From November 3, Ryanair will no longer accept paper boarding passes on Mallorca

Digital instead of paper: As of November 3, printed boarding passes are no longer accepted

If you’re flying with Ryanair to or from Palma soon, mark the date. Starting on November 3, the airline will officially stop accepting printed paper boarding passes. Yes, that means everything will run through the app or the digital e-ticket on your phone. Sounds simple—until the battery dies or the display misbehaves.

What this means in practice

At Palma's airport arrival and departure halls, I’ve spoken with a few travelers in recent days: most knew about it, some didn’t. Ryanair says there will be help at the gate if the phone dies. In practice, it can take longer to get through—especially in the morning between 6 and 9 a.m., when several flights depart at the same time. Important: The booking holder can download boarding passes for other passengers and forward them via WhatsApp or similar services, according to the airline. So: don’t rely on a single device if possible.

Simple preparation — and a few tips

A little preparation saves stress. Our everyday checklist at Palma airport:

- Check the battery: Pack a power bank. No joke, I’ve seen people at security ask for plugs in a panic.

- Install the app: Download the Ryanair app beforehand, log in, and store the boarding pass offline (screenshot or offline mode) if available.

- Plan sharing: If you're traveling with family or friends, the main booking party can collect all passports/boarding passes and send them via WhatsApp. It usually works, but not always elegantly—so allow time.

What else has changed

In parallel, Ryanair has slightly adjusted the allowed size for free carry-on luggage: new dimensions are 40 × 30 × 20 cm instead of 40 × 25 × 20 cm. In Palma, new measurement frames have been installed at the baggage controls—so don't count on your carry-on slipping through simply.

Why this matters

The airline justifies the move with efficiency and digitization. For travelers, that means less paper but more dependence on the smartphone. And: Ryanair is currently cutting some connections in Spain; keep that in mind when booking. Those flying from Cologne/Bonn, Memmingen, Düsseldorf-Weeze or Frankfurt-Hahn to Mallorca still have connections there, but schedules can change.

A small, personal tip: for safety, bring a second device or print out a note with the important details (booking reference, flight number) — not as a replacement for the boarding pass, but as a backup if support is needed.

And yes, it sometimes feels like we’ve all turned our lives completely to our phones. For Palma airport, that means: open the app, battery full, stay calm. The rest usually works — but surprises can happen.