Canada Announces One African Country Whose Visitors in the Last 21 Days Are Barred From Entry
- Canada reinforced its travel restrictions on the Democratic Republic of Congo following continued Ebola outbreak concerns
- The new border measures, which took effect July 20, 2026, target foreign nationals who recently visited the DRC
- Canada had already suspended visas for travellers from DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan since May 2026
Canada has strengthened its travel ban on the Democratic Republic of Congo, going beyond the broader restrictions already in place against three African countries since May 2026.
The Canadian government revised its official statement on July 19, 2026, announcing that anyone who had been in the DRC within the previous 21 days would be barred from entering Canada effective Monday, July 20, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. The move singles out the DRC as the country considered ground zero for the most recent Ebola outbreak.
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"In response to the ongoing Ebola disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Government of Canada is taking decisive action and implementing new temporary border measures to reduce the risk of the disease entering and spreading within Canada," the government said in its statement.
"As of Monday, July 20, 2026, 11:59 p.m. EDT, any foreign national who was in the Democratic Republic of the Congo within the past 21 days will be prohibited from entering Canada," it added.
Canadian authorities said the new policy is designed to improve border controls in a way that can also accommodate Canadian humanitarian workers returning home from the region, Vanguard reported.
Canada's earlier ban on 3 African countries
The latest measures build on restrictions Canada introduced in May 2026, when the government suspended temporary resident visas, electronic travel authorisations, and permanent resident visas for citizens of the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan for a period of 90 days beginning May 27.
Travellers who already held valid documents were also denied entry while the suspension remained active, and Canadian officials temporarily stopped processing new immigration applications from residents of all three countries.
Those measures followed similar action by the United States, which introduced entry restrictions for non-citizens who had recently travelled to the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan, Business Insiders reported.
The Bahamas also put emergency entry restrictions in place alongside health screening measures at its borders.
In June 2026, the United States escalated pressure on European governments to adopt tougher travel controls on arrivals from Ebola-affected African nations, citing concerns about international transmission as millions of visitors were expected to travel for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised the matter directly with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, urging closer coordination between Washington and European partners to contain the virus.
Canada extends proof of citizenship processing time
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Canada had announced an extension of proof of citizenship processing time. According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the update takes effect immediately, altering the timelines for both newly submitted and currently pending files.
The sudden adjustment marks a substantial shift from earlier execution standards.
Source: Legit.ng
