Ebola Flight Rule: Every US-Bound Traveler Must Sign Form Nov. 3

Every person boarding a flight to the United States from abroad will soon have to sign a new Ebola attestation, under a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) order that takes effect late on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The rule applies no matter where the flight departs, what passport the traveler holds, or whether the United States is the final destination or only a connection.

The requirement is tied to an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The CDC says no cases linked to the outbreak have been reported in the United States and that the overall risk to the American public remains low. The attestation is a precaution: a signed statement, collected before boarding, that the traveler has not been in the DRC in the previous 21 days.

Airlines say they were given too little time to build the new check into check-in systems, and have asked for a delay. As of the weekend, there was no public sign that the CDC would push the start date back or offer a grace period. Travelers with US-bound flights after November 3 should therefore expect the form to be part of check-in.

When the rule takes effect

The attestation requirement applies to flights departing a foreign country for the United States at or after 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on November 3, 2026 — the same moment described in some CDC material as midnight Eastern on November 4. It covers every person on board, not just ticketed passengers.

The CDC first signed the order on October 22 and amended it on October 28. The amendment made clear that the requirement covers all “persons” on an aircraft, pulling in pilots, flight attendants and crew traveling off duty on positioning or “deadhead” status, as well as cargo flights. The Federal Register notice was published on October 30.

The order is currently set to run through 11:59 p.m. Eastern on December 18, 2026, unless the CDC rescinds or modifies it sooner. Any extension would depend on outbreak metrics, including case counts and geographic spread.

Who has to sign — and who cannot board

Everyone boarding a US-bound international flight must present a signed attestation, on paper or digitally, confirming they have not been physically present in the DRC during the 21 days before boarding. The test is where the traveler has been, not what passport they carry: US citizens, US nationals and green-card holders are included, as are travelers connecting through a US airport on the way to another country.

Changing planes at an airport in the DRC counts as being present there, even if the traveler never leaves the terminal. Simply flying over the country without landing does not count. The day a traveler leaves the DRC is counted as Day 0, meaning they may board a US-bound flight from Day 22.

Travelers who have been in the DRC within 21 days cannot board a US-bound commercial flight at all. US citizens are specifically excepted from the entry suspension itself, but the practical effect is close to the same: without a way to board a commercial flight, a traveler in Kinshasa cannot fly home on an ordinary ticket. Narrow exemptions exist for government-authorized medical transport of Ebola patients and for individual cases approved by the CDC.

Related measures already in place affect travelers from neighboring countries. Non-US citizens who were recently in Uganda or South Sudan are barred from entry, while US citizens coming from those two countries are routed through designated airports for health screening, according to CDC traveler guidance reported alongside the order.

What airlines must do

Airlines and aircraft operators must check that each covered person has completed and signed an attestation before boarding, and must refuse boarding to anyone who has not provided one. They must keep a copy for at least 42 days after arrival and hand it to the US government on request. US Customs and Border Protection is assisting with implementation.

Knowingly giving false or misleading information on the attestation can bring criminal fines and imprisonment under the federal false-statements law, the CDC order notes. The form itself asks about travel history, not health: it is titled “Passenger Disclosure and Attestation to the United States of America,” and the CDC accepts a paper signature, an authenticated digital signature or an electronic tick-box.

Airlines for America, representing major US carriers, asked the CDC to give airlines more time to prepare, arguing that check-in software, digital signature systems, station procedures and staff training could not all be changed in two weeks. A Department of Transportation enforcement notice on October 28 backed the order while preserving passenger protections: for an airline restriction based on communicable disease, travelers are entitled to travel within 90 days at the original fare without penalty or a refund for unused flights, and for a government entry restriction, a transferable credit or voucher valid for at least five years.

Why the CDC acted now

The order is linked to an Ebola outbreak affecting the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan. A summary of the CDC order cited 9,455 confirmed cases and 4,561 deaths in the DRC as of October 18, from the Bundibugyo strain. The CDC recommends avoiding all travel to Ituri and Nord-Kivu provinces in the DRC and avoiding nonessential travel to Haut-Uele and Tshopo provinces, and advises travelers to other parts of the DRC or Uganda to take enhanced precautions and monitor for symptoms while traveling and for 21 days after leaving.

The attestation adds a check at every departure point to earlier CDC measures. Previously, the focus was on designated US airports and screening on arrival; the new rule moves the check to boarding itself, at any airport in the world with a US-bound flight.

What travelers should do before November 3

Anyone with a US-bound flight after November 3 should open their airline app now and look for the attestation, which may appear during online check-in. Travelers should allow extra time at the airport in the first days of the rule, when staff and systems are still adjusting, and carry a paper backup if they complete the form digitally.

Travelers who have been in, or transited through, the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan in the last three weeks should stop and check their specific situation with the airline and the CDC before traveling, rather than assuming they can sort it out at the gate. Airlines cannot board a traveler who has not completed the attestation, and the rule leaves no room for a last-minute exception at check-in.

The CDC says it will update its guidance if the order is amended or lifted before December 18. Until then, the signed statement is, for practical purposes, as much a part of boarding a US-bound flight as a passport.

Frequently asked questions

Do US citizens have to sign the Ebola attestation?
Yes. The requirement applies to every person boarding a US-bound international flight, including US citizens, nationals and green-card holders.

Does a connection through a DRC airport count?
Yes. Passing through a DRC airport counts as presence, even without leaving the aircraft. Flying over the country without landing does not.

What happens if I refuse to sign?
Your airline must deny boarding. Airlines are required to check the attestation before boarding and to keep a copy for at least 42 days.

When does the rule end?
It is set to run through December 18, 2026, unless the CDC rescinds or modifies it sooner.

Is there Ebola in the United States?
The CDC says no cases linked to this outbreak have been reported in the US, and that the overall risk to the American public remains low.

Sources and related coverage

Reporting on the CDC order and its November 1 updates: TravelPulse — CDC Updates Airline Rules After Ebola Outbreak; QUE — Every U.S.-Bound Traveler Must Sign an Ebola Form Starting November 3; Travel Market News — US Ebola Attestation Rule: What Airlines and Flyers Must Do.