Ryanair passengers who do not check in online before arriving at the airport are charged between £30 and £55 per person, the airline has confirmed in its updated terms and conditions for 2026. The fee applies on top of the initial booking payment, meaning a family of four faces an on-the-spot charge of up to £220.
Online check-in rules
Passengers who have paid for an allocated seat can check in online from 60 days before the scheduled departure date. Those who have not paid for a seat and opted for free random seat allocation can check in online 24 hours before departure. Allocated seats cost up to £12.50 per flight.
Online check-in closes two hours before the flight departs, and anyone who misses this window must check in at the airport for the extra fee. The fee does not apply to passengers who booked a Plus or Flexi Plus ticket before August 14, 2025. Confirming the fee, Ryanair said: "If you do not complete check-in online more than 2 hours before the scheduled departure time, you will be charged the airport check-in fee set out in our table of fees. If you booked a Plus or Flexi Plus ticket before the 14th of August 2025, you can check in at the airport free of charge."
Digital boarding passes only
Since November 12, 2025, Ryanair has no longer accepted home-printed boarding passes. Passengers are instead issued a digital boarding pass when they check in online or through the Ryanair app. If a phone runs out of battery after checking in, passengers can have a boarding pass printed for free at the airport, provided they have already checked in online.
Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert (MSE) said: "You MUST still check in online or on the Ryanair app before you go to the airport. Fail to do this and, as is already the case, you'll be charged an airport check-in fee of between £30 to £55, depending on the flight. If you lose your phone or it runs out of battery after checking in, you can get a boarding pass printed at the airport for free. This previously cost £20. From 12 November, as long as you've checked in online, you won't be charged this extra fee. Where countries demand paper boarding passes, for example Morocco, you'll need to check in online, then present your digital boarding pass via the app or Ryanair website at the airport. Ryanair will then print a paper pass for you free of charge."
Check-in desks close earlier from November 2026
Currently, Ryanair's check-in and bag drop desks close 40 minutes before scheduled departure. From November 10, 2026, they will close 60 minutes before departure, giving passengers an extra 20 minutes to clear security. The change follows the introduction of Europe's Entry Exit System (EES) on April 10, which requires non-EU citizens to register biometric data at the external borders of 29 European countries in the Schengen area.
Ryanair said: "The check-in desks close strictly 40 minutes before the scheduled departure time unless you are notified otherwise before flight departure or flying from 10 November 2026 onwards. For all passengers flying from 10 November 2026 onwards, the check-in desks close strictly 60 minutes before the scheduled departure time unless you are notified otherwise before flight departure. If you do not complete check-in by then you may be denied boarding without refund."
