Since Nov. 3, everyone boarding an international flight to the US must attest they haven’t been in the DRC in the past 21 days. Here is who signs, when, and what airlines say.
Plain-English guides to money, tech, health, home and everyday life.
Plain-English guides to money, tech, health, home and everyday life.
Since Nov. 3, everyone boarding an international flight to the US must attest they haven’t been in the DRC in the past 21 days. Here is who signs, when, and what airlines say.
Liafi Studio Editors
Short answer: since 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Nov. 3, 2026, every person boarding an international flight to the United States, including connecting flights, must sign a statement saying they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during the previous 21 days. Airlines have to collect it before boarding and can refuse to board anyone who hasn’t completed it. The CDC says the overall risk to the American public remains low.
If you’re flying to the U.S. in the coming weeks, here’s what the rule says, how airlines are handling it, and how to avoid a hold-up at check-in.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the order on Oct. 22, 2026, then amended it on Oct. 28 to clarify that it covers everyone on any aircraft, including crew on passenger and cargo flights. According to the CDC’s attestation order page, the requirement applies to flights departing a foreign country for the U.S. at or after 11:59 p.m. EST on Nov. 3.
The statement confirms you have not been physically present in the DRC in the 21 days before boarding. “Present” is defined broadly: it includes entering or traveling through the country by air, land or sea, and it includes connecting through a DRC airport even if you never left the plane. Overflights are excluded, according to the airline version of the form.
Everyone. That means U.S. citizens, green card holders, tourists and children. The rule applies to all travelers on flights into or connecting through the United States, as U.S. Customs and Border Protection describes it, including commercial, general aviation and private aircraft.
Airlines must confirm the attestation at or shortly before boarding, keep a copy for at least 42 days after the flight arrives, and hand it to the U.S. government on request. Because the CDC lets carriers choose their own process, what you see depends on the airline.
Airlines must not board anyone who fails to complete and present the attestation, unless the person has an exemption issued by the U.S. government. The form warns that failing to comply could mean delayed travel, denial of boarding or denial of boarding on future trips. Willfully giving false or misleading information can bring criminal fines and imprisonment under 18 U.S.C. § 1001.
For travelers who have been in the DRC within 21 days, the CDC’s guidance for returning travelers says they, including U.S. citizens and nationals, will not be allowed to board flights to the U.S. and should plan to stay outside the country for at least 21 days after leaving the DRC.
The CDC lists extra measures for two neighboring countries. Non-U.S. citizens and non-nationals, 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 U.S. U.S. citizens and nationals who have been in those countries, but not the DRC, will have their flights routed through designated U.S. airports for public health entry screening.
Canada has its own rule. Qantas says foreign nationals who have been in the DRC in the 21 days before travel can’t board a flight to Canada, and that fines of up to C$1,000,000, imprisonment or both may apply. If your trip crosses several borders, check each country’s current entry rules.
For more trip-planning ideas, see our look at efficient group travel ideas for cities, and for the bigger picture on how health events shape daily life, read global health trends and adapting to a changing landscape. If you love a long-haul story, there’s also Karl Bushby’s 28-year walk around the world.
The CDC order covers people boarding flights to the United States from abroad. It doesn’t apply to departures from the U.S., though other countries may have their own rules, like Canada’s.
Yes. Connecting through a DRC airport counts as presence, even if you stayed on the plane.
None of the CDC, CBP or airline pages cited here mention a fee. It’s a signed statement collected by your airline.
The CDC states the overall risk to the American public remains low. For health questions, check CDC travel guidance or speak with a doctor; this article is a summary of travel rules, not medical advice.
Sources: CDC Port Health attestation order, CDC returning-traveler guidance, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Delta Air Lines, Travel Monitor (Nov. 9, 2026). Photo: Mx. Granger, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Liafi Studio is an independent magazine of useful, plain-English guides: money and work, tech, health, home, learning, style and family life.
© 2026 Liafi Studio. All rights reserved.
Liafi Studio is ad-supported and some posts contain sponsored links, always labelled. Our guides are general information, not professional, medical, legal or financial advice.
