The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will require passengers on international flights to the United States, including those connecting through the country, to attest that they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during the previous 21 days. The rule takes effect at 23:59 Eastern Time on 3 November and applies regardless of nationality, departure point or final destination.
Airlines and other aircraft operators must verify the declaration before boarding and deny boarding to anyone who has not completed it, unless a US government exemption applies. Declarations may be signed on paper or through an authenticated digital process, including an electronic checkbox, and operators must retain each completed form for at least 42 days after arrival in the United States.
Transit through a DRC airport counts as presence in the country, even if the traveller remains airside. Overflying the DRC without landing does not. The CDC describes the measure as a precaution against Ebola introduction through air travel, with the 21-day period corresponding to the disease’s maximum incubation period.
The order is formally addressed to passengers. However, the OPS Group reported receiving written confirmation from US Customs and Border Protection that crew members must also complete the declaration. That interpretation is not stated explicitly in the CDC order. Exemptions may cover government-authorised Ebola-related transport and certain humanitarian or other important government missions. The requirement is scheduled to remain in force through 18 December unless withdrawn, amended or extended.