Ryanair online check-in is free and closes 2 hours before departure: it opens 24 hours before if your seat is allocated at random (as with the Basic fare) and up to 60 days before if you have reserved a seat. If you do not check in online, you pay the airport check-in fee at the desk. Since 12 November 2025 boarding passes are digital only, in the Ryanair app. Here are the times, the steps and what happens if you forget.
When Ryanair online check-in opens and closes
| Situation | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic fare or no reserved seat (free random seat) | 24 hours before departure | 2 hours before |
| Paid reserved seat (or one included in your fare) | 60 days before departure | 2 hours before |
| Return trip with reserved seats | Once both flights are within 60 days | 2 hours before each flight |
| Airport desk (paid) | At the latest 2 hours before | Strictly 40 minutes before |
Ryanair also sends reminder emails 48 and 24 hours before the flight. With the Basic fare, the cheapest one, you only get the small bag under the seat and your seat is assigned at random during check-in, so you cannot check in earlier than 24 hours before.
How to check in online, step by step
- Open the Ryanair app or website and log in to myRyanair, or retrieve your booking with the reservation number and the email you booked with.
- Select check-in for your flight.
- Enter your travel document details: Ryanair accepts a valid passport or national identity card, not a driving licence or birth certificate.
- Decide whether to pay for a seat or take the free random one.
- Find your digital boarding pass in the app: you show it at security and at the gate.
Check-in must be done by you, by another passenger on your booking or by someone who knows you and what is in your luggage. If you travel with children, an adult can hold their boarding passes in their own app.
The digital boarding pass
Since 12 November 2025 Ryanair no longer issues paper boarding passes: after online check-in the pass appears automatically in the app. What happens in the most common situations:
- Phone dead, lost or broken after you checked in: you get a free boarding pass at the airport.
- Restricted boarding pass (for visas, ETA or other document checks): follow the instructions in the app and go to the desk, where the verification is free.
- Non-EU citizens: if you verify your visa in the app you get your boarding pass with no fee; if verification fails after at least 3 attempts, the check is done at the desk at no cost.
The ETA point matters if you fly into the UK from Dublin or anywhere in Europe on a non-Irish, non-British passport: check what you need before the flight.
Airport check-in: when you pay
If you have not checked in online by 2 hours before departure, you can check in at the desk up to 40 minutes before, but you pay the fee shown in Ryanair's Table of Fees. The desk is only free for document checks requested by the app. Passengers departing from Morocco must still check in online and then collect a free boarding pass at the desk, which closes 60 minutes before there. If you arrive after the desks close, Ryanair may deny you boarding without a refund.
If your Ryanair flight is delayed or cancelled
Checking in on time also protects your rights: if the flight arrives 3 hours or more late, is cancelled less than 14 days before departure or you are bumped because of overbooking, you may be entitled to €250, €400 or €600 per passenger under EU rules, unless there were extraordinary circumstances. Everything is explained on our page on Ryanair delays and compensation.
With DelayFlight24 you can check for free in 2 minutes whether you are owed money: you pay nothing upfront and you pay 25% + VAT only if you get the compensation. Before you fly, see also our Ryanair hand luggage guide.
Frequently asked questions about Ryanair check-in
How early can I check in with Ryanair?
24 hours before departure without a reserved seat, and up to 60 days before with one. It always closes 2 hours before.
Is Ryanair online check-in mandatory?
It is not mandatory, but if you do not check in online you pay the airport check-in fee.
Can I print my Ryanair boarding pass?
No. Since 12 November 2025 boarding passes are digital only, in the Ryanair app.
Can I choose my seat on the Basic fare?
Only by paying for it. Otherwise your seat is free but random and assigned at check-in, which opens 24 hours before.
My phone died at the airport. Do I have to pay?
No. If you had already checked in online, you get a free boarding pass at the desk.
Work out your compensation now
Enter where you flew from and to: in 2 minutes you will know whether you are owed compensation and how much.
- Free check, no commitment
- No upfront costs: 25% + VAT only if we win
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Find out more
- Air passenger rights
- Delayed flight: when you can claim compensation
- Cancelled flight: refund and compensation
- Overbooking: what you are owed
- What our service costs
Article updated on 22/10/2026 by the DelayFlight24 editorial team.