How Much Can You Get Back in Taxes on an Unused Ryanair Ticket?

You have an unused Ryanair ticket and you're wondering how much you might be able to recover. The answer depends on several factors, but in most cases the amount is meaningful — typically between €10 and €80 per ticket, and sometimes more depending on your departure airport.

What you cannot get back

Let's be clear from the start: on a non-refundable Ryanair ticket, the base fare — the ticket price itself — cannot be recovered. That is what "non-refundable" means. Ryanair keeps this portion regardless of the circumstances.

Similarly, certain Ryanair charges are not refundable: service fees, baggage fees, seat selection fees, and Ryanair's own fuel-related charges when incorporated into their pricing policy.

What you can recover: airport taxes

Airport taxes — levied by the airports themselves, not by Ryanair — are in principle refundable. Why? Because these taxes are not Ryanair's to keep: they are charges collected on behalf of airports for each passenger who actually uses their facilities. If you did not take your flight, the airport provided you no service, and those taxes are therefore not owed.

The main refundable taxes on a Ryanair flight include:

• Airport Tax (Passenger Service Charge) — present on all flights departing a European airport. Amounts range from €5 to €40 depending on the airport. Dublin Airport's PSC is approximately €14; Beauvais is lower.
• Security Charge — mandatory on all flights, typically €3 to €12 depending on the country.
• Government taxes — variable by departure country. The UK levies an Air Passenger Duty (APD) of up to £13 on short-haul flights.

Estimated refundable amounts by departure airport

Here are rough estimates for the most common Ryanair departure airports:

• Paris Beauvais (BVA): €15 to €25 per ticket
• Dublin (DUB): €18 to €30 per ticket
• London Stansted (STN): €20 to €35 per ticket
• Brussels Charleroi (CRL): €12 to €22 per ticket
• Barcelona (BCN): €15 to €28 per ticket

These are estimates based on known airport tariff schedules. The exact figure appears on your Ryanair booking confirmation under "Government taxes" or "Airport charges". For a general method that applies to any airline, see our page on how much you can get back in taxes on a plane ticket.

Does Ryanair charge a fee to process the refund?

Yes — Ryanair may deduct a Refund Administration Fee of approximately €20 per passenger. If your recoverable taxes are below €20, the claim will not be financially worthwhile. For departures from the UK, Ireland or Germany where taxes are higher, the claim is typically well worth making.

What if Ryanair cancelled the flight?

If Ryanair cancelled the flight (not you), the situation is different: under EU Regulation 261/2004 you are entitled to a full refund of the entire ticket price, not just the taxes. Administration fees do not apply in this case.

Next step

Now that you know what you can recover, the key question is: how do you submit the claim correctly to avoid a rejection? Ryanair has its own procedure, forms and deadlines. Our Ryanair guide takes you through every step to maximise your chances of a quick, successful refund.