Ryanair, Europe’s largest budget airline, has announced that from 12 November 2025, it will no longer accept printed paper boarding passes. Passengers will be required to use a digital boarding pass generated through the myRyanair app on their smartphones.
The airline says the move to digital-only boarding passes will create a faster, smarter, and greener travel experience. Ryanair’s chief marketing officer, Dara Brady, stated: “Ryanair’s move to 100 per cent digital boarding passes will mean a faster, smarter, and greener travel experience for our customers.” The policy follows similar transitions in other ticket industries, such as festivals, music, and sporting events.
Currently, passengers must check in online up to two hours before departure and either print a boarding pass or download a digital one. From November, printed passes will not be accepted, although airport ground staff can still print passes at no charge. Ryanair says four out of five passengers already use digital boarding passes, and the change aims to convert the remaining 20 per cent.
Concerns about older passengers or those without smartphones have been addressed. A Ryanair spokesperson explained that passengers without a smartphone can ask a friend or family member to download the pass for them. At the airport, staff can assist those who have checked in. CEO Michael O’Leary added that if a phone is lost or the battery dies, a paper boarding pass can be reissued free of charge, provided the passenger has checked in online beforehand.
However, passengers who check in at the airport rather than online will face a fee of £55, or £30 for flights from Spain. Flights from Morocco remain an exception, as the government requires paper boarding passes. Ryanair also warns that bookings made through unauthorised online travel agents must be verified before travel to avoid a £55 airport check-in fee.
