Serious illness requests are considered on a case-by-case basis at our discretion. We don't offer refunds for common ailments and illnesses (e.g., influenza, gastroenteritis, chicken pox, conjunctivitis) or for routine medical procedures such as hospital appointments or pre-planned treatments.

As of 2026, Ryanair maintains a very strict non-refundable policy for almost all circumstances, including serious illness. According to their terms, they do not offer refunds or travel credits solely because a passenger is too ill to travel. Instead, they strongly advise all passengers to purchase comprehensive travel insurance to cover such eventualities. The only "serious" health-related scenarios where Ryanair typically offers flexibility are the death of a booked passenger or the death of an "immediate family member" (defined strictly as a spouse, civil partner, parent, or child) within 10 days of the flight. In these bereavement cases, they may provide a refund or travel credit upon the submission of a death certificate. If you are too ill to fly but the flight is still operating, Ryanair’s 2026 policy is that the fare is lost unless you pay the standard "flight change fee" plus any fare difference to move your trip to a later date. This rigid stance makes travel insurance an essential purchase for anyone flying with the carrier.