PUERTO RICO · TRAVEL
Key Facts
- What is happening From 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, 3 November, everyone flying to Puerto Rico from abroad must sign an Ebola declaration.
- Why it matters US law counts Puerto Rico as United States territory, so US citizens flying home to San Juan must sign too.
- The numbers The form covers the past 21 days and the order lasts until 18 December; Congo had 9,455 confirmed cases and 4,561 deaths by 18 October.
- Who is who The CDC, the US federal health agency, set the rule; it targets Bundibugyo virus, a rarer Ebola species.
- What to watch Whether the CDC extends the order beyond Friday, 18 December, or widens the list of countries.
- Prediction markets Polymarket gives 3% to the WHO calling Ebola a pandemic in 2026, on about US$812,000 traded (3 November, 2:00 p.m. ET).
- What it means for you Sign the form with your airline at check-in; flyers without a signed form can be refused boarding.
Every passenger arriving in Puerto Rico from abroad must sign a short Ebola statement. It says they were not in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for 21 days.
Anyone boarding a flight to Puerto Rico from abroad must sign an Ebola declaration from late tonight, Tuesday, 3 November. The rule starts at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time for flights leaving foreign airports and covers US citizens.
Puerto Rico is a US territory, and the federal order names it as part of the United States. That means flights into San Juan from abroad follow the same rule as flights into Miami or New York.
What the Declaration Says
The passenger signs that they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the 21 days before boarding. The order names only that country, whose capital is Kinshasa, and not its neighbour, the Republic of the Congo.
Day 0 is the day a person left the Congo, and boarding is allowed from day 22. Changing planes at a Congolese airport counts as being there, even without leaving the aircraft.
The statement is made under federal law, and willfully giving false information can bring criminal penalties under a US false-statements law. A parent or another authorised adult may sign for a child under 18.
Why Puerto Rico Is Covered
The amended order of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the federal health agency, is dated Wednesday, 28 October. The Federal Register, the government gazette, published it on Friday, 30 October.
The order defines the United States as the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the territories, including Puerto Rico. It applies to people arriving from a foreign country, so it does not mention domestic flights from the US mainland.
Airlines must confirm that every person has a completed, signed declaration before boarding. They keep a copy for at least 42 days, and operators that fail to confirm may be refused permission to unload passengers.
Why the CDC Acted
The order says the outbreak of Bundibugyo virus disease, a rare Ebola species, is escalating in Congo. As of 18 October the country reported 9,455 confirmed cases and 4,561 deaths in 66 health zones across eight provinces.
The EU health agency, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, listed 10,274 confirmed cases and 4,992 deaths by 28 October. The order notes an incubation period of 2 to 21 days, so an infected traveller can board looking well.
The World Health Organization declared the outbreak an international health emergency on 17 May. In May it advised against flight suspensions and entry bans, but the CDC has chosen a signed statement that airlines must check.
The CDC order reports no Ebola case diagnosed inside the United States. It describes an American aid worker infected in Congo in July and evacuated, and a doctor diagnosed in France.
What It Means for You
If you fly to San Juan from abroad, expect to sign at online check-in, in the airline app or at the airport. US citizens and residents must sign too.
Flights from the US mainland to Puerto Rico are domestic and are not named in the order. Travellers without the form can be refused boarding, and a knowingly false statement can lead to prosecution.
Related Rio Times reports cover how the form works for flyers from the Dominican Republic and Colombia. The latest outbreak toll is in Ebola Deaths Pass 5,000 as Outbreak Spreads.
For the island itself, see the Puerto Rico hub, the politics guide and the power structure guide. No expat city page exists yet for San Juan.
What Prediction Markets Say
Polymarket, a crypto-based prediction platform, lets traders bet on whether the WHO will call an Ebola outbreak a pandemic by 31 December. The Yes side stood at 3% on Tuesday, 3 November, at 2:00 p.m. ET, with about US$812,000 traded.
The WHO said on 17 May that the outbreak was an emergency of international concern but did not meet its pandemic criteria. Traders therefore price a pandemic label as very unlikely, and the market is a bet, not a forecast.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
What Is Not Known
No Puerto Rico government, airport or airline statement on how San Juan will carry out the check was found. How many Puerto Rico flyers the rule will affect is not known.
The CDC may amend or end the order before Friday, 18 December, or extend it. The order lists only the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the CDC has not said whether other countries will be added.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who must sign the Ebola form for flights to Puerto Rico?
Everyone boarding a flight to Puerto Rico from a foreign country, including US citizens, residents and crew. A parent or authorised adult can sign for a child.
Do I sign if I fly from the US mainland to San Juan?
The order covers arrivals from a foreign country and does not mention domestic flights. Check with your airline if your trip includes a foreign leg.
What happens if I do not have the form?
Airlines must not board anyone without a completed, signed form. A knowingly false statement can bring criminal penalties under federal law.
Does this mean Ebola is in Puerto Rico?
The CDC order reports no Ebola case diagnosed in the United States. The rule is a precaution tied to travel from Congo.
Sources: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Notice and Amended Order on attestation (28 October 2026); Federal Register, document 2026-22211 (30 October 2026); European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Ebola outbreak page; World Health Organization, Emergency Committee statement (22 May 2026); Polymarket market “Ebola pandemic in 2026?” (all accessed 3 November 2026).
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error