Short answer: A Ryanair digital boarding pass normally appears in the app after you check in online. A pass marked restricted or pending can mean a document check is still needed; follow the app and go to the airport desk when instructed. Ryanair says that check is free when you have completed the required online steps. Missing online check-in or skipping a required document-verification attempt can instead trigger the airport check-in fee. This guidance was checked against Ryanair’s pages on 25 September 2026.
What changed on 12 November 2025?
Ryanair announced on 24 September 2025 that its digital boarding pass would replace the home-printed pass from 12 November 2025. You can still check in on Ryanair’s website or in its app, but the usual pass appears in the Ryanair app after check-in. Show it at airport security and the boarding gate. The airline’s digital boarding pass help also describes free airport assistance for checked-in passengers who cannot show a working pass.
That distinction matters: the pass format changed, but online check-in remains a separate step. Do not wait until you reach the airport to discover whether you have completed it.
Check in online before the deadline
With a pre-reserved seat, Ryanair says online check-in can open up to 60 days before departure, provided both outward and return flights fall within that window. If a seat is assigned randomly, check-in opens 24 hours before the flight. Ryanair says it closes two hours before departure. Check the time shown for your booking and complete each passenger’s check-in while the online window is open.
After checking in, open the booking in the Ryanair app and confirm that each passenger has a pass. Ryanair says the pass remains available offline in the app after check-in. Adults can keep children’s passes on one device, though the airline recommends that each adult can access their own pass on a personal device. If you are travelling together, check that every required pass is visible before leaving.
If your pass says restricted or pending
A restricted pass means Ryanair needs to inspect certain documents at the airport, such as a visa, ETA or other travel permission. Follow the instructions in the app and take the original documents or digital-status evidence it asks you to present. Ryanair says desk verification is free when the app sends you there. A pending status means details or documents are still being checked. The pass may update automatically; if it has not updated by the time you arrive, ask at the check-in desk.
If the app asks you to verify visa documents, attempt the scan rather than leaving it unfinished. Ryanair says that after three unsuccessful attempts caused by an unsupported or unreadable document, you may still be checked in with a restricted pass and need manual verification. Its upload instructions distinguish this from choosing not to attempt verification, which can leave you needing paid airport check-in.
For certain eVisas, UK digital status and residency documents, Ryanair gives specific manual-photo steps and tells passengers to bring the original document or status display to the desk at least two hours before departure. Follow the instructions for your own document type. A rejected scan can mean the system does not support the document; it is not a finding that every rejected document entitles its holder to travel.
When airport help is free, and when a fee may apply
| Situation | What to do | Ryanair’s stated fee position |
|---|---|---|
| You checked in online, but your phone is lost, dead or unavailable. | Go to the airport desk; if the problem happens after security, ask staff at the gate. | A replacement pass is free. |
| Your pass is restricted or still pending after the required online steps. | Follow the app and bring the requested documents to the desk. | Document verification and the resulting pass are free. |
| You did not check in online, or you skipped a required visa-verification attempt before the online window closed. | Use the airport desk and check Ryanair’s current fee information. | An airport check-in fee may apply. |
Ryanair’s fee explanation says a document rejection or scan error after at least three attempts does not itself cause an airport check-in fee. It says a passenger who made no required attempt before the two-hour cutoff may be charged. This guide does not quote a fee amount because the relevant charge should be checked for the booking.
If you have no working phone
You can complete online check-in on a computer even if you do not own a smartphone. If you have already checked in but cannot use the app at the airport, Ryanair says it will issue a free boarding pass at the desk. If your device fails after security, the airline says gate staff can assist because your check-in details are on its system. Keeping the app available still helps with live flight updates, so open the pass in advance if you can.
Morocco departures: check your exact airport
Ryanair’s current main digital-pass page says passengers departing Marrakech, Fez, Agadir, Tangier, Nador or Oujda can use the app pass. Its separate Morocco help page still tells passengers departing Morocco to show the digital pass and collect a printed one at the airport. Those two official pages do not give the same blanket instruction. Before travel, check the directions in your booking for your departure airport and ask Ryanair if they are unclear. Allow time to visit the desk where your booking requires a printed pass.
Do not assume that a rule for one departure airport applies to another. Earlier versions of this guide linked to an airport-exceptions page that is no longer available; the current Ryanair pages above are the sources for this check.
Before you leave for the airport
- Check in every passenger online before the deadline shown for the booking; the ordinary window closes two hours before departure.
- Open the Ryanair app and inspect each pass. If it says restricted or pending, complete the app steps and bring the requested travel documents.
- For a document that Ryanair says needs manual verification, allow at least two hours before departure and follow the document-specific instructions.
- If your phone may be unavailable, keep proof that online check-in is complete and go to the desk for help rather than assuming you must pay.
- For a Morocco departure or any route with special instructions, confirm the rule for that exact airport in your booking.
Sources checked 25 September 2026. Because airport and document rules can change, review the linked Ryanair instructions again before flying.