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"Ryanair requires that all non-EU citizens report to the check-in counter to verify their immigration status" (quote). Let's leave discussion about "why" aside for a moment. This question is about "how".

In my recent experience, they do it twice. The first time is at the "Check-in/bag drop/visa check" desks (sometimes these are separate). The second time is at the gate during boarding. As far as I recall, they have done it twice on all of my recent flights. However, why do they do it a second time?

It is reasonable to match your identity, passport, and boarding pass at the gate, and there are no questions about this. But for whatever reason, they always recheck the visa as well. Why? The visa check stamp is already there, and it is mandatory to perform the visa check at the check-in desk. So what is the point of spending additional time verifying the visa again?

Alternatively, if this happens to be the new way that the company operates, does it mean that the visa check at check-in desks is no longer required?

Note that if you are flying out of Schengen, you also have to go through immigration passport control, and those officers can also verify that you hold a visa to your destination. This is fine and not the subject of this question. The question is specifically about the additional visa check that Ryanair performs at the boarding gate.

JonathanReez
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Andrei
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2 Answers2

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Airlines face heavy fines if they bring someone into a country without valid entry documents. Ryanair, a budget airline, operates with low profit margins as it is, and even a single fine can be really detrimental to their bottom line. On the other hand, doing an additional check costs them almost nothing. It also has the following benefits:

  • You can have 2 separate people perform the 2 checks, so even if one person gets some obscure visa rule wrong, the other person has a chance to correct the mistake
  • The check before checking in luggage prevents them from handling luggage of people without a valid visa (if they only had the boarding check, and someone was discovered without a valid visa there, they would have to incur the delay and cost of unloading the person's luggage from the plane)
  • The check right before boarding ensures that valid travel documents will physically be on the plane (and not, for example, lost somewhere in the airport - a lot can happen between check-in time and boarding time)
Eugene O
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Because it is better for them (and for you) to do it twice.

The physical check-in is optional, now many people check-in online or at various electronic kiosks, so a check should be done at gate, there is no other place that company staff have all passengers.

But what happens if on check-in they give you a ticket and later you will be refused to board and all done by people of the same company? So it is good to have the visa checked also earlier, so that nobody could complain. And it reduce costs of retrieve an already sent baggage. (the first check is usually not only on check-in but also on baggage drop-in for automatic check-ins).

Giacomo Catenazzi
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