Ryanair goes paperless – What this means for your next flight

Oct 01 2025 Travel trends

If you’re the kind of traveler who likes to keep a printed boarding pass tucked neatly into your passport, I’ve got news that might ruffle your travel routine: Ryanair is about to scrap paper boarding passes altogether.

What’s changing and when

Ryanair has confirmed that starting November 12, 2025, you’ll no longer be able to use paper boarding passes — not even the ones you print at home. From that date on, your only option will be to get your boarding pass through the myRyanair app.

This change was actually supposed to happen on November 3, but the airline decided to push it back to the 12th to make the switch a little smoother. Think of it as a grace period to let passengers adjust and (hopefully) avoid chaotic scenes at airport check-in counters.

Why Ryanair is going paperless

According to Ryanair, there are three main reasons behind the move:

Faster processes: Digital passes should speed up boarding and reduce hold-ups at the gate.

Greener travel: Less paper means less waste, which Ryanair is keen to frame as part of their sustainability efforts.

Better app integration: Everything from booking to check-in to boarding gets tied neatly into their myRyanair app.

The airline also points out that this isn’t a huge leap for most passengers. In fact, they say about 80% of customers already use digital boarding passes. For Ryanair, this is less of a revolution and more of a final nudge for the remaining 20% still hanging on to their printers.

Exceptions, if-because, and risks

Of course, things aren’t as black-and-white as Ryanair might make it sound. There are some important caveats:

• Not everywhere is ready: Certain airports, like those in Morocco and Tirana, Albania, still require paper passes due to local infrastructure or regulations. If you’re flying to or from one of those places, you’ll still need a printed pass.
• Tech can fail you: Phones die, apps glitch, Wi-Fi can be patchy. Ryanair says that if something goes wrong — as long as you’ve already checked in — their airport staff will help you out without charging the usual reprint fee. That’s a relief, considering Ryanair’s reputation for being, let’s say, less than generous with extra fees.
• Digital exclusion is real: Not everyone owns a smartphone, and not everyone feels comfortable navigating apps. There’s concern that passengers who are older, less tech-savvy, or simply don’t want to be tied to their phones could end up disadvantaged by this change.

What this means for your trip

If you’re already a digital traveler, you probably won’t even notice the difference. But if you’ve always printed your boarding passes “just in case,” this will take some getting used to. A few tips to make your life easier:

• Download your pass before heading to the airport (don’t rely on airport Wi-Fi to pull it up).
• Keep your phone charged — a portable power bank is worth the investment.
• Check your destination’s rules — if you’re flying somewhere that still needs paper passes, you’ll need to plan ahead.

Air travel has been creeping toward full digitalization for years, and this is just Ryanair’s way of speeding up the process. For most people, it will be business as usual. But for a small slice of travellers, it could be a frustrating shift.

Still, love them or hate them, Ryanair has a way of setting trends in budget aviation. If their paperless policy sticks, it wouldn’t be surprising to see other low-cost carriers follow suit.

The bottom line

From November 12, 2025, your phone isn’t just your map, your travel wallet, and your entertainment — it’s your boarding pass, too. Ryanair’s decision is pitched as faster, greener, and more efficient, but it does raise questions about accessibility and reliability.

So, if you’re flying with them this winter, remember: keep your phone charged, download the myRyanair app, and maybe carry a backup power bank. Because the era of paper boarding passes — at least with Ryanair — is officially over.

Just don’t be the person holding up the boarding queue because your phone’s on 2%.