- The CDC has signed an order requiring every passenger on an international flight to the US to complete a health declaration
- Travellers from countries including Nigeria, the UK, Canada and France are all affected, even without any DRC travel history
- Airlines face strict obligations under the new rules, including a requirement tied to denying boarding
Every passenger boarding an international flight bound for the United States will soon be required to complete a health declaration form before they can fly, following a new order signed by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on October 22, 2026.
The requirement, which takes effect at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 3, 2026, is part of Washington's response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Reuters and Visasnews report. The Bundibugyo strain of the virus has driven a series of tightening travel measures since May 2026, when the United States first imposed entry restrictions on certain travellers with recent ties to the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan.
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Details of new US travel requirements
The new attestation goes further by covering all international passengers, regardless of their travel history or nationality. U.S. citizens, foreign nationals, and even travellers simply connecting through a U.S. airport en route to another country must all comply. Passengers departing from Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Belgium, Switzerland, and other nations outside Africa are equally subject to the rule.
The official form, titled "Passenger Disclosure and Attestation to the United States of America," requires each traveller to certify that they have not been physically present in the DRC at any point during the 21 days before their flight. U.S. authorities have clarified that transiting through a Congolese airport counts as presence in the country, even if the traveller never left the aircraft or the terminal. Flying over the DRC without landing, however, does not trigger the requirement.
The attestation can be submitted on paper or digitally, with either a handwritten or electronic signature. Airlines are encouraged to build the declaration into their online check-in systems. For passengers under 18, a parent or authorised adult may complete and sign the form on their behalf.
Carriers bear significant responsibility under the new order. Any airline that allows a passenger to board without a properly completed and signed attestation will be in violation of the CDC directive. Airlines must also retain copies of all submitted forms for at least 42 days following each flight's arrival in the United States.
Restrictions affecting travellers who have been to DRC
Travellers who have been present in the DRC within the 21-day window, including American citizens, are barred from boarding commercial flights to the United States under existing restrictions. The attestation is designed to enforce this systematically across all passengers rather than relying only on itinerary screening.
The measure is scheduled to remain in place until December 18, 2026, though the CDC retains the authority to amend, lift, or extend it depending on how the outbreak evolves. Limited exemptions may be granted for emergency medical evacuations and certain humanitarian situations.
The health attestation will function as an additional layer on top of existing US entry requirements such as the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) or a valid visa.
FG Places 44 Ebola Contacts on 21-Day No-Fly List
In Nigeria, the minister of aviation and aerospace development, Festus Keyamo, has placed 44 people linked to a confirmed Ebola case in Nigeria on a no-fly list.
Legit.ng reports that Health Minister Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate confirmed that 44 close contacts had been identified and that tracing was underway.
He said 44 of the identified contacts were people the affected person encountered at a hospital after she had begun showing symptoms. The minister added that the remaining two are members of her domestic staff, bringing the total number of tracked contacts to 46.
Source: Legit.ng