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U.S. to require an Ebola declaration from November 3 to fly from Cuba

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an order on October 22 requiring every passenger on international flights to the United States, including those leaving Cuba, to sign a statement that they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the previous 21 days.

The order, signed on October 22 by the CDC, will apply to flights taking off after 11:59 p.m. on November 3, U.S. Eastern time. It affects passengers on international flights bound for that country, regardless of the departure airport or nationality, including U.S. citizens and permanent residents, and also those who merely transit through a U.S. airport on their way to another country.

Each traveler needs their own declaration, on paper or in digital form, and a single form does not cover a whole family. Parents, guardians or other authorized adults may sign for children under 18 and for those unable to do so. Airlines must collect and check the declarations before boarding and keep them for at least 42 days; anyone who fails to present one may face delays or be denied boarding, and knowingly providing false information may carry criminal penalties.

The measure responds to the Bundibugyo virus Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: the order cites 9,455 confirmed cases and 4,561 deaths reported by Congolese authorities as of October 18, 2026, with transmission in eight provinces. The 21-day window corresponds to the maximum incubation period of the disease.

Having transited through a Congolese airport counts as presence in the country, even without leaving the plane; flying over it without landing does not. Those who have been there must wait a full 21 days, unless the CDC grants an exemption. The order will stay in force until December 18, 2026, unless it is amended, extended or revoked before then. For Cubans who have not passed through that country, the procedure amounts to signing the declaration, which does not replace the usual immigration requirements for travel to the United States.

Sources: CiberCuba · Periódico Cubano

Data updated: 2026-10-23T16:15:00.000Z

U.S. to require an Ebola declaration from November 3 to fly from Cuba | Yamacoa Observatory