Ryanair is Europe's strictest airline on cabin bags: metal sizers at the gate, a roughly £70 fee for non-compliant bags, and no grace for wheels or handles. Here are the 2026 rules.
Cover image: Passengers boarding a Ryanair Boeing 737 via stairs on the tarmac, carrying backpacks and cabin bags — photo by Sean Glossop, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
If you are asking how strict is Ryanair with carry on size, the honest answer is: very — stricter than almost any other European airline. As of August 2026, Ryanair uses metal sizers at the boarding gate, and your bag must drop into the frame freely, wheels and handles included. If it does not, staff will tag it for the hold and charge a gate fee of €/£69.99 on most routes — several times what a cabin-bag add-on costs at booking. The one piece of good news: the free under-seat bag was enlarged in 2025 to 40 x 30 x 20cm, about 20% more volume than the old allowance, which comfortably exceeds the EU's new guaranteed minimum. Here is exactly what you can bring, what it costs when you get it wrong, and how Ryanair compares with easyJet and Wizz Air.
What is Ryanair's free carry-on allowance in 2026?
Every Ryanair passenger can bring one small personal bag measuring up to 40 x 30 x 20cm, which must fit under the seat in front. Consumer group Which? lists the weight limit at 10kg, though in practice it is the dimensions — not the scales — that get checked. The allowance was expanded from the old 40 x 20 x 25cm limit during 2025, after pressure from EU lawmakers pushing for a guaranteed minimum personal item.
Anything bigger needs the "Priority & 2 Cabin Bags" add-on, which adds a 10kg trolley bag of up to 55 x 40 x 20cm for the overhead locker. Which? found the add-on priced from £12 to £36 when selected at booking — but noted that the £12 end of that range was rare in its flight sampling. For the wider context on how allowances differ by carrier, see our guide to airline baggage allowance rules.
Where does Ryanair actually check bag size?
Not at security — at the boarding gate, which is why passengers sail through the terminal only to be stopped at the last moment. Gate agents eye the queue as it forms; borderline bags go into the sizer. The test is binary: the bag must drop in freely and come out freely. A soft backpack squeezed to fit will usually pass; a hard-shell wheelie with rigid wheels protruding past 20cm depth will not, however empty it is.
Enforcement reality, based on 2025–26 reporting: soft under-seat backpacks are rarely challenged, while hard trolley cases travelling on a non-Priority fare are the most common catch. Ryanair confirmed in 2025 that gate staff earn a commission per oversized bag intercepted — raised from €1.50 to €2.50 — which is why agents at busy bases check aggressively — ancillary fees, not fares, drive margin, as we explain in how low-cost airlines make money.
What happens if your bag fails the sizer?
The bag is taken from you at the gate, placed in the hold, and you pay €/£69.99 (subject to VAT, varying slightly by route and currency). There is no negotiation at the gate and no grace margin on the sizer; if you believe your bag was within limits, your only route is a refund claim afterwards, with photographic evidence. Bag fees are contractual — a separate issue from delays and cancellations under EU261, covered in our flight delay compensation guide.
How does Ryanair compare with easyJet and Wizz Air?
Ryanair and Wizz Air now share identical free-bag dimensions; easyJet is the most generous of the three on both the free bag and the paid cabin bag. Figures as of August 2026:
| Airline | Free under-seat bag | Paid cabin bag & typical price | Gate fee if oversized |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryanair | 40 x 30 x 20cm | 55 x 40 x 20cm, 10kg — £12–£36 at booking | €/£69.99 |
| easyJet | 45 x 36 x 20cm, 15kg | 56 x 45 x 25cm — rarely under £23 at booking | £48 |
| Wizz Air | 40 x 30 x 20cm, 10kg | 55 x 40 x 23cm, 10kg — from ~€10, often ~£34 per leg | ~€40–65 by route |
The pattern is consistent across the sector, and it is spreading: even full-service and long-haul carriers are monetising the overhead bin, as Jetstar's planned overhead bin fee shows.
Will the EU force Ryanair to allow bigger free bags?
Not bigger than it already does. On 7 July 2026 the European Parliament gave final approval to reformed air passenger rights rules that guarantee every traveller one free personal item of at least 40 x 30 x 15cm, with fares including carry-on charges displayed upfront from the start of booking. Crucially, the final text does not guarantee a second, larger cabin bag free of charge — an earlier Parliament push for that did not survive negotiation, and airlines may still sell cheaper fares to passengers who waive hand luggage. The rules take effect in 2027. Ryanair's 40 x 30 x 20cm free bag already exceeds the guaranteed minimum, so expect no change to the sizer regime.
How do you avoid the Ryanair gate fee?
Measure your bag with a tape, packed, wheels and handles included — manufacturer "cabin approved" labels often quote the shell only. If your bag is anywhere near 55 x 40 x 20cm, buy Priority at booking: even at £36 it is roughly half the gate fee. Prefer soft-sided bags with some give. Worst case, decant at the gate: wear your heaviest layer, fill your pockets, and move overflow into a compressible tote that fits the 40 x 30 x 20cm frame.
Frequently asked questions
Does Ryanair really measure bags at the gate?
Yes. Gate agents at most bases actively check bags against metal sizers before boarding, and since late 2025 they earn €2.50 for each oversized bag they intercept. Soft backpacks that clearly fit under a seat are rarely challenged; hard-shell trolley cases on non-Priority fares are the most frequently pulled aside.
Do wheels and handles count in Ryanair's size limit?
Yes. The 40 x 30 x 20cm and 55 x 40 x 20cm limits include wheels, handles and any external pockets. The bag must drop into the sizer freely and come out freely. Measure your bag fully packed with a tape measure, because manufacturers often quote shell dimensions that exclude wheels.
How much is the Ryanair oversized bag fee at the gate?
As of August 2026 the fee is €/£69.99 (subject to VAT), varying slightly by route and currency, and the bag goes in the hold. That is roughly double to five times the cost of adding "Priority & 2 Cabin Bags" at booking, which Which? found priced between £12 and £36.
Is Ryanair's free bag smaller than easyJet's?
Yes. Ryanair's free under-seat bag is 40 x 30 x 20cm, identical to Wizz Air's, while easyJet allows a larger 45 x 36 x 20cm free bag. easyJet's paid large cabin bag (56 x 45 x 25cm) is also bigger than Ryanair's 55 x 40 x 20cm Priority bag, and easyJet's gate fee of £48 is lower.
Will EU rules make Ryanair's cabin bags free?
No. The reform approved by the European Parliament in July 2026 guarantees only a free personal item of at least 40 x 30 x 15cm from 2027 — smaller than Ryanair's current free bag. A proposal to make a second, larger cabin bag free did not make the final text, so paid overhead-locker bags remain legal.
Sources
- Which? — Airline cabin bag allowance: a guide to Ryanair, easyJet, British Airways, Wizz Air in 2026
- Euronews — European Parliament approves free cabin luggage and new delay compensation rules for air passengers
- Money Guide Ireland — Ryanair Baggage Fees 2026
- Euronews — Ryanair offers oversized baggage-spotting bonuses for staff as low-cost carriers tighten rules
- Wise — Wizz Air Baggage Policy: A Guide to Checked and Carry-on Allowances and Fees
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