Covid testing for Hawaii

Click on their list of partners - Walgreens is on there. We made our test appointment with our local Walgreens and it was free.

Remember that the 72 hours is the departure from the MAINLAND. So if you have a connection on the West coast, count the 72 hours from your departure from that airport.

Thanks so much!

We just returned from Maui. We paid $125 and had our approved-results back in 24 hrs. I guess it comes down to how much stress you can tolerate waiting for the results to come back. Once you have the results, you must then download them into the Hawaii visitors site, and then within 24 hrs of your flights, you must complete a short questionnaire .
BTW, our trip was wonderful and well worth the hassle of the testing.
Good luck!

Check with your airline too. I traveled on Hawaiian Airlines and was able to get a test through WorkSites right near the airport, one of their partners, for $90 and I got my results within 24 hours. You will likely have to pay at least $100 to be sure you get the results in time, but honestly at this point it's just part of the cost of the trip and not very many good alternatives since you must get the approved test. Wouldn't it be better to pay the $ and have the peace of mind that you will have your results in time? And enjoy your trip - Hawaii is beautiful and not overly crowded right now (I'm on Maui now for 2 weeks)

I am thinking this comes down to peace of mind. If you are going to Hawaii, can't imagine a hundred bucks is a big issue. Just saying....

Walgreens offers both of the NAAT tests that Hawaii requires, the regular one and the rapid test. I emailed the Hawaii safe portals site and asked questions to make sure Hawaii would take both tests and they do.

Walgreens didn't even ask for our insurance card. We were in the system for an appointment and they gave it to us free.

I would have paid to get one because I wanted to go to Hawaii so badly !

If you are worried about $100 for a test than you’d better buckle up before you get to Hawaii!

Reminder- Everyone is different in terms of economic perspectives. The OP could be planning for a family of 5 with kids...so it is a $500 expense and that may put them up against or beyond their planned budget, etc.... just like I will only fly to Europe if I have a bed (Business/First)...I can't see why people would ever consider flying Economy (but apparently they do on this forum). I'd rather throw an Economy ticket in the trash than ever use it. Again, we all have different economic perspectives.

Some friends just returned from Hawaii and flew Alaska Airlines. Apparently Alaska has a partnership with Carbon Health in the Seattle Metro area, Portland & CA. They booked their COVID-19 clearance test with them. They paid $170 each. They received results in 24 hrs. That said, pricing at locations varies. $135-$185/ per person. Our friends also reported when you upload into the "Hawaii Safe Travels”portal with all your required information, Alaska Airlines provides you with a "Pre-Clear" wrist-band, so you can exit to baggage claim immediately. www.carbonhealth.com

This brings up another question for me.
I have uploaded my COVID vaccine card and am wondering if that is all I have to do?
Do they send me some kind of notice that it is accepted? If not, what happens if I get the to airport and they dont’ accept it. Seems I should get some kind of answer first?

24 hours before your flight you will get a QR code. We just got back from Hawaii. When we got to the airport we had to pull up the Hawaii Safe Travels website, find the “trips” link and that pulled up our flight and QR. They didn’t want a paper copy of the QR, it had to be the website (I forgot my password for Safe Travels). We flew Alaska (SEA) and did it when we checked our luggage. They had a dedicated line for Hawaii travel. After you show your QR code, they give you a wrist band. Some people did it at the gate and some people waited until they landed in Hawaii. If you go to the Safe Travels website and login, find the “trips” and it should show your trip.

We had to login again at our hotel to check-in but it was the military hotel and I don’t know about others. You do need your vaccine card, too.

thank you for your response but, I guess if they did not accept. your card for any reason they would contact you before then? I don’t want to find out 24 hours ahead of time I do not have a QR code.

Make sure you follow the state's direction exactly. We had renters at our Maui condo who got tested at a non-approved facility before flying, and their tests were rejected at the Maui airport. They had to fly back to Los Angeles, get tested again at an approved facility and fly back to Maui the next day. I didn't ask them how much the mistake cost them, but it certainly wasn't cheap.

So, its either proof of vaccination or a negative test prior to departure, is that right? And the rapid antigen test is acceptable if from an approved partner?
I found the website to be confusing, but at least they have one.

Piepie22 - if you go to Hawaii Safe Travels and login, it will show you a page with graphics & info. On my I-pad, there is a plane graphic with Trips on the far left. Click on that and it should pull up your trip. If the trip is there, you are fine. They will not send the QR code until 24 hours before.

I've been to Hawaii twice in the last year. They are currently letting people in from mainland U.S. with a vaccine card (fully vaccinated at least 2 weeks prior)

When I went, I did need a negative COVID test. The first time it was extremely difficult to find an approved provider with appointments. The second time was easy. I used Vault. Other providers are CVS and Walgreens. I got my Vault results within 30 hours. It worked the same when my daughter returned to Hawaii after Christmas. Results in about 30 hours. When my daughter returned this summer from vacation in Seattle, she used her vaccine card, though she needed to get a QR code thru the Safe Travels app.

Honestly, it is just simpler, if you have a vaccine.

EDITED TO ADD: I didn't notice this post is from the spring. I will leave this up in case it is helpful to people. The current situation in Hawaii is that if you are vaccinated, you do not need a COVID test

The post may have been from Spring but, I actually just asked now so thank you.
I do think it would be helpful if they could send the QR code’s sooner than the day before but, ok I will wait for that. Thank you all.

Piepie, not a problem at all. I just never looked at the date of the original post. I wouldn't worry about the QR code, you'll get it. If for some reason you do not, I still wouldn't worry about it. When my daughter returned to Hawaii she had tried to use a different app and hadn't completed the SafeTravels app. They had just started allowing vaccinated people in without a test and it was unclear. When she arrived to the airport, she completed what she needed to do at that point. She did have her original vaccine card with her.