--- title: Every Passenger Flying to the US Must Sign a CDC Ebola Declaration From 3rd November description: From 3rd November every passenger flying to the US must sign a CDC declaration on travel to the DR Congo. Who it covers and how to complete it. author: Dr Marina Nani (Editor-in-Chief) date: 2026-11-03T11:00:36.689Z updated: 2026-11-03T11:00:36.711Z canonical: https://richtravelmagazine.com/article/cdc-ebola-declaration-us-flights image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/pexels-32223420.webp categories: Smart Travel content_type: News region: United States publication: Rich Travel Magazine about: - type: Organization name: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention --- From 23:59 Eastern time on Tuesday 3rd November, which is 04:59 on Wednesday 4th November in London, every person boarding a flight to the United States must sign a statement confirming they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the 21 days before boarding. Your airline collects the statement, and without it you will not be allowed on the plane. The rule applies to flights leaving a foreign country at or after that moment, so a London to New York flight that departs on the morning of 4th November is covered, even if you have not left Europe all year. ## Who Must Sign the CDC Attestation The order covers everyone on a US-bound international flight, whatever their nationality. That includes US citizens, US nationals and green card holders, as well as visitors travelling on an ESTA or a visa. You must also sign it if you are only connecting through an American airport on the way to another country, whether or not you leave the plane. An amended order issued on 28th October extended the rule to crew, including pilots and cabin crew travelling as passengers. It applies to commercial, private and cargo flights alike, and to flights from airports with US preclearance, such as Dublin and Shannon. Land border crossings and seaports are not included. If you are travelling with children under 18, a parent, guardian or other authorised adult signs on their behalf. One adult can complete the declaration for every member of a travelling party, although the airline must keep a record for each person. ## What You Are Declaring on the Form You confirm that you have not been physically present in the DR Congo at any point in the previous 21 days. Changing planes at a Congolese airport counts as being present, even if you never left the terminal. The CDC counts the days from the date you leave the country, which is day 0. You can board a flight to the US from day 22. The 21-day window matches the longest known incubation period for Ebola. The declaration is a legal statement. Knowingly giving false information can lead to criminal fines and imprisonment under US federal law. ## How to Complete the Form Before Your Flight You do not need to print anything in advance. US law requires airlines to provide the declaration and collect it before boarding, so the method depends on who you fly with. Depending on the airline, it may be a checkbox during online check-in, a digital signature, a paper form at the counter or a spoken confirmation recorded by a check-in agent. The CDC has published a [fillable version of the form](https://www.cdc.gov/port-health/media/pdfs/2026/10/367886-A_FRM_EbolaAttestation_3_pass.pdf) so you can read it before you travel, and Spanish and French versions are due to follow. Airlines must keep each completed declaration for at least 42 days. You can take a photo of yours for your own records, but you are not required to keep a copy. The declaration does not replace your ESTA or visa. You still need your usual travel authorisation to enter the US. ## Why the US Introduced the Ebola Declaration The measure follows an Ebola outbreak centred on the DR Congo, involving the Bundibugyo strain, which was declared in May 2026. The Africa CDC puts confirmed deaths across Africa at about 4,700, and our sister title Rich Health has followed [the race to make the first Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine](https://richtravelmagazine.com/article/bundibugyo-ebola-vaccine-race-drc-outbreak). Since May, the CDC has barred airline passengers who have been in the DR Congo in the previous three weeks, and in July it extended that ban to US citizens. Foreign nationals who have been in Uganda or South Sudan in the previous three weeks are also barred. The new declaration changes how the existing ban is enforced: every traveller now confirms it in writing. No Ebola cases linked to this outbreak have been reported in the US, and the CDC describes the overall risk to American travellers as low. ## Airlines Pushed Back on the 3rd November Deadline The airline industry has opposed the timetable. In separate letters reviewed by Reuters, the International Air Transport Association, which represents more than 370 airlines, and Airlines for America, whose members include United, American, Southwest and Delta, urged the CDC to reconsider. IATA said check-in systems, digital signatures and staff training could not be changed in under two weeks. Airlines for America pointed out that of about 130 million air passengers screened by US border officials in 2025, fewer than 25,000 had any connection to the DR Congo. The CDC has not moved the start date. The order is scheduled to run until 18th December unless it is extended or withdrawn earlier. ## What the New Rule Means for Your Trip 1. **Look for the declaration during online check-in** and complete it there if your airline offers it, which saves time at the airport. 2. **Arrive early in the first days of the rule.** Paper forms at check-in desks could slow queues on US-bound flights. 3. **Sign once for the whole family.** One adult can complete the declaration for everyone travelling with you. 4. **Remember connecting flights.** A journey through Miami, Dallas or Chicago to Mexico or the Caribbean still needs the declaration. 5. **Check your recent travel.** If you have been in the DR Congo, or changed planes there, in the past 21 days, you cannot board until day 22.