Costa Rica Ebola Form: What Flyers to the US Must Sign

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COSTA RICA · TRAVEL RULES

The Costa Rica Ebola form is a one-line health statement for every passenger flying to the United States from 3 November. The CDC, the US federal public health agency, wrote the rule for Americans and visitors alike.

Costa Rica has no Ebola cases, so this is paperwork and not a travel ban. A US family flying home from San José or Liberia in December should expect to sign the form at check-in.

What the New Rule Says

The CDC issued its order on 22 October 2026 and amended it on 28 October. It covers every US-bound flight that leaves a foreign country from 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on 3 November.

Passengers confirm they were not in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a country in Central Africa, in the 21 days before boarding. The CDC page says anyone who does not complete the statement will be denied boarding.

The Costa Rica Ebola form is not aimed at Costa Rica, and the cut-off is 10:59 p.m. on the clock in San José. The same statement applies at every airport in the world with a flight to the United States.

Who Has to Sign

Everyone who boards signs, and that includes US citizens, US nationals and lawful permanent residents. Crew members on passenger and cargo flights sign too, even when they ride as passengers on a repositioning flight.

If a traveller is younger than 18, a parent, guardian or another authorized person may sign. One authorized person may sign for a whole party, though the airline must keep a record for each person.

A few people are excused, such as those with a CDC exemption for humanitarian or other important government reasons. The CDC describes such exemptions as rare, so most families should plan to sign.

How to Sign at San José and Liberia

Costa Rica has two airports with the bulk of US flights: Juan Santamaría near San José and Daniel Oduber Quirós in Liberia, Guanacaste. The CDC leaves the collection of statements to each airline, so the form may turn up at check-in, at the gate or in an app.

The Costa Rica Ebola form can be on paper or digital. Digital versions can be an electronic signature, a checkbox, or a spoken statement recorded by airline staff.

You do not need to print the Costa Rica Ebola form in advance, and you may keep a copy for yourself. A fillable PDF exists, and the CDC says Spanish and French versions are planned.

Look at your airline’s trip page a few days before you fly, because each carrier sets up its own process. Allow extra time at check-in in the first days, and see our guide to new US flights to Costa Rica for the winter schedule.

Connecting Flights and Other Routes

Passengers who change planes in the United States on the way to another country must also sign, whether or not they leave the aircraft. The same holds from Costa Rica via a hub such as Panama or Mexico, because the leg landing in the United States is covered.

The order covers air travel only. It does not apply to land border crossings or seaports, and US territories are not treated as foreign countries.

Counting the 21 Days

The CDC counts by calendar day. Day 0 is the day a person leaves the DRC, and travel to the United States is allowed from Day 22.

Connecting through a Congolese airport counts as being in the DRC, even if you never leave the plane. Most visitors to Costa Rica have never been near the DRC, so for them the statement is simply true.

What It Means for You

If you end a Costa Rica trip after 3 November, plan to sign the Costa Rica Ebola form and nothing more. The CDC page names no fee, and you can sign on the spot with the airline.

Residents who fly to the United States often will sign on every trip while the order is in force. Parents should know each child’s travel history for the last three weeks and keep a pen in the day bag.

Travellers who were in the DRC in the past 21 days cannot board a US-bound flight at all, according to the CDC travel page. US citizens who were in Uganda or South Sudan, and not the DRC, must enter through Washington-Dulles, Atlanta or New York JFK for health screening.

Airlines must keep a copy of each completed statement for at least 42 days after the flight arrives in the United States. Willfully giving false information can lead to criminal fines and imprisonment under 18 U.S.C. § 1001, the federal false-statements law.

The Outbreak in Brief

As of 28 October 2026 the CDC counts 10,305 confirmed Ebola cases and 4,996 confirmed deaths worldwide. Of these, 10,274 cases and 4,992 deaths are in the DRC.

The CDC lists confirmed cases in five countries: the DRC, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria and France. It reports no case in the United States, and Costa Rica is not on the list.

What Is Not Confirmed Yet

The CDC order page states no end date, so nobody can say how long the Costa Rica Ebola form will be required. We have not seen each airline’s own instructions for flights from Costa Rica.

We have not confirmed whether the Costa Rican government will add any entry or exit rule of its own. If you fly the new route, check the United nonstop from Dulles to Liberia page and your airline before the trip.

More: Costa Rica news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do US citizens flying from Costa Rica have to sign the Ebola form?

Yes. The CDC order covers everyone boarding a flight to the United States, including citizens, green-card holders and children, whose parent signs for them.

Is there a fee or an online form to complete before I get to the airport?

The CDC page names no fee and says travellers need not print anything in advance. Your airline decides whether to collect the statement at check-in, the gate or in its app.

Does the rule mean Costa Rica has Ebola?

No. The CDC lists confirmed cases only in the DRC, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria and France as of 28 October. The statement applies to all international flights to the US.

Sources: CDC Port Health, Order: Requirement for Attestation by All Persons Traveling by Air to the United States, 1 November 2026 (page updated 30 October 2026); CDC, Ebola outbreak situation summary, 1 November 2026 (cases as of 28 October 2026); CDC, Travelers returning from affected areas, 1 November 2026 (page updated 30 October 2026).

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