gov) to confirm the current checklist for your pet.

At a glance

The rules on this route are the same for dogs and cats.

How early to start

9 weeks

if your pet has no microchip or rabies vaccination yet

Set by: Rabies vaccination #2 (a booster, more than 30 days before arrival) (more than 30 days before arrival)

4 weeks

if it is already microchipped and vaccinated

Set by: Rabies antibody blood test (OIE-FAVN) and a 30-day wait (at least 30 days after the laboratory received the blood sample)

The least time the official waiting periods allow. Vet, lab and paperwork appointments come on top.

On this route

  • Rabies blood test needed
  • No import permit
  • No quarantine
  • Parasite treatment before travel

Prefer a feed reader? Dominican Republic rule changes · Hawaii (US) rule changes

Dominican Republic → Hawaii (US)

What your pet needs

In the order you do them. Each step says whether the Dominican Republic (leaving) or Hawaii (US) (entering) asks for it.

  1. Get ready

    1. VaccinationEntering Hawaii (US)

      Rabies vaccination #1

      Your pet needs certification of at least two rabies vaccinations. This is the first one; documents for the earlier vaccination are required, because with only the most recent vaccination the pet does not qualify.

      Details and the official words

      “Certification of at least two rabies vaccinations is required.”

    2. VaccinationEntering Hawaii (US)

      Rabies vaccination #2 (a booster, more than 30 days before arrival)

      The second rabies vaccination (a booster) must be given no less than 30 days after the previous one, and more than 30 days before your pet arrives in Hawaii.

      Details and the official words

      “To qualify, your pet will need to receive a booster no less than 30 days after the previous vaccination. In addition, this second vaccination must be given more than 30 days before arrival in Hawai‘i.”

    3. Blood testEntering Hawaii (US)

      Rabies antibody blood test (OIE-FAVN) and a 30-day wait

      Your pet needs a passing OIE-FAVN rabies antibody test, and a 30-day wait from the day the laboratory received the blood sample before it arrives. A passing result is valid for 36 months from the day the blood reached the laboratory.

      Details and the official words

      Hawaii's checklists (not readable here) give the pass mark and other details of the test: confirm them with the Animal Quarantine Station.

      “To avoid your animal being placed into quarantine, proof of two rabies vaccinations within the required timeframe and a passing FAVN test are required for all dogs and cats entering the State of Hawai‘i.”

      “The OIE-FAVN test result is valid for 36 months from the day the blood was received at the laboratory.”

  2. In the days before you travel

    1. Vet examLeaving the Dominican Republic

      Health certificate from a vet, with an up-to-date vaccination record

      Take your pet to a vet for a health certificate. Bring an up-to-date vaccination record with a current rabies vaccination and a current parasite treatment, a microchip where your destination requires one, and any extra document your destination asks for (such as a rabies blood test). Get the Dominican veterinary college (COLVET) signature and stamp when it is required.

      Details and the official words

      “Certificado de salud emitido por médico veterinario.”

      “Récord o tarjeta de vacunación actualizado.”

      “Vacuna antirrábica vigente.”

      “Documentación adicional exigida por el país de destino (Serología vacuna de Rabia).”

      “Obtener firma/sello del COLVET cuando sea requerido.”

    2. TreatmentEntering Hawaii (US)

      Tick treatment within 14 days before arrival

      Your vet treats your dog or cat with a long-acting oral or topical product labelled to kill ticks (equivalent or better than fipronil) within 14 days before arrival, and the treatment is written on the health certificate. K-9 Advantix is acceptable for dogs only, never for cats; Revolution is not acceptable.

      Details and the official words

      “Dogs and cats must be treated by your veterinarian with a long-acting oral or topical product labeled to kill ticks that is equivalent or better than Fipronil within 14 days prior to arrival and the treatment must be documented on the health certificate.”

    3. PaperworkThe Dominican Republic and Hawaii (US)

      Health certificate

      A veterinary health certificate (with the tick treatment on it) goes with your pet. If it can't reach the Animal Quarantine Station with the other documents 10 days before arrival, the original must be handed to the inspector on arrival. Hawaii's pages give no validity period for it: ask the Animal Quarantine Station.

      Details and the official words

      DIGEGA validates the documents; official inspection at the port of exit: Present the documents to DIGEGA (Ciudad Ganadera, Santo Domingo, Monday to Friday 8 am to 4 pm) to be signed and stamped (RD$ 500), and complete the VUCE single-window process where it applies. DIGEGA answers within 1 to 24 hours. Then go to the port of exit, where an official vet inspects your pet and issues the zoosanitary certificate.

      “If the health certificate cannot be sent 10 days before arriving with the rest of the documents, the original must be given to the inspector upon arrival in Hawai‘i.”

      “Presentar la documentación ante DIGEGA para validación (Firma y sellado).”

      “Realizar el proceso correspondiente en VUCE cuando aplique.”

