US authorities are introducing a public-health measure to limit the spread of Ebola. From 3 November, every passenger on an international flight bound for the United States must sign a declaration confirming they have not been in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the previous 21 days. The rule applies whatever the country of departure, including people traveling from Romania.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued the order on 22 October. It covers everyone boarding an international flight to the United States, including passengers who only transit US airports. It takes effect at 23:59 Eastern Standard Time on 3 November 2026 and applies to flights leaving other countries for the United States from that moment.
The declaration must be completed and signed before boarding, on paper or electronically. Airlines must check that it exists and refuse boarding to passengers who do not present it, except people granted a waiver by US authorities. The duty also covers US citizens and passengers transiting the United States on the way to another country.
People flying from Romania to the United States must complete the form even when the journey includes a stop at another European or international airport. The document confirms that the passenger was not on DRC territory in the 21 days before boarding. A transit through a DRC airport counts even if the passenger stayed on the aircraft. Each passenger needs a separate declaration. For a minor, or for someone who cannot complete the form, a parent or an authorized representative may sign it.
Airlines must keep the declarations for at least 42 days after the flight arrives in the United States and provide them to US authorities on request. Intentionally giving false or misleading information can lead to criminal penalties, including fines and imprisonment.
The decision comes during an Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus, which is affecting the DRC and Uganda. The United States already applied temporary travel restrictions to people who had recently been in the DRC and to certain categories of people who had traveled to Uganda or South Sudan. The new order extends the signed-declaration requirement to every passenger on an international flight to the United States, regardless of the country of departure.
CDC information for travelers says that people who were in the DRC in the previous 21 days, including US citizens, cannot board aircraft bound for the United States. They may travel there from the 22nd day after leaving the DRC. The 21-day period matches the maximum incubation interval for Ebola, the time between infection and the appearance of symptoms. With the mandatory declaration, US authorities aim to reduce the risk of imported Ebola cases and to strengthen prevention of spread through international travel.
The Bundibugyo outbreak affecting the DRC has also spread to Kenya and Nigeria, where new cases have been confirmed. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has published a new risk assessment finding that the danger for the population of the European Union, including Romania, remains very low. The agency still stresses that health systems should be ready to identify and manage any imported cases.
A World Health Organization epidemiological update reported 9,704 confirmed cases and 4,687 deaths in the DRC as of 20 October 2026, a case fatality rate of about 48% among confirmed cases. The outbreak affects 66 health zones in eight provinces, and transmission continues in several regions of the country.