COMOROS · TRAVEL AND HEALTH
Key Facts
- The country Comoros is an Indian Ocean island nation of 883,000 people; the US embassy covering it is in Madagascar.
- Why it matters Bundibugyo Ebola, with no approved vaccine, had 10,224 confirmed cases on 27 October, nine in Kenya.
- Why now After 11:59 pm EST on 3 November, US-bound passengers must attest they were not in the DR Congo.
- What it means for you Visa on arrival, one blank passport page, malaria pills; US agencies list no Ebola notice for Comoros.
- Still open No official source confirms the health-form circular cited by Comorian press.
Americans heading to the Comoros need a passport valid at entry with one blank page and can get a tourist visa on arrival, according to the State Department, while Bundibugyo Ebola spreads elsewhere in Africa. A Comorian press report of Friday 30 October 2026 cites a circular dated 23 October that asks every traveller to fill in a health form before arrival, but no official source confirms it.
For US readers the practical points are that US agencies list no Ebola notice for the Comoros and that a new US rule for flights home starts after 3 November. The outbreak had 10,224 confirmed cases and 4,964 confirmed deaths as of 27 October 2026, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In Plain English
Bundibugyo virus disease is a form of Ebola caused by the Bundibugyo virus. The World Health Organization says there are no approved vaccines or treatments for it, although clinical trials are ongoing.
The CDC is the US federal public health agency, and its travel notices run from Level 1, usual precautions, to Level 4, avoid all travel. The State Department issues separate country advisories on crime, unrest and other risks.
What Comorian Reporting Says
The report quotes a circular dated 23 October 2026 saying all travellers to the Union of the Comoros are now asked to fill in a health information form before they arrive. It adds that the form is reached by scanning a QR code that has been circulated to airlines.
The passages quoted mention airlines but not seaports, and they do not describe temperature checks or isolation arrangements. The report also quotes the health ministry as saying that at present no case has been detected or suspected on the national territory.
Where the Outbreak Stands
As of 27 October 2026 the outbreak had 10,224 confirmed cases and 4,964 confirmed deaths, and 10,193 of the cases and 4,960 of the deaths were in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Uganda has reported 20 confirmed cases, Kenya nine, and Nigeria and France one each, according to the CDC situation summary updated on 29 October.
The CDC rates Kenya at Level 1, usual precautions, in a notice dated 19 October 2026. It advises avoiding all travel to the Congolese provinces of Ituri and Nord-Kivu and reconsidering nonessential travel to Haut-Uélé and Tshopo, in notices dated 4 August 2026.
What US Agencies Say About the Comoros
The State Department advises Americans to exercise increased caution in the Comoros because of crime and civil unrest, and it says protests occur spontaneously, mostly in Moroni, and some have turned violent. The US embassy in Antananarivo, Madagascar, covers the islands and has no ability to provide emergency consular services there.
The department’s country page, last updated on 7 November 2023, says a tourist visa is required and available on arrival, and that the passport must be valid at entry with one blank page. It also says medical care is limited on all three islands, including Grande Comore.
The CDC page for the Comoros carries no Ebola notice and only a Level 1 notice on global measles, dated 28 May 2025. It recommends malaria prevention medicine, hepatitis A vaccination and, for most travellers, typhoid vaccination, and it notes that rabid dogs are common.
Flying Home to the United States
US entry is temporarily restricted for travellers who were recently in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and those who were there within 21 days of a flight will not be allowed to board commercial flights to the United States. After 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday 3 November 2026, every passenger boarding an international flight to the United States must sign a statement that they were not in the Congo during the 21 days before the flight.
US citizens who were in Uganda or South Sudan, but not the Congo, must enter through designated airports for enhanced screening, as the entry rules for South Sudan travellers explain. The Comoros is not named in any of these measures.
What It Means for You
A traveller booked to the Comoros should ask the airline whether a health form applies and keep a copy of any link, because the circular quoted in Comorian press says the QR code goes through airlines. The form is the only new step in the passages quoted, so the usual checks stay: a passport valid at entry with a blank page, a visa on arrival, and the malaria and hepatitis advice from US health authorities.
Because the State Department says medical care is limited on all three islands and the embassy cannot give emergency help there, travellers should check that their insurance covers medical evacuation. Anyone planning a connection through Kenya, the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan should read the CDC notice for that country first, and the regional response to the Nigeria case shows how quickly neighbours are tightening checks.
What Is Not Known
No official source confirms the circular, and its full text is not on any Comorian site that could be opened, so its exact wording, start date and penalties are unconfirmed. It is also not known whether the form is mandatory, how it is checked at Moroni airport, or whether seaports use it.
No official Comorian source opened for this report lists isolation sites for suspected cases. It is also unknown whether airlines or other governments will change their rules for travel to the islands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Americans need a health form to enter the Comoros?
Comorian press cites a circular dated 23 October 2026 that asks all travellers to fill in a health form before arrival, but no official text is public. Ask your airline whether it applies before you fly.
Is there Ebola in the Comoros?
As quoted in Comorian press, the health ministry says no case has been detected or suspected nationwide. The US health agency lists no Ebola notice for the Comoros as of 30 October 2026.
Can Americans get a visa on arrival in the Comoros?
The State Department says a tourist visa is required and available on arrival, with a valid passport and one blank page. Its page dates from 7 November 2023, so check current rules with the airline.
What must I do when flying back to the US from the Comoros?
After 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time on 3 November 2026, every passenger on a flight to the United States must attest to not having been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the prior 21 days. Those who were there cannot board.
Does the US health agency warn against travel to the Comoros?
Not as of 30 October 2026: its Comoros page lists only a Level 1 measles notice and no Ebola notice. It does recommend malaria prevention medicine for all travellers to the islands.
Sources: Comorian health authorities, circular of 23 October 2026 (full text not found on any official site; passages quoted in Comorian press of 30 October); US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ebola situation summary, updated 29 October 2026; CDC travel health notices, 30 October 2026; CDC travellers’ health page for the Comoros; State Department travel advisory for the Comoros; State Department country information for the Comoros, last updated 7 November 2023; World Health Organization, Emergency Committee statement, 24 August 2026; World Bank data on the Comoros, 2025.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief