PackFitter
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Last updated: April 2026
This page covers Ryanair's full baggage policy — personal item limits, cabin bag rules, fees, weight limits, and enforcement. Ryanair includes one free personal item on every fare, but it's small, and everything beyond it costs extra. Cabin bag access requires paid priority boarding, and enforcement is strict. Use this page to understand the rules, then check the size-specific fit guides below to see if your bag works.
| Bag Type | Size Limit | Weight | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Item | 40 × 30 × 20 cm (15.7 × 11.8 × 7.9 in) |
No limit | Free (all fares) |
| Cabin Bag (Priority) | 55 × 40 × 20 cm (21.6 × 15.7 × 7.9 in) |
10 kg (22 lbs) | Paid (Priority boarding) |
| Checked Bag (10 kg) | Standard checked luggage | 10 kg (22 lbs) | From ~€/£13 |
| Checked Bag (20 kg) | Standard checked luggage | 20 kg (44 lbs) | From ~€/£20 |
Prices vary by route, season, and when you purchase. Buying online is always cheaper than at the airport.
Every Ryanair fare includes one free personal item that must fit under the seat in front of you. The size limit is 40 × 30 × 20 cm (15.7 × 11.8 × 7.9 in).
In practice, this fits small backpacks, laptop bags, handbags, and slim daypack-style bags. The 20 cm depth is the dimension that catches most people — structured bags or overpacked bags often exceed it. Soft-sided bags with compressible frames have the best chance of passing the sizer.
The current official personal item size is 40 × 30 × 20 cm. Some older sources may still reference 40 × 25 × 20 cm — this was the previous limit. Always follow the current published dimensions when choosing a bag.
If your bag doesn't fit the personal item sizer, it will be reclassified as a cabin bag — which requires priority boarding. Without priority, you'll be charged a gate fee.
To bring a second, larger bag into the cabin, you must purchase Priority boarding. This gives you access to the overhead bin for a cabin bag up to 55 × 40 × 20 cm (21.6 × 15.7 × 7.9 in) and 10 kg (22 lbs).
The 20 cm depth constraint is the same as the personal item — it's the defining feature of Ryanair's cabin bag policy. Most standard backpacks and rolling carry-ons exceed this depth when fully packed. Bags built specifically for Ryanair compliance tend to be thin, flat-panel designs.
Without priority boarding, your cabin bag will be gate-checked. Priority is available online during booking or as an add-on afterward — both are significantly cheaper than paying at the gate. If you're bringing anything larger than a small personal item, priority boarding is effectively required.
Ryanair's official dimensions and real-world enforcement have some nuance. Here's what matters in practice:
Soft-sided backpacks compress into the sizer more easily than hard-shell cases. A soft bag at 21–22 cm depth might squeeze through the 20 cm sizer slot if it has give. A hard-shell bag at the same size will not — there's no flex.
Ryanair's physical sizer at the gate has a slightly larger internal cavity than the published dimensions (~42 × 30 × 20 cm for personal items). This gives a small margin, but it's not something to rely on. Enforcement varies by airport and staff, and being close to the limit means you're gambling on consistency.
A bag rated at the right dimensions can still fail if it's overpacked. A half-full 30L backpack compresses into the sizer easily. The same bag stuffed to capacity may bulge past 20 cm in depth and get flagged. How much you pack matters as much as what bag you use.
Bag capacity in liters doesn't directly determine whether a bag fits Ryanair's rules — packed dimensions do. But here's how common backpack sizes generally map to Ryanair's policy:
These are the detailed size-by-size fit pages — each one tests a specific backpack size against Ryanair's exact dimension limits and shows whether it qualifies as a personal item, cabin bag, or neither:
Ryanair is classified as a strict enforcement airline. Unlike flexible U.S. carriers (Delta, United, Southwest) where gate agents rarely measure bags, Ryanair uses a physical sizer box at boarding. Every passenger's bag can be checked, and staff are trained to enforce limits consistently.
If your bag fails the sizer, it will be gate-checked and you'll be charged a non-compliance fee — typically €/£50–70 depending on route and airport. This is significantly more expensive than any pre-purchase option:
The cost difference makes pre-purchasing the right option online far cheaper than risking gate enforcement. If there's any doubt about whether your bag qualifies as a personal item, buying priority boarding in advance is the safest approach.
The calculator accounts for Ryanair's exact dimensions and shows whether your packing setup fits as a personal item, cabin bag, or needs to be checked.
Open Packing Calculator →Check whether your bag's dimensions fit Ryanair's limits in either unit system.
Options for both of Ryanair's bag tiers — one compliant personal item for the free under-seat allowance, and two cabin bag options for the paid Priority tier.
One personal item up to 40 × 30 × 20 cm (15.7 × 11.8 × 7.9 in) is included free on all Ryanair fares. It must fit under the seat in front of you. This is typically a small backpack, handbag, or laptop bag.
Yes. Ryanair is one of the strictest airlines in Europe. They use a physical sizer box at the gate, and enforcement is consistent. Bags that don't fit the sizer are gate-checked and charged a non-compliance fee, which can be €50–70 or more.
It depends on bag design and packing. Ryanair's cabin bag limit is 55 × 40 × 20 cm, and the 20 cm depth limit is the critical constraint. Slim, carry-on-specific 40L packs may clear it, but standard hiking-shape 40L bags typically exceed the depth. You also need paid priority boarding for any cabin bag.
If your bag fails the sizer box at the gate, Ryanair will gate-check it and charge a non-compliance fee — typically €/£50–70. This is significantly more expensive than pre-purchasing priority boarding or checked baggage online. Gate staff have no discretion to waive fees.
Ryanair's bag policy is based on their official published rules as of April 2026. Current Ryanair policy lists the personal item size as 40 × 30 × 20 cm. Some older sources may still reference 40 × 25 × 20 cm. Enforcement can vary slightly by airport and staff, but Ryanair is consistently one of the strictest airlines for bag compliance. Prices for add-ons vary by route, season, and purchase timing.
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