News for those who fly frequently or plan to fly Ryanair: check-in, hand luggage, and airport arrival times are changing.
Ryanair, new check-in and hand luggage rules: what will change from May 2025.
From May 2025, Ryanair will introduce important changes for its passengers: goodbye paper boarding passes replaced by digital ones and new rules for hand luggage, paying particular attention to size and arrival time at the airport. However, there may be obstacles in applying the new rules, as the Competition and Markets Authority has forced the company to compensate travelers for misleading information about online check-in. In the meantime, here are the new rules that will come into force from May 2025.
Digital boarding passes
Update: Starting November 12, 2025, the airline will completely transition from paper to electronic boarding passes.
Ryanair is saying goodbye to printed boarding passes in 2025. Namely, in November Ryanair is asking all passengers to use only digital boarding passes. This means that check-in must be done via the company’s official app, with the ticket downloaded directly to your smartphone and ready for boarding thanks to a QR code. Link to the news of Ryanair.
Until now, those who showed up at the terminal without a printed check-in slip had to pay €23 to have one printed at the airport. And those who arrived without a boarding pass risked a fine of around €60. While it will still be possible to print your ticket at home, it will no longer be possible at the airport.
But there’s good news! If you checked in online but don’t have an electronic device with you (or your smartphone’s battery is dying quickly), you can go to the check-in counter and get a paper boarding pass – for free! This rule will also start working from November 12, 2025.
Baggage and fines: watch the size
There are no changes to the size of the free hand luggage (included in the ticket price): as before, you can continue to take a bag for free (maximum dimensions: 40x20x25 cm) to place under the seat in front.
The airline also increased the dimensions of free hand luggage from August 1, 2025, to 40x30x20 cm.
But be careful: in case of differences in the dimensions of the hand luggage at the boarding gate, a fine of 70 euros may be charged. For those who want to take a second larger hand luggage (55x40x20 cm), the solution is to purchase the “Priority Boarding” option. Bulkier luggage, however, must be checked in.
In addition, as The Sunday Times has learned, the airline is now paying employees £1.30 (about €1.50) for each passenger caught trying to carry on board an oversized carry-on bag. And is capped at around €80 per month per person. This bonus is referred to in the pay slips as a gate bag bonus. That is, employees at some airports are financially motivated to collect fines and this is very noticeable according to their behavior.
Already in 2024, I observed how meticulously the size of free carry-on bags was checked. Passengers paid this €70 at the gate. This is very expensive compared to the prices for “Priority Boarding”, which costs from €7 to €43 depending on the direction. Or the time of purchase of this service (together with the ticket or directly the day before the flight). Booking luggage online is much cheaper than dealing with fees at the airport.
Get to the airport on time: late arrival penalties
To avoid any unpleasant surprises, Ryanair recommends arriving at the airport early. The company recommends arriving at least 40 minutes before departure, otherwise, you risk a fine of up to €120. For short-haul flights, for example, Dublin Airport recommends arriving 2 hours early. While for long-haul flights it is recommended to arrive at least 3 hours early.
Ryanair’s punctuality policy is as strict as ever. Passengers are expected to be at the gate no later than 40 minutes before departure. If you arrive late, you risk paying a €120 missed departure fee, and the cost of rebooking will be even more damaging.
The airline even allows passengers who are up to an hour late to rebook at the same price. While this provides some flexibility, the high fees mean it’s best to leave plenty of time to get through security and get to your gate.
Honestly, I don’t understand how they will check at what time the passenger will be at the gate and will reach the airport. Boarding and document checking at the gate begins 20 minutes before departure. If 40 minutes is the gate closing time, then this should be written on the boarding pass. And the passenger must definitely pay attention to this!
Ryanair discount pass Prime
UPD: The airline is launching a discount scheme for subscribers, known as “Prime”, costing €79 for 12 months.
Ryanair’s Prime service allows travellers to save on seat fees and travel insurance. According to the company, members who fly at least 12 times a year will save up to €420 (5 times the registration fee).
“Even members who fly just three times a year will save €105 – more than the €79 to become a ‘prime’ member,” the airline says.
The subscription service is limited to 250,000 members on a first-come, first-served basis, and travellers can sign up on ryanair.com.
The program is a cheaper alternative to the one launched by Wizz Air in 2024. Hungary’s Wizz Air’s ‘All you can fly’ program is being offered at an introductory price for a limited time. A one-year subscription will cost you €499 until August 16th, then it will increase to €599.
Conclusions:
Ryanair’s 2025 changes are aimed at speeding up airline services, but they also require more preparation from passengers. With no paper boarding passes, strict baggage rules and high late fees. The message is clear: stay organized and plan ahead. For budget travellers, the savings are still there, but only if you play by the rules.
So be aware that the new requirements can bring surprises. So charge your smartphones to have an electronic boarding pass. Arrive at the airport early, allowing for queues at airport security. And be mindful of the size of small carry-on bags and other luggage, which can be checked for size right at the gate. You’ll be charged a hefty fine!
Useful articles and links:
- EU to ban airlines from charging extra for hand luggage
- Hotels near airports – where to sleep before your flight
- How I travel with small carry-on luggage
- Wi-Fi on board the plane – how and where you can use the Internet during the flight
Bus schedule and bus tickets are available at InfoBus.ua
Green Card, CTP and Travel Medical Insurance – online on the portal HotlineFinance
Booking of hotels and apartments – Booking.com
