- U.S. agencies have imposed enhanced travel screening and entry restrictions effective May 18, 2026, due to Ebola outbreaks.
- Travelers from Uganda, DRC, and South Sudan face restrictions if present there within the last 21 days.
- While the general public risk remains low, these measures include hospital readiness and paused visa services in Kampala.
(UNITED STATES) – U.S. health and homeland security agencies imposed enhanced travel screening, entry restrictions and other public health measures on May 18, 2026 in response to ongoing Ebola Virus Disease outbreaks in parts of Africa.
The steps took effect immediately and will remain in place for 30 days. CDC, DHS and other federal agencies said they are screening travelers arriving from affected areas and restricting entry for some recent visitors to Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or South Sudan.
Under the order, non-U.S. passport holders face restrictions if they have been in any of those three countries during the previous 21 days. U.S. citizens, Green-card holders and U.S. service members are exempt.
Federal agencies also widened their response beyond airport checks. They are coordinating with airlines, international partners and port-of-entry officials to identify and manage travelers who may have been exposed.
Authorities expanded port health protection, contact tracing, laboratory testing capacity and hospital readiness nationwide. CDC personnel continue to deploy to affected regions to support outbreak containment efforts.
CDC said the immediate risk to the U.S. general public is low. Even so, the agency and its federal partners moved to tighten border and public health controls as they monitor the outbreaks.
The legal basis cited for the measures comes from Sections 362 and 365 of the Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 265, 268. CDC said the action aims to reduce the risk of introducing Ebola into the United States.
The restrictions draw a sharp line around travel histories rather than nationality alone. A traveler’s recent presence in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo or South Sudan during the last 21 days triggers the policy for non-U.S. passport holders.
That approach places federal screening officers, airlines and port officials at the center of the first response. Airlines and border staff must identify affected travelers early enough for health authorities to apply screening and other measures on arrival.
CDC’s added public health posture also stretches well beyond the ports themselves. Contact tracing and expanded laboratory capacity indicate that the government is preparing not only to detect possible cases at entry points, but also to follow and test potential exposures after arrival.
Hospital readiness forms another part of that preparation. The nationwide push suggests federal agencies want health systems ready if suspected Ebola Virus Disease cases require isolation, testing or further evaluation.
At the same time, CDC personnel remain engaged overseas. Their deployment to affected regions ties the domestic travel response to outbreak containment efforts abroad, where health authorities aim to limit transmission before infected travelers reach U.S. borders.
The measures also carry immediate visa consequences in the region. The U.S. Embassy in Kampala, Uganda temporarily paused all visa services for affected applicants.
That consular pause adds another layer to the U.S. response. Even as exempt travelers such as U.S. citizens and Green-card holders remain outside the new entry restrictions, some visa applicants in Uganda now face a separate disruption tied to the Ebola outbreak response.
The current framework leaves the exemptions narrowly defined. U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and U.S. service members can still travel without falling under the non-U.S. passport holder restriction, though federal health screening from affected areas still applies under the broader response.
Officials framed the package as a public health action rather than a general travel shutdown. Screening, targeted entry restrictions, airline coordination, contact tracing and hospital preparation together form the federal government’s initial 30-day response to the outbreaks in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan.
Whether the measures remain in place after that window will depend on how the outbreaks develop and how federal agencies assess the threat. For now, the United States has moved to tighten its border health posture while keeping its public message unchanged: the immediate risk to the general public remains low.
