Ryanair moves to paperless boarding

Travelling with Ryanair this autumn? Prepare to go paperless. After delaying the rollout earlier this year, the airline has confirmed that paper boarding passes will be scrapped from 12 November 2025.

Currently, Ryanair customers can either download a digital boarding pass or print a paper copy at home. If you forget to check in, you can do it at the airport – but with Ryanair this costs up to £55. If you remembered to check in but don’t have a copy of your boarding card, you can currently get one re-issued at the airport for £20.

From 12 November, paperless boarding will make digital passes mandatory. Ryanair expects the change to save 300 tonnes of paper each year as a result of the move. The airline also claims that digital boarding passes lower airport costs and fares for all Ryanair passengers.

With around 80% of passengers already using digital boarding passes, CMO Dara Brady says the switch “will allow us to deliver an enhanced travel experience for customers, streamlined through the myRyanair app during our less busy winter schedule.”

There are a handful of exceptions. Mobile boarding passes won’t be accepted in Turkey (except Dalaman), Morocco and at Tirana Airport in Albania. Any passengers flying to these destinations will still need to check-in online and print a paper boarding pass.

In response to concerns about a lost device or dead phone batteries, CEO Michael O'Leary says paper boarding passes will be reissued free of charge as long as you've checked in before arriving at the airport. The £20 reissuing fee will be scrapped from 12 November. For passengers who don’t have a smartphone or tablet, the airline says that you will receive a free of charge boarding pass at the airport as long as you’ve checked-in online before arriving.

It’s not the first policy change Ryanair has made this year. In September, the airline increased the size of its free personal bag allowance from 40 x 25 x 20cm to 40 x 30 x 20cm – a boost in capacity from 20 litres to 24 litres. The change aligns with new EU guidelines and allows travellers to carry slightly larger bags without charge.

While it’s good news for those travelling with hand luggage only, passengers will want to make sure they’re sticking to the limits. From November, Ryanair will increase bonuses for staff who identify oversized cabin bags. Go over the size limit, and you could face charges of up to £75 and have your bag placed in the hold.