      “Dirigirse al puerto de salida para la inspección veterinaria oficial y emisión del certificado zoosanitario correspondiente.”

      “Lunes a Viernes de 8:00 am – 4:00 pm”

      “1-24 Horas”

      “RD$ 500.00 pesos según el protocolo específico publicado por DIGEGA; conviene validar si existen costos adicionales asociados al trámite/VUCE o al destino.”

    4. PaperworkEntering Hawaii (US)

      Dog and Cat Import Form (AQS-279) and documents, at least 10 days before arrival

      Send one completed Dog and Cat Import Form (AQS-279) per pet, with two rabies vaccination certificates, the health certificate and pre-payment, so the Animal Quarantine Station has them at least 10 days before arrival. This qualifies your pet for the 5 Day Or Less program and for direct release at Honolulu airport ($185; $244 if the documents are late). You can apply online through the Hawaii Pet Owner Portal. Arrivals at Kona, Kahului or Līhu'e need a Neighbor Island Inspection Permit.

      Details and the official words

      “NO LESS THAN 10 DAYS BEFORE PET ARRIVES IN HAWAI‘I TO QUALIFY FOR 5 DAY OR LESS or AIRPORT RELEASE”

      “If you seek direct release of the pet at the airport, you must submit the required original documents so that the office receives the paperwork at least 10 days prior to your pet’s arrival.”

      “the higher fee of $244 is assessed instead of $185.”

Good to know

  • Hawaii is rabies-free, so every dog and cat, whatever its age or purpose, must meet its import rules. A pet that doesn't meet every requirement of the '5 Day Or Less' program is quarantined for up to 120 days on arrival.
  • Non-domestic dogs and cats and hybrids such as wolf crosses, Dingo, Bengal and Savannah are prohibited under Hawaii's Plant Quarantine law.
  • A newborn puppy or kitten will be about 6 months old by the time the preparations are finished; pets that can't meet every requirement are quarantined for 120 days.
  • A pet that arrives before its 30-day waiting period is complete does not qualify for direct airport release and is quarantined (with a daily charge) until the waiting period ends.
  • Meeting DIGEGA's requirements doesn't replace your destination's entry requirements: check them before you start, as some countries ask for a microchip, a rabies blood test or other certificates. DIGEGA recommends starting well ahead of your travel date.

Money

What it costs

Government fees exactly as the official pages state them, and what vets and labs in the Dominican Republic publish for the steps above. The two are never added together.

Government fees on this route

Government fees in total: 500 DOP (each currency separately)

4 more fees may apply, depending on your case

What vets and labs charge Not official figures

No published prices yet for the Dominican Republic: rabies vaccination, parasite treatment, health certificate (vet’s fee), vet examination.

Prices that businesses publish on their own pages, quoted as we read them; yours can differ. Ranges are the lowest to highest of these examples, never our estimate. How we collect prices

Airline fees aren’t included: check your airline’s pet page.

Round trip

Coming back to the Dominican Republic

Nothing for the trip back has to happen before your pet leaves the Dominican Republic (dogs).

The trip back asks for 6 steps: vet examination within 72 hours before departure, internal and external parasite treatment before the vet examination, rabies vaccination (inactivated vaccine) from 90 days old, at least 30 days before departure and rabies vaccination within the 12 months before departure and more.

Nothing for the trip back has to happen before your pet leaves the Dominican Republic (cats).

The trip back asks for 6 steps: vet examination within 72 hours before departure, internal and external parasite treatment before the vet examination, rabies vaccination (inactivated vaccine) from 90 days old, at least 30 days before departure and rabies vaccination within the 12 months before departure and more.

Every step from Hawaii (US) to the Dominican Republic

Nearby routes

Other routes

Where this comes from

Official sources

Last checked against the official pages: 2026-10-12.

Entering Hawaii (US)Leaving the Dominican RepublicReport a mistakeGet rule-change alerts

Questions owners ask

Does my dog or cat need a rabies blood test to go from the Dominican Republic to Hawaii (US)?

Yes: Your pet needs a passing OIE-FAVN rabies antibody test, and a 30-day wait from the day the laboratory received the blood sample before it arrives.

Do I need an import permit to bring my dog or cat into Hawaii (US)?

No. The official rules we have verified for this route don't ask for an import permit.

Will my dog or cat be quarantined in Hawaii (US)?

Not on the routes we have verified: the official rules list no quarantine for a pet that meets the requirements.

How early should I start preparing my pet for the Dominican Republic to Hawaii (US)?

With nothing done yet, start at least 9 weeks ahead. The main steps: rabies vaccination #1, rabies vaccination #2 (a booster, more than 30 days before arrival) and rabies antibody blood test (OIE-FAVN) and a 30-day wait and 4 more.

Every rule here is quoted from the official page and checked word for word; not legal advice. How we verify · Report a mistake

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