CDC Orders Ebola Health Attestation for Every US-Bound Air Passenger From November 3
Updated: 7 hours ago
WASHINGTON, October 26, 2026 — Every passenger boarding a flight to the United States from any country in the world will soon have to sign a declaration confirming they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the previous three weeks, under an order issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The requirement takes effect at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 3, 2026, and applies to flights departing foreign airports at or after that moment. It covers all nationalities, all departure points, and all carriers.
The signed CDC order was issued on 22 October 2026 and will be published in the Federal Register.
The Scale of the Requirement
This is not a targeted measure aimed at travellers from affected regions. It is a universal pre-boarding condition.
Who | Covered? |
U.S. citizens | Yes |
U.S. lawful permanent residents | Yes |
Foreign nationals with visas | Yes |
ESTA travellers | Yes |
Passengers departing from Canada, UK, EU, Asia, Africa | Yes |
Passengers transiting the U.S. en route to a third country | Yes |
Passengers who have never been to Africa | Yes |
A passenger flying London to New York, who has not left Europe in a year, must still complete the form. So must a passenger flying Toronto to Chicago. So must a family connecting through Dallas on their way to Mexico City.
The only geographic relief concerns overflights. Aircraft passing through Congolese airspace without landing do not trigger the requirement. But a connection through a DRC airport does — even if the passenger stays on board and never enters the terminal.
What the Attestation Asks
The form, titled “Passenger Disclosure and Attestation to the United States of America,” requires a signed confirmation that the passenger has not been physically present in the DRC at any point during the 21 days before boarding.
The CDC has published a fillable PDF version for travellers and carriers, alongside technical instructions governing how airlines must administer the process.
Practical details:
One attestation per passenger — families cannot submit a single joint form
Parents or authorised adults may sign for children under 18
Paper or digital format both accepted
Handwritten or electronic signature both accepted
Airlines must retain copies for at least 42 days after departure
Boarding must be refused where a valid attestation is not produced
The document carries OMB Control No. 0920-1474 and warns that wilfully providing false or misleading information may result in criminal fines and imprisonment under 18 U.S.C. § 1001.
Airlines are encouraged to fold the declaration into online check-in. Where they do, passengers will see it as an additional screen in the usual flow. Where they do not, a paper form will be issued at the gate.
The Prohibition Beneath the Paperwork
The attestation is not the restriction. It is the enforcement mechanism for a restriction that already exists.
Since earlier in 2026, the CDC has barred any passenger — including U.S. citizens — who has been in the DRC within 21 days before departure from boarding a commercial flight to the United States. That prohibition remains in place.
What changes on November 3 is how it is policed. Instead of relying on itinerary data and carrier judgement, every passenger must now make a signed declaration. The burden shifts from inference to attestation.
The order responds to the Bundibugyo strain Ebola outbreak in the DRC. It sits alongside separate restrictions applying to foreign nationals who have recently been in Uganda or South Sudan, which do not capture U.S. citizens.
The End Date — and Why It May Not Hold
The requirement is scheduled to remain in force until 18 December 2026, unless the CDC amends, extends or lifts it.
That date is best read as a review point rather than a guaranteed expiry. The CDC has renewed its Ebola-related entry restrictions in 30-day increments since May 2026, and the outbreak in the DRC has not been declared over.
Travelers planning trips to the U.S. through December and into the new year should assume the attestation requirement will remain unless the CDC announces a change.
Limited exemptions may be granted for emergency medical evacuations and humanitarian cases.
What It Means for Employers
For corporate travel programmes, three consequences follow.
It is a boarding condition, not an entry condition. A passenger who fails to complete the form is stopped at the departure gate, not at U.S. immigration. That means the disruption happens abroad, at the start of the journey, often with no rebooking options on the same day.
It applies to itineraries nobody would flag. A Dublin–Boston flight, a Tokyo–Los Angeles flight, a Sydney–San Francisco flight — all require the form. Travel management systems should not filter by origin, because origin is irrelevant.
False attestation is a personal legal risk. Employees completing the form are signing a statement to a federal agency. Policies should make clear that accuracy takes precedence over schedule, even where that means a delayed trip.
For companies with staff who transit African hubs, the 21-day rule remains the binding constraint. An employee who connects through Kinshasa cannot board a U.S.-bound flight until three weeks have passed, and the attestation makes that prohibition explicit at the point of boarding.
Read Also
Quick Reference Summary
Item | Detail |
Order Signed | 22 October 2026 |
Effective | 11:59 p.m. ET, 3 November 2026 |
Scope | All passengers, all nationalities, all departure points |
Geographic Focus | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
Lookback | 21 days before boarding |
Transit Rule | DRC airport connection counts; overflight does not |
Form | Passenger Disclosure and Attestation |
Signature | Handwritten or electronic |
Minors | Parent or authorised adult may sign |
Airline Retention | 42 days minimum |
Boarding Refusal | Mandatory where no valid attestation |
Scheduled End | 18 December 2026, subject to extension |
Penalty for False Statement | 18 U.S.C. § 1001 — fines and imprisonment |
Official Order | |
Fillable Form | |
Airline Guidance |
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