Order from authority: USA flights: health declaration becomes mandatory

An additional declaration must be made before flights to the United States from the middle of next week. The background is the Ebola outbreak in Congo. What US travelers need to know.

Beginning November 4, travelers to the United States will be required to submit a health declaration confirming that they have not been in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the previous 21 days. Photo: Sebastian Gollnow/dpa/dpa-tmn

Washington. Anyone flying to the USA will have to submit an additional health declaration from November 4th. In it, travelers must confirm that they have not been in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 21 days before the flight, says the responsible US health protection agency CDC.

The background is the Ebola outbreak in the African country. The measure is said to reduce the risk of the infectious disease reaching the United States this way.

According to the CDC, implementation is up to the respective airlines. You must ensure that the declaration is available - just as you must check that you have a valid entry permit (Esta) or a valid visa before boarding.

Confirmation during online check-in or boarding

The authority has recommended that airlines integrate the submission of this health declaration into the online check-in process so that passengers can do it there. Alternatively, confirmation should be obtained at the latest when boarding.

Passengers who do not make the health declaration will not be allowed to board a flight to the USA, the CDC clarifies. The new order applies to everyone flying to the United States from abroad, regardless of nationality and departure location.

According to the US authority, the obligation applies to all flights departing from 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on November 3rd. In Germany it is already 5:59 a.m. (CET) on November 4th.