In short: Cancelled or delayed 5+ hours: request a refund from the email link, My Bookings or Ryanair’s refund form. It goes to your Ryanair Wallet within 24 hours; transfer it to your card and it arrives within 5 working days. OTA bookings need verification first. Cancelling yourself: no refund, but government taxes you paid can be reclaimed within one month of the flight date.
When Ryanair must refund you
Ryanair’s help centre lists three situations in which you may get a refund of your ticket: the flight was cancelled, it was delayed by over 5 hours, or the scheduled departure was delayed by at least 5 hours. Its notice of rights adds denied boarding, and describes the refund as the full cost of the ticket at the price paid, for the parts not flown – and the parts already flown if the trip no longer serves any purpose – within seven days, as Article 8 requires.
The five-hour refund applies when you elect not to travel. If the delay leaves you stranded abroad mid-trip, Ryanair’s notice also promises a return flight to your first point of departure “when relevant”.
A refund is not compensation. If the cancellation came less than 14 days before departure, or you arrived 3+ hours late, for reasons within Ryanair’s control, you can claim €250–€600 (£220–£520) on top – see Ryanair cancellations.
How to get the refund
- Use the email. Ryanair emails you about the cancellation, delay or schedule change with options to request a refund, be re-routed or change flights for free. Click the refund link.
- Or go to My Bookings on ryanair.com and open the booking. Ryanair also links a refund request form for delays of 5 hours or more.
- Booked through an online travel agent (OTA)? Ryanair may not have your details, so you must complete its customer verification form first; Ryanair then pays the refund directly to you. For its partnered agents, Ryanair says to contact the agent.
- Track it in myRyanair under My Support Cases.
Lost the cancellation email? Ryanair has a help article for that too; the booking in My Bookings is the fallback.
The Ryanair Wallet and refund timings
For bookings made directly on ryanair.com, Ryanair says a refund for a flight disruption goes to your Ryanair Wallet within 24 hours. To get cash, choose the option to transfer it, and it is processed to your original payment method within 5 working days. OTA bookings take longer because of verification.
| Step | Ryanair’s stated time |
|---|---|
| Refund request to Ryanair Wallet | Within 24 hours |
| Wallet to your card or account | Within 5 working days of transferring |
| Legal maximum (Article 8) | 7 days, in money unless you agree otherwise |
The law says the refund is paid in money; credit or vouchers only with your signed agreement. Transfer the Wallet balance to your card if you want cash. Note that extras booked through Ryanair but supplied by others – car hire, hotels, parking – were paid to those suppliers, so Ryanair only refunds what it received; ask the supplier for the rest.
Check your Ryanair flight
Two minutes, free, no sign-up.
Refund, free change or re-routing?
For a cancellation, Ryanair offers three choices: a refund, a free change to another flight on the same route, or re-routing under comparable conditions to your final destination. You choose one. Think about which fits your situation before clicking:
| Refund | Free change (same route) | Re-routing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| You get | Your money back | A new date or time on the same route | Another way to your destination as soon as possible, or later at your convenience |
| Meals and hotel from Ryanair | No, once you stop travelling | While you wait for the new flight | While you wait for the re-routing |
| Compensation if within Ryanair’s control | Still claimable | Still claimable | Still claimable (may be halved if you arrive close to the original time) |
If you are abroad and need to get home, a refund alone leaves you paying for a last-minute ticket yourself. In that case ask for re-routing first and, if Ryanair has nothing suitable, follow its advice to contact it before booking another airline and keep the receipts.
Cancelling your own Ryanair flight
Ryanair’s refund policy: tickets are “generally non-refundable”. If the flight operated and you didn’t travel, there is no refund. The exceptions Ryanair lists:
- Government tax refund. If government taxes were included in your fare – they appear in the price breakdown when you book; Ryanair says its higher fares generally include them and its lower fares do not – you can apply for a refund of those taxes within one month of the departure date if you did not travel, on Ryanair’s government tax form in myRyanair.
- Bereavement. Ryanair may refund if an immediate family member not travelling with you dies within 10 days before the flight, or if someone on your booking dies before the trip.
Otherwise you can usually change the flight for a fee rather than lose it. If you might need to cancel for illness or other reasons, that is what travel insurance is for.
If the refund doesn’t arrive
- Check the Wallet and My Support Cases; if the money is still in the Wallet, transfer it.
- Write to Ryanair Customer Service quoting the booking and the date of your request, and point out the 7-day limit in Article 8.
- If you paid more than £100 by credit card, section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 may allow a claim against the card provider; for debit cards, ask about a chargeback.
- UK passengers can take an unresolved complaint to AviationADR, then court after a letter before action.
Background: your refund rights and claiming compensation from Ryanair.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a Ryanair refund take?
For direct bookings, Ryanair says disruption refunds reach your Ryanair Wallet within 24 hours, and a transfer to your original payment method is processed within 5 working days. OTA bookings take longer because of verification.
Can I cancel my Ryanair flight and get a refund?
Not if you simply decide not to fly: Ryanair tickets are generally non-refundable. You may be able to reclaim government taxes within one month of the departure date, and Ryanair has a bereavement exception.
Does Ryanair refund if my flight is delayed?
Only if the delay is 5 hours or more and you choose not to travel. A 3-hour arrival delay gives compensation, not a refund, if the cause was within Ryanair’s control.
How do I get the government tax back from Ryanair?
Use Ryanair’s government tax refund form in myRyanair within one month of the departure date. You only get back taxes that were actually included in your fare, as shown in the price breakdown.
Why is my Ryanair refund less than I paid?
Ryanair says that travel extras such as car hire, hotels and parking are paid to third-party suppliers, so it can only refund the money it received. Contact those suppliers for the rest.
The Ryanair name belongs to its owner; EU261 Flight Delay is an independent information site and is not affiliated with Ryanair. Information only, not legal advice.
Sources
- Refund Policy – Ryanair Help Centre
- How do I apply for a refund in case of a flight disruption? – Ryanair Help Centre
- How long will it take for my refund to be paid? – Ryanair Help Centre
- Am I entitled to a refund of Government Tax? – Ryanair Help Centre
- If my flight has been delayed by 2 hours or more. What are my options? – Ryanair Help Centre
- UK notice of your rights in the event of denied boarding, flight delay or flight cancellation (V17) – Ryanair
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as retained in UK law – Article 8 (reimbursement or re-routing) – legislation.gov.uk
- Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) – UK Civil Aviation Authority
We check every rule against the sources above. Spotted an error? Tell us – see our editorial policy.