On May 21, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), announced immediate restrictions on flights arriving in the United States carrying persons who have recently traveled from, or were otherwise present within, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda, or South Sudan. DHS said the restrictions were implemented in response to concerns about outbreaks of the “Bundibugyo” strain of the Ebola virus in those countries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also announced related public health measures, and the Department of State (DOS) has paused visa services in those countries. Below are highlights of these developments.
Flight Arrival Restrictions
Initially, affected flights were required to arrive at Washington-Dulles International Airport. CBP has since announced modifications to the list of designated airports. DHS considers a person to have recently traveled from the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan if that person departed from, or was otherwise present within, the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan within 21 days of the date of the person’s entry or attempted entry into the United States.
Crew and flights carrying only cargo (no passengers or non-crew) are excluded from the arrival restrictions. Also excluded are U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, members of the armed forces, and some others. DHS said that the restrictions will continue until cancelled or modified by the Secretary of Homeland Security and notice of such cancellation or modification is published in the Federal Register.
CDC Measures
On May 19, 2026, the CDC released a related statement. The CDC said it would “[c]oordinate with airlines, international partners, and port-of-entry officials to identify and manage travelers who may have been exposed to Ebola virus.”
On May 21, 2026, the CDC outlined public health entry screening measures it is implementing at designated airports:
- Travelers who were in DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan in the 21 days before arriving in the United States will be escorted to an area of the airport set aside for screening.
- Travelers will respond to a brief questionnaire that asks about their travel history and symptoms, and collects information so the travelers can be contacted if needed.
- CDC staff will observe these travelers for signs of illness and take travelers’ temperatures using non-contact thermometers (thermometers that do not touch the skin).
- Travelers who do not have symptoms but have been in DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan in the past 21 days will be given information on monitoring their health and actions to take if symptoms later appear. These travelers will continue to their final destinations. Traveler contact information will be shared with state and local health departments for additional follow-up and support.
- Travelers who have a fever or other symptoms will be evaluated by a CDC public health officer.
- If a suspect case is identified, CDC will work with state and local health departments to conduct routine contact investigations to notify passengers.
Visa Services Pause
Effective May 18, 2026, the U.S. Embassies in Juba, South Sudan; Kinshasa, DRC; and Kampala, Uganda have temporarily paused all visa services/operations. The pause includes applications for immigrant visas as well as nonimmigrant visas for tourists, business travelers, students, exchange visitors, and all other nonimmigrant categories.
DOS said that affected visa applicants have been notified, and that the agency will update its website when appointment scheduling resumes and will inform applicants whose appointments were rescheduled. DOS said that the pause does not affect any currently valid visas.
