Every passenger boarding a flight to the United States from another country must sign a statement confirming they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during the previous 21 days, under a new order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The rule takes effect at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on November 3, 2026.
The CDC announced the order on October 22 to reduce the risk of Ebola entering the United States through air travel, linked to an outbreak of Ebola caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the DRC. It applies to commercial flights, general aviation and business aircraft, and to every passenger, including US citizens, US nationals, permanent residents and foreign visitors. It also covers people who only connect through a US airport on their way to another destination.
Ebola attestation rules for passengers
The form, titled “Passenger Disclosure and Attestation to the United States of America,” must be completed and signed by each passenger, either on paper or in digital form. Airlines may fold the declaration into online check-in, or hand out a paper form at the gate. Parents or authorized adults may sign for children under 18, and aircraft operators must keep each attestation for at least 42 days.
Boarding must be refused where a valid attestation is not produced, unless a government exemption applies. The form warns that willfully providing false or misleading information may lead to criminal fines and imprisonment under 18 U.S.C. 1001. “Beginning November 3, 2026, all passengers boarding an international flight to the United States must attest (sign a statement) that they have not been present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the 21 days before boarding a flight to the United States,” the CDC said on its website.
Laura Everington, director of international operations and regulations at the National Business Aviation Association, said operators of every type should be ready to provide and collect the Ebola attestations from all passengers leaving a foreign country for the US. “Aircraft operators, regardless of the type of operation, should be prepared to provide and collect these attestations to all passengers departing from a foreign country to the U.S.,” she said. The requirement is not limited to commercial flights or to flights leaving certain countries, and it covers all flights from all countries arriving in the US.
Airlines are encouraged to fold the Ebola declaration into online check-in, where passengers would see it as an extra screen in the usual flow. Where an airline has not done so, a paper form will be issued at the gate. The CDC’s template form carries Office of Management and Budget control number 0920-1474, and each signed Ebola attestation must be kept for at least 42 days after the flight.
What counts as presence in the DRC
The order defines presence as any physical presence in the country, whether by air, land or sea. Connecting through a DRC airport counts, even if the passenger stays on the plane or inside the airport. Flying over the DRC does not count. The order counts calendar days, with day zero the day the person left the DRC, so a person who was in the country may board on day 22.
Travelers who have been in the DRC within 21 days of their flight will not be allowed to board flights with US destinations, including US citizens and US nationals. The attestation is the enforcement mechanism for that boarding ban, which has already been in place since earlier in 2026. Previous CDC mandates to reduce the risk of Ebola importation into the US remain unchanged, alongside separate restrictions applying to foreign nationals who have recently been in Uganda or South Sudan.
How long the Ebola order lasts
The Ebola order stays in effect until December 18, 2026, unless the CDC rescinds, modifies or extends it. Aircraft operators of every type, from commercial carriers to business jets, must be ready to provide and collect the attestations from all passengers departing from a foreign country to the US. The CDC has provided a template attestation for operators to use.