Federal · CDC order, FR Doc. 2026-21828

Flying home from abroad after Nov. 3? CDC order requires every passenger to sign a form saying they have not been in Congo (DRC) in the past 21 days

Order signed Oct. 22, 2026 · Applies to flights from Nov. 3, 2026

Published October 27, 2026 · Last updated October 27, 2026

What it does

The order, signed October 22, 2026 by the HHS Assistant Secretary for Health, bars airlines and other aircraft operators from boarding any passenger on a flight to the United States from a foreign country unless the passenger presents “a signed attestation in paper or digital format confirming that the passenger has not been present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during the 21 days prior to boarding a flight to the United States.” (CDC order, Summary)

• Every flight that lands in the U.S. It covers any flight arriving in the United States, whether the U.S. is the final destination or the flight connects through the U.S. to another country. Overflights that do not land are not covered. Commercial, general aviation and private aircraft are all included. (CDC order, Summary and Definitions)
• What “present in the DRC” means. Any physical presence, by air, land or sea, including connecting through an airport in the DRC even without getting off the plane. (CDC order, Definitions)
• How the 21 days are counted. Calendar days: Day 0 is the day a person left the DRC, Day 1 is the first full day outside it, and a person who was in the DRC may board a flight to the U.S. on Day 22. (CDC order, Definitions)
• Airlines check the form. Before boarding, the airline must review each passenger’s attestation to make sure it is complete and signed, confirm this to the U.S. government, and keep a copy for at least 42 days. CDC encourages airlines to build the attestation into paperless check-in. (CDC order, Section 1 and Summary)
• Exemptions. Aircraft carrying patients with Ebola under U.S. government authorization, and individuals CDC exempts for humanitarian or other important government reasons (for example, emergency medical evacuations), who may face conditions such as post-arrival monitoring. (CDC order, Exemptions)

CDC says it issued the order because the outbreak in the DRC continues to grow (the order cites 9,455 confirmed cases and 4,561 deaths reported by the DRC as of October 18, 2026) and because the disease’s incubation period of up to 21 days means infected travelers may not show symptoms while traveling. The order adds to, and does not replace, other federal travel measures already in place for the outbreak. (CDC order, Background and Relationship to Other Orders)

Who it affects

• Anyone flying to the United States from a foreign country, including South Carolinians returning from international trips. The order applies to all passengers who are not exempt, not only to people who have been in Africa. (CDC order, Summary and Section 2) CDC estimates 135.3 million traveler responses a year, at about 5 minutes each. (CDC information collection notice, burden table)
• Children and people who need help. A parent or other authorized individual may complete and sign the attestation for a passenger under 18, or for anyone unable to act on their own behalf. (CDC order, Summary)
• Airlines and private aircraft operators flying into the U.S. (CDC order, Section 1)
• Not covered: flights from U.S. states and territories such as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, because the order defines a foreign country as anywhere that is not a U.S. state, territory or possession. (CDC order, Definitions)

What it means for you

• Expect one more step at check-in. If your flight back to the U.S. departs at or after 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on November 3, 2026, plan to complete and sign the attestation the way your airline instructs, on paper or digitally. (CDC order, Dates and Section 2)
• No form, no boarding. Passengers who do not provide the attestation, or who give false or misleading information, “may face a delay of travel, denial of boarding, or denial of boarding on future travel.” (CDC order, Section 2)
• It is a signed statement to the government. The attestation is made under 18 U.S.C. 1001, the federal false-statements law, and the Justice Department may prosecute people who knowingly and willfully submit false attestations. (CDC order, Definitions and Section 2)
• If you have been in the DRC, the order means waiting until Day 22 after leaving before boarding a flight to the U.S., unless CDC grants an exemption. (CDC order, Definitions and Exemptions)
• Comment if you want to. CDC is taking comments on the attestation form (docket CDC-2026-1750) at regulations.gov or by mail to Jeffrey M. Zirger, Information Collection Review Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS H21-8, Atlanta, Georgia 30329, through December 28, 2026. (CDC information collection notice, Dates and Addresses)

Penalties

The order is enforceable through federal public health and criminal laws. CDC cites fines of up to $100,000 for individuals and $200,000 for organizations, and/or up to one year in prison, for airlines or operators that fail to comply, and says passengers who do not comply may also face criminal penalties under the same laws. Airlines that do not confirm their passengers’ attestations will not get permission to unload passengers at a U.S. airport. (CDC order, Sections 1 and 2)

Current status

Signed October 22, 2026 and published in the Federal Register October 27, 2026 (91 FR 67582; FR Doc. 2026-21828). CDC says it is an order under existing public health regulations, not a new rule, so there was no advance comment period on the order itself. It takes effect at 11:59 p.m. EST on November 3, 2026. (CDC order, Dates and Supplementary Information)

What happens next

The notice says the order is effective for 45 days, through 11:59 p.m. EST on December 18, 2026 (the order’s Action section lists December 17), and may be amended, rescinded or extended earlier or later based on case counts, geographic spread and other outbreak measures. CDC may also change which countries it covers. (CDC order, Summary, Supplementary Information and Action) Comments on the attestation form are due December 28, 2026. (CDC information collection notice)

Sources

• Federal Register: “Requirement for Attestation for All Airline or Other Aircraft Passengers Arriving in the United States From Any Foreign Country ... Have Not Been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the Past 21 Days,” CDC notice of agency order, 91 FR 67582, FR Doc. 2026-21828 (published Oct. 27, 2026)
• Federal Register: “Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations” (2026 Ebola Passenger Disclosure and Attestation), CDC notice, 91 FR 67580, FR Doc. 2026-21831, docket CDC-2026-1750
• CDC: signed attestation order (Port Health, Legal Authorities)

Every statement above is drawn from the official source text linked here; section references are shown in grey. This is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. Spot an error? Tell us.