VisaUS-bound passengers must declare recent travel to DR Congo under new boarding rules
The new airline attestation covers all nationalities and transit through DR Congo. Travellers with recent presence there generally need to remain outside the United States for twenty-one days.
Official source date: 2026-11-03 · Change takes effect: 2026-11-04
Last verified against linked sources:
Edited and checked by the VisaWand editorial team
The new declaration starts at a specified US departure-time threshold
People boarding international flights to the United States face a new declaration about recent presence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. CDC’s current-situation update dated 3 November says the requirement applies regardless of where the flight begins. It is relevant to Congolese travellers, visitors returning from the country and passengers whose route merely connects through it.
The stated threshold is 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time on 3 November 2026, equivalent to 04:59 UTC and 09:59 in Pakistan on 4 November. It concerns the departure of the US-bound international flight, not when a booking was made. CDC describes the overall risk to the American public and travellers as low while imposing the travel control. The declaration is an additional boarding requirement, not a replacement for a visa or passport.
Airlines must collect the statement before allowing boarding
CDC’s attestation-order page says the original order was issued on 22 October and amended on 28 October to clarify coverage of people on any aircraft, including operating and positioning crew. Airlines must confirm the declaration at or shortly before boarding and refuse boarding without it unless a US-government exemption has been issued. Physical signatures, authenticated digital signatures and an electronic attestation checkbox are described.
The page links fillable English and Spanish versions for airline use. Follow the carrier’s collection process and provide truthful travel history; knowingly false or misleading statements can carry criminal consequences. The authority requires airlines to retain declarations for at least 42 days after arrival. Exemptions may cover specified authorised medical transport or individual humanitarian or government considerations. Neither having a ticket nor holding US citizenship establishes such an exemption. No application charge for an attestation or a purchasable exemption is established by the page.
A connection in DR Congo counts even without leaving the aircraft
CDC’s returning-traveller guidance says people present in DR Congo during the previous 21 days cannot board US-bound flights, including US citizens and nationals. Presence includes an airport connection whether the passenger disembarks or remains on the aircraft. Its timeline says travellers remain outside the United States for 21 days after leaving DR Congo and can return beginning on day 22.
For an illustrative itinerary through Kinshasa to another country before a US connection, the intermediate stop outside DR Congo does not erase the earlier presence. Check the whole route and the departure dates before signing. CDC also warns that affected provinces may impose local departure requirements and that the country used for the waiting period has its own entry rules. Its guidance for Uganda and South Sudan differs for US citizens; do not substitute those categories for the DR Congo rule.
Plan lawful accommodation outside the United States and seek help if needed
The State Department’s additional consular information advises building in extra time after the 21-day period to resolve outstanding travel issues. It warns of disrupted flights, third-country admission restrictions and difficulty finding onward seats. A plan to wait abroad therefore needs lawful entry and enough flexibility for delays, rather than a return ticket exactly at the end of an assumed minimum period.
US citizens needing help with modified flights, temporary lodging or other consular services are directed to the nearest US embassy or consulate. The published emergency number from abroad is +1 202 501 4444. For denied boarding, the page requests each traveller’s identity, passport, location, contact information, affected flight and dates of presence in the relevant countries. Use that official page for the assistance channel. It does not guarantee government-funded accommodation or immediate removal of a boarding restriction.
Visa appointment problems remain a separate issue
The State Department’s published visa-operations notice says Kinshasa, Juba and Kampala temporarily paused visa services from 18 May, covering immigrant and nonimmigrant categories. It says affected applicants will be notified when scheduling resumes. The notice expressly leaves currently valid visas unaffected. That does not override the new health declaration or prove that a person with a valid visa can board after recent DR Congo presence.
The same notice says affected visa appointments do not qualify for a refund. It describes nonimmigrant application-fee receipts as valid for 365 days for scheduling, with the interview allowed later if booked within that window. Keep the fee-receipt date separate from the public-health waiting period. The notice remains publicly available without a resumption statement; a current individual appointment or transfer arrangement was not verified here. Check the official appointment instructions before paying again or travelling for an interview.
