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Ryanair Pet Policy: Flying With a Dog or Cat in 2026

Hi, I'm Merlot — a 30 kg Golden Retriever and trained Service Dog. Here's Ryanair's pet policy exactly as published on its own official pages: the cabin rules, the hold, what changes for trained service dogs, and booking basics. Where Ryanair doesn't publish a fixed number, I say so directly instead of guessing.

Last verified: 2026-10-20. Rules change — always confirm with the airline before booking.

Merlot the Golden Retriever looking out an airplane window mid-flight

A worked example first, then each rule in detail.

Worked example

Does my dog fit Ryanair's rules?

For a 20.0 kg Azawakh, Ryanair's pet cabin and hold policy wasn't fully confirmed in our latest research pass — confirm directly with the airline before booking.

Now every rule, sourced and dated.

  1. Pets in the Cabin

    Ryanair does not allow pets (dogs/cats) in the cabin as of our last check. Not applicable - Ryanair has no general cabin pet product. N/A for standard pets.

    • Ryanair does not carry ordinary pets in the cabin (only certified guide/assistance dogs - see service_dogs). This 'no general pets' conclusion is standard, widely-reported industry knowledge for this carrier but was not found as an explicit standalone sentence on the official page fetched in this pass (the official page covers assistance dogs specifically) - flagged medium rather than high confidence for that specific claim.
  2. Pets in the Hold

    Ryanair does not transport pets in the cargo hold. No checked/hold pet service - same caveat as cabin above.

  3. Service Dogs

    Ryanair accepts trained service dogs in the cabin, free of charge. Documents typically needed: Certification from Assistance Dogs International, Assistance Dogs UK, or the International Guide Dog Federation; Identifying jacket or harness worn for the whole journey; For UK/Ireland entry: EU pet passport or third-country veterinary certificate, plus proof of the dog's accrediting-organization affiliation. Emotional support animals (ESA) are not treated as service animals — since 2021, US DOT rules no longer require it, and an ESA flies under ordinary pet rules here. Excluded on flights to/from Morocco and Israel.

The Ryanair pet questions that come up most.

FAQ

Ryanair Pets: Your Questions, Answered

Each answer checked against official sources on 2026-10-20.

Can my dog fly in the cabin with Ryanair?

No — Ryanair does not allow dogs in the cabin as regular pets, based on our latest check of its published policy.

Does Ryanair transport pets in the cargo hold?

No — Ryanair does not transport pets in the cargo hold, per our latest check.

Does Ryanair accept trained service dogs in the cabin?

Yes, at no charge. Documents needed: Certification from Assistance Dogs International, Assistance Dogs UK, or the International Guide Dog Federation, Identifying jacket or harness worn for the whole journey, For UK/Ireland entry: EU pet passport or third-country veterinary certificate, plus proof of the dog's accrediting-organization affiliation.

Does Ryanair accept emotional support animals (ESA) as service animals?

No — an emotional support animal is not a trained service dog, and Ryanair does not treat ESAs as service animals. An ESA travels under the airline's regular pet rules (carrier, fees, cabin/hold limits), not service-animal rules.

Is Ryanair's fee for flying with a pet published?

Not applicable - Ryanair has no general cabin pet product.

Sources

Every rule above traces to these official pages, checked on 2026-10-20. Confidence: medium. Rules change — always confirm with the airline before booking.

  1. help.ryanair.com
Merlot the Golden Retriever resting beside a travel planner notebook and boarding pass

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