Let’s face it, it is human nature to dream of jumping on a plane and jetting away.
When you’re sitting at your desk doing your day’s work, you might dream of the golden beaches and crystal clear waters of Hawaii.
But to get there, you’ll need a passport. Or will you?
One of the perks of living in the United States is that it is such a large country.
Each State is different, so you can really appreciate a holiday without technically leaving the country that you live in.
However, there are one or two States that really confuse people, and Hawaii is one of them.
Hawaii is part of the USA, but it isn’t part of the mainland USA, and this leaves a lot of people wondering if they need a passport to fly there.
Most of the time, you don’t need a passport to fly to Hawaii. I’ll take a look at this in more detail in this guide. So keep on reading to find out more!
Contents
Do you need a passport to go to hawaii?
As I have said, no, most of the time you do not need a passport to fly to Hawaii.
Hawaii is one of the fifty states that make up the United States of America. So, as an American citizen, you can travel freely within these 50 States, and that includes Hawaii.
What makes Hawaii a little different from the majority of the other States that make up the USA is the fact that it is an island.
It isn’t connected by a land border and you have to fly in order to get there.
While you can fly to any State in the USA, this is the only way to get to Hawaii, and that is what makes it feel most like a holiday.
As an American citizen, Hawaii is just as much your country as your home state, so you can travel freely as long as you have a form of photo ID that proves your citizenship.
With that form of ID, you can travel anywhere within the USA whenever you want, without needing your passport.
What are the travel requirements for Hawaii?
While you do not need your passport to travel to and from Hawaii as an American citizen, you will still need some form of identification.
This ID is required to prove that you are an American citizen because it is only American citizens that are able to freely travel within the USA without a passport.
In order to prove your citizenship, you will need a form of identification that is recognized by the government.
It should be a type of photographic ID so that it can prove your identity and that you are who you say you are.
Even though you do not need a passport to prove your identity and to travel between the different US States, this is still a popular form of identification.
After all, your passport holds all the necessary information, and if you are used to traveling abroad, then you will be used to carrying your passport with you on trips.
A lot of people also choose to use their driver’s license as their identification as this is something else that a lot of people tend to carry on their person.
However, there are some other forms of identification that can be used which can be found on the TSA website.
When do you need a passport to fly to Hawaii?
Most of the time, you will not need your passport to fly to Hawaii if you are a US citizen.
As I have said, Hawaii is part of the USA, so flying to Hawaii isn’t really all that different from driving across the State border from California to Nevada.
That being said, there are some circumstances when you will need to use your passport, even as a US citizen.
One perfect example of this is if you are traveling back to the USA from abroad. When this happens, citizenship doesn’t really matter.
For all intents and purposes, you are a foreign citizen, and you will need to use your passport to enter the country.
Just as you would if you were flying home from a foreign trip to Europe or Africa.
You will also need to use your passport if you are going on a cruise that stops in foreign countries.
If the cruise only stops in the States within the USA, then your passport will not be required as you will be traveling domestically.
However, as soon as you enter a foreign country and use your passport to get there, you will need to use your passport to get back to the USA.
What do children need to fly to Hawaii?
As an adult, you will likely have a type of photo ID that is recognized by TSA, even if you do not have a passport.
As an adult, ID is very important and it is something that the majority of people will have. But the same cannot be said about children.
While adults will almost all have ID, a lot of children will not. So do they need a passport to fly to Hawaii?
Children will not need a passport to fly to Hawaii in the same way that adults will not need a passport to fly to Hawaii.
Hawaii is part of the USA, so any child that is a US citizen will be able to fly there freely, and they won’t even need an ID. As long as they are traveling with an adult who has an ID, of course.
So, if you want to take your child to Hawaii with you, don’t worry about carrying an ID for them as your ID will be suitable for both of you.
What to see in Hawaii
Summary
In short, no, you will not need a passport to fly to Hawaii. At least not most of the time.
As a US citizen you can travel freely within the USA, and Hawaii is part of the USA. So as long as you have a photographic ID, you can travel to Hawaii without your passport.
Thanks for reading!
I have been traveling around the world by air since the early 70s and living overseas too. I worked for British Airways for a number of years and I am also a private pilot. About Me
