US-Bound Travelers Face New 21-Day Ebola Attestation Rule From November 3

From November 3, 2026, every passenger boarding an international flight to the United States will need to attest that they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during the previous 21 days. The requirement applies to US citizens, nationals and permanent residents as well as other travelers. For passengers, the immediate change happens at check-in: the statement must be completed before boarding.

The new requirement takes effect at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, November 3. United says travelers will confirm their recent travel history during check-in. The available details don’t establish whether every airline will use the same process. Some carriers may provide a form online, while others may ask passengers to make a verbal attestation. Travelers should check the instructions from their airline before heading to the airport.

Travel history determines who can board

Passengers who have been in the DRC within 21 days before departure will not be allowed to board a flight bound for the United States. The restriction covers US citizens and nationals, as well as other travelers. Those affected should plan to remain outside the country until at least 21 days have passed since leaving the DRC.

That makes the timing of a trip as important as its destination. A traveler who has visited the DRC and then plans to connect through another country still falls within the stated 21-day period. The carrier’s check-in question concerns whether the traveler has been present in the DRC during that window, while the CDC notice describes the restriction as applying to people who have been there within 21 days before departure.

Travelers who have visited outbreak-affected provinces in the DRC may also face additional requirements from local authorities before leaving the country. The notice does not identify those requirements or list the provinces involved, so passengers in that situation will need to check the instructions that apply to their location and itinerary.

Separate rules for Uganda and South Sudan

The entry rules for recent travel to Uganda or South Sudan differ by traveler status. Non-US citizens and non-US nationals who have been in either country during the 21 days before departure will not be allowed to enter the United States. The notice specifically includes lawful permanent residents, often called Green Card holders. These travelers should plan to remain outside the United States until at least 21 days after leaving Uganda or South Sudan.

US citizens and US nationals who have been in Uganda or South Sudan during the same period can travel, provided they have not also been in the DRC. Their flights will be routed through designated US airports for public health screening on arrival. The notice does not name those airports or describe what the screening will involve.

For passengers with multi-country itineraries, the distinction matters: recent presence in the DRC triggers the no-boarding rule for US-bound flights, while recent presence in Uganda or South Sudan brings different conditions based on citizenship or nationality. Permanent residents are included in the group barred from entry after travel to Uganda or South Sudan; they do not receive the routing arrangement described for US citizens and nationals.

What travelers should confirm

The CDC says the overall risk to the American public and travelers remains low. Its notice nevertheless sets out firm travel conditions tied to where passengers have been during the 21 days before departure. Airlines will need to collect the DRC attestation at check-in, but the source material indicates that carriers may handle the declaration in different ways.

Before travel, passengers should verify how their airline wants the statement completed and whether any part of their itinerary requires a different process. Those who have been in the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan within the specified period should review the applicable restriction before booking or attempting to board. A connection or a change of carrier does not alter the stated lookback period.

The CDC information is available here. The key practical step is to account for every country visited during the 21 days before departure, then confirm the airline’s check-in procedure and any routing instructions well ahead of the flight.

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