CDC will require health declaration from international travelers

The United States will begin requiring a health declaration from every passenger boarding an international flight bound for the country. The requirement takes effect November 3, 2026, and was issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It covers travelers from Cuba, Spain and any other country rather than being limited to a particular route.

The obligation is general and also applies to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. The information states no exception for citizenship or residency. The criterion is boarding an international flight to the United States; Cuba and Spain are examples of origins, not the only routes subject to the form.

The declaration must be signed on paper or completed digitally. Each passenger must confirm that they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the previous 21 days. The requirement therefore focuses on recent presence in that country and calls for an individual declaration by every passenger.

The measure begins November 3 at 11:59 p.m. standard time. That time sets the start of the requirement, while the rule covers international flights to the United States generally. It combines broad route coverage with a specific condition concerning the previous 21 days: declaring no travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.