CDC Ebola declaration form: what Indians flying to the US must do

Published 2026-11-05 · 7 min read · By the Travlys visa team

Since 4 November 2026, everyone boarding a flight to the US, Indians included, must sign a one-page CDC declaration that they have not been in the DR Congo in the past 21 days. Here is what it means at check-in, for families and for connecting flights.

Since 10:29 am India time on 4 November 2026, every person boarding a flight to the United States must sign a short CDC declaration that they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the 21 days before boarding. It applies to Indian tourists, students, H-1B workers, parents visiting children and US citizens alike, including babies, whose parent signs for them. If you have not been to the DRC, it takes a minute at check-in and nothing about your visa changes.

At a glance: What it is: a signed CDC Traveler Disclosure and Attestation (form 367886-A, OMB No. 0920-1474) confirming you were not in the DRC in the 21 days before boarding. Who: every person on a US-bound flight, of any age or nationality, including crew and passengers only connecting through the US. Starts: flights departing at or after 11:59 pm EST on 3 November 2026 (10:29 am IST on 4 November). Ends: 18 December 2026, unless CDC ends, changes or extends it. How: paper or digital, usually at check-in; the airline must see it before you board. Children: a parent, guardian or authorised adult signs for anyone under 18. No declaration: no boarding. Visas: no change to visa rules, fees or the DS-160. Risk: CDC says the overall risk to the American public and travellers remains low.

What is the CDC Ebola declaration?

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued the order on 22 October 2026 and an amended order on 28 October 2026, which made clear that airline crew are covered too. It responds to a large outbreak of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus, centred in eastern DRC. CDC's outbreak page, updated on 3 November, lists more than 10,500 confirmed cases, almost all of them in the DRC, and no cases linked to this outbreak in the United States.

The form itself is one page. You choose one of two options: you attest for yourself, or you attest on behalf of a person you are authorised to act for. You then confirm you have answered truthfully, print your name, sign and date it. Presence in the DRC means any physical presence, including connecting through a DRC airport even if you never left the plane. Flying over the country does not count.

Do I need to fill the Ebola form if I have never been to Congo?

Yes. The declaration is not only for people who visited Africa: every person on every flight to the US must complete it, and the airline is not allowed to board you without it. If you have not been in the DRC, you simply attest that and fly as normal.

What Indian passengers actually do at check-in

The order lets airlines collect the declaration on paper or digitally, and CDC encourages airlines to build it into paperless check-in. So the exact screen depends on your airline. Expect one of these:

• Online or app check-in: a declaration step or tick box before your boarding pass is issued. Complete it for every name on the booking.
• Airport counter: a paper form, or the agent asks and records your answer. Airline staff may type it in for you, but you are still the one making the statement.
• Transfer or gate check: the airline must confirm your declaration at or before boarding the US-bound flight, so some carriers may check again at the hub or gate.

Nonstop flights from Delhi or Mumbai

You will be asked during check-in for that flight. Do it online if your airline offers it, because counters for US flights are already slow with visa and document checks. Keep a screenshot of the confirmation in case the gate agent asks.

Via Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi or Europe

The rule applies to the flight into the US, so the airline operating that leg must confirm your declaration. On a single ticket, such as Ahmedabad to Chicago via Dubai, you will usually be asked at your first check-in in India. On separate tickets, expect to do it again when you check in for the US flight at the hub. If you clear US immigration before departure through preclearance, such as at Abu Dhabi or Dublin, the declaration still applies.

Via Africa

A fare through Addis Ababa or Nairobi does not change your answer, because only presence in the DRC counts for this form. A routing that stops in Kinshasa or Lubumbashi does, even if you stay on the plane. Separately, another CDC order suspends US entry for foreign nationals who were physically present in the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan in the past 21 days. CDC's page says its latest continuation, issued on 11 October 2026, runs for 30 days, so if your trip touches Uganda or South Sudan, check its current status before you book.

Families, children and elderly parents

Each person needs their own declaration, but one adult can complete them for others. A parent, guardian or another authorised person signs for anyone under 18. A travel companion can also sign for someone who cannot sign, for example an elderly parent with a disability. For a family of four flying Mumbai to Newark, that means four declarations, which one parent can complete.

If your parents are flying alone on visitor visas, walk them through the online check-in step before the trip. If a wheelchair assistant or airline agent helps with the screen, they only enter data; the declaration is still your parent's own statement.

If you have been in the DRC in the last 21 days

You cannot board a US-bound flight until day 22. Day 0 is the day you left the DRC, and day 1 is the first full calendar day outside it. This applies to US citizens and green card holders too. Exemptions exist only for government-authorised medical transport and rare individual CDC exemptions on humanitarian or other important government grounds. Indians who work in the DRC, or visit for business, should plan at least 21 full days in India or elsewhere before flying to the US.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Completing it for yourself only. Every name on the booking needs one, including infants.
• Ticking the wrong option. Use the on-behalf option when you sign for a child or parent; the first option is only for yourself.
• Counting days loosely. Count calendar days from the day you left the DRC. If you left 20 days ago, you cannot board yet.
• Leaving it to the airport. Do it at online check-in where offered, and save a screenshot.
• Treating it as a formality. A knowingly false statement to the US government can lead to criminal fines and imprisonment under 18 U.S.C. 1001, and the form warns it can also mean denial of boarding on future trips.
• Booking a cheap Africa routing without checking. A connection in the DRC counts as presence, and a stop in Uganda or South Sudan can bring in the separate entry suspension.

Does anything change for US visas?

No. The CDC order does not mention visas, and nothing in it changes the DS-160, interviews, fees or documents for B1/B2, F-1 or H-1B applicants. It is a boarding check run by airlines. You still need a valid visa, green card or US passport and your usual documents. Our post on US visa changes in 2026 covers the visa side, including the visa integrity fee.

How long will this rule last?

The order runs until 18 December 2026 unless CDC rescinds or changes it earlier. CDC says any amendment or extension will depend on case counts, geographic spread, community transmission and containment capacity, so if you are flying around Christmas or New Year, check the CDC attestation page in mid-December. Airline groups asked CDC to reconsider before the start date, but the requirement took effect as scheduled.

How Travlys helps

Travlys files US visas for Indian passport holders from ₹19,940 (service fee; government fees extra), with 5,000+ visas filed and a 98% approval rate. We check your documents before you apply, so your file is complete when you reach the interview. For other trips, use the visa checker at travlys.com/visa-checker/, follow rule changes on the travel news page at travlys.com/travel-news/, or WhatsApp us on +91 82009 18967.

Last checked: Rules checked on 5 November 2026 against the CDC order and amended order, the Federal Register notice, CDC's attestation, outbreak and returning-traveller pages and the attestation form listed below. Airline check-in steps vary; follow your airline's instructions and check the CDC page before you fly.