US-Bound Flights: CDC DRC Attestation Now Required

Travellers flying to the United States from a Caribbean or Mexican resort have one extra step at check-in. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) order requires everyone boarding an international flight to the United States to sign an attestation that they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during the previous 21 days. For the large majority of resort travellers the declaration is a formality, but it can stop you boarding if it is missing, so it is worth knowing how it works.

What the CDC order says

According to the CDC’s order page, the requirement was issued on October 22, 2026 and amended on October 28, 2026. The amendment clarified that it covers all people on any aircraft, including crew. It took effect at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on November 3, 2026, and applies to flights departing a foreign country for the United States at or after that time. The order was also published in the Federal Register, and US Customs and Border Protection’s Carrier Liaison Program notified airlines of the change.

The CDC describes the measure as a public health step intended to reduce the risk of Ebola entering the United States by air. The CDC page does not state an expiry date. Press reports have described a scheduled end of December 18, 2026, but the order can be amended, extended or withdrawn, so check the CDC page for the current position before you fly.

Who has to sign

The order applies to all people boarding an international flight into, or connecting through, the United States. That explicitly includes US citizens, US nationals and lawful permanent residents, as well as visitors. Crew on passenger and cargo aircraft are covered, including crew travelling as passengers.

The requirement applies to air travel only. It does not apply to land border crossings or to arrivals at seaports.

What you are attesting

The attestation is a signed statement, on paper or in digital form, confirming that you have not been present in the DRC during the 21 days before boarding a flight to the United States. Transit through a DRC airport counts as presence, whether or not you left the aircraft. The 21 days are counted in calendar days, so a traveller can board starting on day 22 after leaving the DRC.

The CDC publishes the form as a PDF in English, Spanish and French.

How airlines collect it

The collection happens through the airline rather than at a government desk. Under the order, airlines must confirm at or shortly before boarding that each person has completed an attestation. They can accept a physical signature, an authenticated digital signature or an electronic checkbox. Airline staff may help with data entry, but the traveller or an authorised representative must provide the attestation, so each person needs an individual record. Airlines must keep a copy for at least 42 days after the flight arrives and provide it to the US government on request.

In practice, expect to see a checkbox in online check-in or a form at the airport counter. If you are connecting through a US airport to another country, the airline that carries you on the international leg into the United States is the one that will ask.

What happens if you do not sign

Anyone who does not submit an attestation is denied boarding on a flight to the United States, unless they are exempt. The CDC lists two narrow exemptions: designated air medical transport carrying people with Ebola disease under US government authorisation, and individuals the CDC has exempted for humanitarian or other important government reasons. The CDC says exemptions are rare.

The CDC also warns that knowingly and willfully submitting false statements can be prosecuted under 18 U.S.C. 1001, which may lead to criminal fines and imprisonment. Answer truthfully.

What resort travellers should do

Complete online check-in early and look for the attestation step.
If you check in at the airport, ask the counter agent whether the attestation form is part of your boarding process.
Make sure each family member has their own record, including children. A parent or guardian can complete it for a child who cannot sign.
If you have been in the DRC in the past 21 days, do not expect to board until day 22.
Read the airline’s own email before departure, since carriers may add the step to their app or check-in flow.

What we do not know

We have not seen the attestation text reproduced in full outside the CDC form itself, and we are not offering legal advice. Details such as an end date have been reported differently across outlets, so we treat the CDC order page as the reference and have kept this summary to what it states.