Effective November 3, 2026, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) implemented a strict travel rule due to an Ebola outbreak.
All international air passengers flying to or connecting through the United States must sign an attestation confirming they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) within the past 21 days. Anyone who has visited or transited through the DRC during that period is prohibited from boarding a U.S.-bound flight. The measure is designed to monitor and control the spread of the Ebola virus.
This is not likely to affect a huge number of international travelers but it does apply to those who have been in -- or even passed through the Congo -- in the past 21 days. That includes anyone whose flight landed in the Congo, even if they did not get off the airplane.
All international air passengers flying to or connecting through the United States must sign an attestation confirming they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) within the past 21 days. Anyone who has visited or transited through the DRC during that period is prohibited from boarding a U.S.-bound flight. The measure is designed to monitor and control the spread of the Ebola virus.
This is not likely to affect a huge number of international travelers but it does apply to those who have been in -- or even passed through the Congo -- in the past 21 days. That includes anyone whose flight landed in the Congo, even if they did not get off the airplane.
The primary and largest international airport in the DRC is N'Djili International Airport (IATA: FIH, ICAO: FZAA), located in Kinshasa, but the attestation applies to any and all airports in the Congo.
Punishment for lying are severe.
• Falsely signing the federal travel attestation violates 18 U.S.C. § 1001, which criminalizes making false or fraudulent statements to the United States government.
• A conviction under this statute carries penalties of substantial criminal fines and up to 5 years in federal prison.
Immigration Consequences
For non-U.S. citizens, lying to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or immigration officials triggers immediate and lifelong administrative punishments including permanent inadmissibility, deportation and/or revocation of permanent residency or naturalized citizenship status.
Airlines are legally required to verify these declarations before allowing passengers to board, and they must keep a paper or digital trail of every signed form for 42 days for contact tracing purposes. If a passenger has been in or connected through the DRC in the last 21 days, their only legal mechanism for entry is to wait out the full 21-day incubation window before attempting to fly into the United States.
If this applies to you, please follow the rules which are designed to protect you and others. We do NOT want a repeat of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Visit my main page at TheTravelPro.us for more news, reviews, and personal observations on the world of upmarket travel.
• Falsely signing the federal travel attestation violates 18 U.S.C. § 1001, which criminalizes making false or fraudulent statements to the United States government.
• A conviction under this statute carries penalties of substantial criminal fines and up to 5 years in federal prison.
Immigration Consequences
For non-U.S. citizens, lying to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or immigration officials triggers immediate and lifelong administrative punishments including permanent inadmissibility, deportation and/or revocation of permanent residency or naturalized citizenship status.
Airlines are legally required to verify these declarations before allowing passengers to board, and they must keep a paper or digital trail of every signed form for 42 days for contact tracing purposes. If a passenger has been in or connected through the DRC in the last 21 days, their only legal mechanism for entry is to wait out the full 21-day incubation window before attempting to fly into the United States.
If this applies to you, please follow the rules which are designed to protect you and others. We do NOT want a repeat of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Visit my main page at TheTravelPro.us for more news, reviews, and personal observations on the world of upmarket travel.
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