Ryanair check-in: when and how to check in online
The rules below are checked against the official website. Checking in with Ryanair is always free: nobody needs to pay a service to do it, let alone a subscription.
📬 Free check-in reminder
Tell us when and where you are flying: we will email you as soon as Ryanair check-in opens, with the official link. The button takes you straight to the Ryanair website.
It opens 24 hours before departure, earlier if you have booked a paid seat. Give us your take-off time if you know it: the reminder will arrive at exactly the right moment, otherwise we aim for the evening before.
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Who is Ryanair?
Ryanair is Europe's largest low-cost airline: founded in Ireland in 1984, it carries more than 200 million passengers a year on a network that criss-crosses the whole continent. In France, it flies from Beauvais (about 80 km from Paris), Marseille, Bordeaux, Toulouse and a series of regional airports, often secondary but with rock-bottom prices. The model is well oiled: Boeing 737s filled to the maximum, quick turnarounds, and every service beyond basic transport charged as an extra.
Flying Ryanair is an exercise in discipline: a single free 40 x 30 x 20 cm bag under the seat, non-reclining seats with no seat-back pocket, onboard sales and constant commercial announcements. Online check-in is compulsory, and since 12 November 2025 the boarding pass has been 100% digital, generated in the myRyanair app. Those who know the rules travel at often unbeatable prices; those who improvise pay full price for every slip, from bag size to check-in at the desk.
It is the right choice for organised travellers on small budgets, light travellers and direct routes nobody else offers. Avoid it for connections, with no protection at all between two flights, for heavily laden families who haven't booked their extras, and if you refuse out-of-town airports: Beauvais, Charleroi or Bergamo add time and a bus ticket to the journey. Always check the exact airport before buying your ticket.
What Ryanair does well
- Very low headline fares on hundreds of European routes, including direct routes from regional airports with no equivalent elsewhere.
- The free bag grew to 40 x 30 x 20 cm in September 2025, up from 40 x 25 x 20 cm before.
- The Priority option with a 10 kg cabin bag remains affordable when booked early, generally €6 to €20 per journey.
- Decent punctuality for its scale: around 71% of flights on time over a year according to AirHelp, on a par with easyJet despite far more traffic.
What often catches people out
- Bag size is checked at the boarding gate: an oversized bag goes in the hold for €70 to €75 depending on the route, a procedure documented by the airline itself.
- Checking in at the airport instead of online costs €55 per passenger, and online check-in closes 2 hours before the flight.
- Without a paid seat, seats are allocated automatically at check-in, with a real risk of being separated from your companions.
- Ryanair is one of the seven airlines targeted by the complaint filed in May 2025 by European consumer associations (BEUC) against charging for cabin bags.
🕐 PunctualityAccording to AirHelp, around 71% of Ryanair flights arrived on time between October 2024 and September 2025 (overall score 5.67/10, 84th out of 117, with 3.3/10 for compensation handling).
Frequently asked questions
When does Ryanair online check-in open?
Up to 60 days before departure if you have booked a paid seat (outbound and return flights within the 60 days). Without a reserved seat, check-in opens only 24 hours before the flight.
When does Ryanair check-in close?
2 hours before departure.
How much does check-in at the airport desk cost with Ryanair?
€55 per passenger (€30 departing from Spain, €40 departing from Austria) to check in at the desk if you haven't done so online.
Can I still print my Ryanair boarding pass?
No. Since 12 November 2025, the boarding pass has been digital only, in the myRyanair app. A few airports, notably in Morocco and Albania, still require a paper document, which is then issued on site. Make sure your phone is charged.
When should I check in online?
Free check-in opens 24 hours before departure, or up to 60 days before if you have bought a seat, and closes 2 hours before the flight. After that, checking in at the desk costs €55 per passenger.
How much does a checked bag cost with Ryanair?
Around €25 online for a 20 kg bag depending on the route and period, but €40 to €50 if added after booking or at the airport. Any excess weight is charged at €11 per kilo, up to a limit of 32 kg.
Rules taken from the official Ryanair website. They may change: the reminder we send always includes the current official link.
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