Every Flight Into the US Is About to Need an Ebola Pledge

Starting after 11:59 p.m. Eastern on November 3, 2026, everyone boarding an international flight to the United States must sign an attestation that they have not been physically present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the previous 21 days. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the order on October 22 and amended it on October 28, extending it to every person on any aircraft, crew members included. The requirement applies equally to US citizens, nationals and green-card holders, because the test is where you have been, not what passport you carry.

The fine print matters for connecting passengers. Changing planes at an airport in the DRC counts as being present there, even if you never leave the terminal, while simply flying over the country does not. Airlines must collect the signed attestation before boarding, refuse to board anyone who has not provided one, and keep copies for at least 42 days after arrival. Knowingly false statements can be prosecuted under federal law. Narrow exemptions exist for air medical transport of Ebola patients authorized by the US government and for individual cases approved by the CDC.

The Department of Transportation backed the order with an enforcement notice on October 28, tied to an Ebola outbreak affecting the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan. Normally airlines must accept medical certificates from passengers with infectious conditions who can show alternative precautions. DOT said it will not penalize carriers for refusing such certificates, noting that no feasible cabin measures exist to prevent Ebola transmission safely.

Travelers who are turned away are not left empty-handed. DOT says airlines must still offer rebooking, prompt refunds or transferable travel vouchers valid for five years. If you have recently been to the DRC or plan to connect through it, check your airline’s guidance well before departure. Some outlets have described the rule as a general health declaration, but the CDC’s own text frames it narrowly as an attestation about presence in the DRC.

Sources: CDC, US Department of Transportation