Effective Date: November 3, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EST.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a new mandatory boarding requirement for all international flights destined for the United States. To ensure a seamless trip and avoid being denied boarding, please review the following guidelines:
1. Who Must Comply
- This order applies to all people arriving in the United States by air from any foreign country, including passengers and flight crew.
- This requirement applies to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (Green Card holders), and all foreign nationals.
- You must complete this requirement even if the U.S. is strictly a transit point for a connecting flight to a third country.
- Exceptions: This order applies only to air travel; it does not apply to land border crossings or seaports. Additionally, flights originating from U.S. territories (e.g., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam) are not considered foreign flights.
2. The 21-Day Travel Restriction
- Before boarding, every passenger must sign a legal statement (an attestation) confirming they have not been physically present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during the previous 21 days.
- “Physical presence” includes entering the DRC by air, land, or sea.
- Critically, transiting through a DRC airport counts as physical presence, regardless of whether you disembarked the aircraft or left the terminal.
- The 21-day waiting period is strictly enforced based on calendar days. Day 0 is the date of departure from the DRC, meaning travelers are only eligible to fly to the U.S. beginning on Day 22.
3. The Boarding Process & Legal Penalties
- Your airline will provide and collect the attestation (digitally or on paper) prior to boarding.
- A parent, guardian, or authorized travel companion is permitted to sign the document on behalf of travelers under 18 or those unable to sign for themselves.
- Airlines are legally required to retain a copy of your completed attestation for 42 days following your arrival in the U.S.
- Refusal to submit a signed attestation will result in an automatic denial of boarding.
- Submitting false information is a serious federal offense that may result in criminal prosecution, fines, and imprisonment under 18 U.S.C. § 1001.
- Government exemptions to this order are exceedingly rare and generally restricted to CDC-authorized medical or humanitarian transports.
For more details, or if you need assistance managing an upcoming itinerary affected by these restrictions, please contact our Certified Travel Guzs Advisors at 1-866-723-9393.
