Canada bars entry to foreign nationals with recent travel to the DR Congo

Foreign nationals who have been to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) within the past 21 days will be barred from entering Canada, effective 11:59 p.m. on July 20, 2026.

Private and commercial air carriers flying to Canada must deny boarding to those affected.

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The entry ban, supported by an interim order under the Aeronautics Act, was announced by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) in a press release published on July 19, 2026, in response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak.

The ban is set to remain in effect until August 29, 2026.

The new ban applying to foreign nationals comes on the heels of earlier omnibus entry restrictions, which since May 30, 2026, have required all persons with recent travel to the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan to quarantine for 21 days after arriving in Canada.

Under earlier Ebola measures, Canada’s immigration department suspended immigration documents issued to foreign nationals residing in these three regions, in addition to halting the processing of immigration applications.

The omnibus entry restrictions and immigration freeze are also set to remain in effect until August 29.

As of July 15, a total of 2,124 confirmed cases, including 828 deaths, have been reported from the DRC, according to information released by the World Health Organization on July 17.

By comparison, as of July 2, Uganda had confirmed 20 cases and two deaths, while South Sudan had reported none.

According to the PHAC, “the health risk to Canadians from Ebola disease is considered low, and no travel-related cases have been reported in Canada to date.”

The invocation of the Ebola-related immigration measures marked the Canadian government’s first use of the sweeping executive powers it gained on March 26, 2026, under changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act introduced by Bill C-12.

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