From 3 November, every passenger flying to the US must sign a DR Congo statement: what airlines and OTAs need to do

From 3 November 2026, every passenger boarding an international flight to the United States must sign a statement that they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the 21 days before boarding. It applies to all nationalities, including US citizens and green card holders, and to passengers who only connect through a US airport.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued the order on 22 October 2026 as part of its Ebola response, and it was published in the Federal Register on 27 October. Airlines must check the signed statement before boarding and refuse anyone who has not completed it.

The key facts

Point What the order says

Who must sign Every air passenger on a flight to the United States from a foreign country, of any nationality, including US citizens, US nationals and lawful permanent residents

Also covered Passengers connecting through the US to another country. Flights from a foreign country to a US territory, such as Guam, Saipan or San Juan, because the order counts the territories as part of the United States. Commercial, general aviation and private aircraft

Not covered Land and sea arrivals. Overflights that do not land in the US. Flights from a US territory (Puerto Rico, Guam, US Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa) to the mainland, as these are not foreign departures

What they confirm They have not been present in the DRC in the 21 days before boarding, including a transit through a DRC airport, even without leaving the plane

Starts Flights departing for the US at or after 11:59 pm EST on 3 November 2026 (05:59 on 4 November, Paris time)

Ends When CDC rescinds it, or 18 December 2026 at the latest, unless extended

Form CDC attestation (Attachment A to the order), on paper or digital, including electronic signature. The English text controls over any translation. Airlines may provide translations, directly or through a third party, and stay solely responsible for their accuracy

Airline duties Check every passenger's completed attestation at or before boarding, refuse boarding without one, keep it for at least 42 days and hand it to the US government on request

Why it matters even if nobody has been to the DRC

The CDC order of 11 October already bars non-US citizens and non-US nationals who were in the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan in the past 21 days from entering the United States. US citizens are not covered by that order. The new order adds a check for every passenger, US citizens included: anyone who cannot truthfully sign cannot board. A family flying Paris to New York, a business traveller connecting through Miami to Bogotá or a student flying home from London will each have to sign, even if they have never been to Africa.

Each passenger needs their own attestation. One form for a whole booking is not enough. A parent or other authorised person signs for anyone under 18. An authorised person, for example an immediate family member, a legal guardian or a travel agent, may sign for a passenger who cannot sign for themselves, for example because of age or a physical or mental impairment.

Airlines that fail to comply risk criminal fines under US law, up to $200,000 for an organisation. A flight without confirmed attestations may not be cleared to disembark passengers in the US. Passengers who give false information can face prosecution under 18 U.S.C. § 1001.

What does not change

The existing Ebola entry rules. The CDC order of 11 October still runs to 10 November. It covers non-US citizens and non-US nationals who were in the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan in the past 21 days. US citizens are not covered by it, although DHS separately redirects flights carrying travellers recently in those countries to specific US airports. The order lists only those three countries.

Visas and ESTA. The attestation is a health statement. It does not replace a visa or an ESTA, and an ESTA approval does not cover it.

What travel sellers should do

Airlines

Add the attestation to online check-in, the app and airport check-in for every US-bound and US-connecting flight before 3 November. CDC recommends collecting it at check-in or boarding at the last foreign departure airport.

Make sure each passenger, or their authorised representative, is the only person who can tick or sign their own form. Store it for at least 42 days with the PNR, name, flight number, airports and travel dates so it can be produced on request.

Brief interline and codeshare partners. The order puts the duty on the airline or aircraft operator of the flight into the US, which stays responsible even when it uses a third party.

If you translate the form, directly or through a third party, you remain solely responsible for the translation being accurate. The form says CDC will publish approved translations online, and that the English text controls if the two differ.

OTAs

From now, add a line to US booking confirmations and pre-trip emails: "From 3 November, you must sign a health statement at check-in for any flight to or through the United States."

Ask the 21-day DRC question at booking for US itineraries, including multi-stop trips with a stop in the DRC. Presence in the DRC within the last 21 days, even a connection at a DRC airport, means the passenger cannot sign and cannot board.

Flag itineraries that only connect through the US, for example Latin America to Asia via a US hub. Those passengers must sign too.

TMCs

Tell travellers and travel arrangers that every person on a US-bound trip signs individually. Arrangers may sign only for a traveller who cannot sign themselves.

Check traveller profiles for recent DRC trips. Staff who were in the DRC must wait 21 full days after leaving before flying to the US. The order says they may board from day 22.

Update duty-of-care notes for teams working in Central and East Africa.

How SimpleVisa handles it

This is a carrier health requirement, not a visa or ESTA change. Treat it as a separate line in your US pre-trip messages from now until at least 18 December, and keep the 21-day DRC question for US itineraries. Check again before 10 November, when the earlier CDC order is due to end or be renewed. Check once more before 18 December.

FAQ

Who has to sign the CDC attestation? Every passenger boarding an international flight to the United States from 11:59 pm EST on 3 November 2026, of any nationality, including US citizens and green card holders.

Do passengers connecting through the US have to sign? Yes. The order covers any flight landing in the United States, even if the passenger is only connecting to another country.

Does it apply to flights to Guam, Saipan or Puerto Rico? Yes, when the flight comes from a foreign country. The order counts the US territories as part of the United States. A flight from a US territory to the mainland is not a foreign departure, so it is not covered.

What if the passenger only changed planes in the DRC? That counts as being in the DRC. A transit through a DRC airport in the previous 21 days means the passenger cannot sign and cannot board, even if they stayed on the plane.

Can one person sign for the whole family? No. Each passenger needs their own attestation. A parent or other authorised person signs for children under 18, and an authorised person can sign for a passenger who cannot act for themselves because of age or a physical or mental impairment.

How long does the rule last? Until CDC rescinds or changes it, and no later than 18 December 2026 unless it is extended.

Is this part of ESTA or the visa? No. It is a separate health statement collected by the airline. ESTA and visa rules are unchanged.

Operational guidance for travel sellers, not legal advice. Updated 27 October 2026.

Sources

CDC, "Order: Requirement for Attestation for All Airline or Other Aircraft Passengers Arriving in the United States" (order of 22 October 2026, technical instructions, FAQs for airlines) verified 27 Oct 2026 · CDC Notice and Order under sections 361, 365, 368 and 369 of the Public Health Service Act and 42 CFR 71.20, 71.31(b) and 71.32(b), requirement for attestation for all airline or other aircraft passengers arriving in the United States (signed 22 October 2026; in effect until rescinded or 18 December 2026), linked from the CDC page above verified 26 Oct 2026 · Federal Register, "Requirement for Attestation for All Airline or Other Aircraft Passengers Arriving in the United States From Any Foreign Country...", 91 FR 67582, 27 October 2026 verified 27 Oct 2026 · CDC, "Ebola Outbreak: Current Situation", updated 24 October 2026 verified 27 Oct 2026

Loris Mazloum

Founder, SimpleVisa

Loris Mazloum founded SimpleVisa and writes the coverage notes on this blog for airlines, OTAs, and other travel companies. Each note is checked against the government source named at the bottom before it publishes. SimpleVisa keeps requirement data for 190+ destinations and files applications where a government channel exists.