New CDC rule now in effect: every U.S.-bound flyer must sign a Congo travel declaration
Editorial illustration — Press Pass USAStarting with flights departing after 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, anyone boarding an international flight to the United States — citizens included — must attest they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the previous 21 days. No signature, no boarding.
The rule comes from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) order issued October 22 and amended October 28. It took effect at 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, November 3, and applies to flights departing a foreign country for the United States at or after that time — including flights that only connect through the United States.
The attestation covers everyone on board: U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals and lawful permanent residents, as well as foreign visitors and crew — including crew traveling on passenger and cargo aircraft and crew flying on "deadhead" status, who are on board but not working the flight. It applies to commercial, general aviation, cargo and private aircraft, and to flights departing from pre-clearance airports.
The 21-day window reflects the maximum incubation period for Ebola disease, the CDC says. Day 0 is the day a person leaves the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Day 1 is the first full calendar day outside the country, and a person may board a U.S.-bound flight beginning on Day 22. Being "present" in the DRC includes simply connecting through an airport there, even without leaving the plane or the airport.
Anyone who refuses to sign will be denied boarding, the CDC says. Willfully providing false or misleading information may lead to criminal fines and imprisonment under federal law (18 U.S.C. § 1001). Parents, guardians or another authorized adult may sign on behalf of children under 18 or travelers unable to sign.
Airlines collect the forms — on paper or digitally, at check-in or at the gate — and must keep them for at least 42 days after the flight arrives, producing them to the U.S. government on request. How travelers encounter the form varies by carrier: Delta says it can be completed during check-in in its app or on its website, American offers it during check-in on its app, website or at the airport as well as a printable form, and United collects it as a step during check-in.
The order is a response to the Ebola outbreak in the DRC, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, which has passed 10,000 confirmed cases and more than 5,000 deaths, making it the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record. The CDC says the overall risk to the American public and travelers remains low, and the order does not apply to land border crossings or seaports.
The attestation requirement is set to run through December 18, 2026, unless the CDC ends or changes it sooner.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Order: Requirement for Attestation by All Persons Traveling by Air to the United States" (issued Oct. 22, 2026; amended Oct. 28, 2026; in effect Nov. 3, 2026); Simple Flying, "Everyone On US-Bound Flights, Including Crew, Must Now Declare They Haven't Been In Congo In The Last 21 Days" (Nov. 3, 2026); Medical Economics, "CDC requires Ebola travel attestation" morning medical update (Nov. 4, 2026).
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