Photo: Cytis / Wikimedia Commons
Flying to the US? From 3 November every passenger must sign an Ebola statement
From 3 November, everyone boarding a flight to or through the United States must attest they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the past 21 days. Without it, you cannot board.
What has changed
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that after 11.59pm Eastern time on 3 November 2026, everyone boarding an international flight to the United States, or connecting through it, must sign a statement that they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the 21 days before the flight. The rule is part of the US response to the Ebola outbreak. The CDC says the overall risk to the American public and travellers remains low.
Air India told passengers on 28 October that the attestation must be completed before boarding, that it covers transit through an airport in the DRC, and that passengers who do not provide it will not be allowed to board. Its notice links to the form.
Who cannot travel
Anyone who has been in the DRC in the 21 days before departure, including US citizens, will not be allowed to board a flight to the US. Non-US citizens, including Green Card holders, who have been in South Sudan or Uganda in the 21 days before departure will not be allowed to enter the US.
What Indian travellers should do
Before your flight: if you are flying to the US in November or later, or connecting through a US airport to Canada, Mexico or elsewhere, ask your airline how it will collect the attestation. If you are on Air India, use the form linked in its news alert.
If you have been to the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan recently: count the 21 days before you book or travel, including any transit.
If you are on an itinerary through Africa: check every stop on the ticket, because a stop at an airport in the DRC counts.
Allow extra time at check-in in the first days of the rule, since airlines are applying it for the first time.
Sources
This report is based on the following published sources. Rules and schedules change — confirm with the issuing authority before you travel.
- Information for Travelers Returning from Ebola-Affected Areas — US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30 October 2026
- News Updates and Travel Advisories: CDC Ebola Passenger Disclosure and Attestation — Air India, 28 October 2026
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