Ryanair doesn't carry pets. Not in the cabin, not in the hold, and not as cargo. Its help centre says it plainly: "We do not carry animals on board any Ryanair flights, except guide/assistance dogs on certain routes." So if you were hoping to put a small dog under the seat on a cheap hop from Dublin to Barcelona, that option doesn't exist on Ryanair at any price.
The one exception is a trained guide or assistance dog, and even that comes with route limits and a paperwork check. This guide covers exactly what Ryanair allows, why emotional support dogs don't qualify, and which airlines and ground routes in Europe will actually take your cat or dog. Everything here is taken from Ryanair's own help centre and its general terms and conditions of carriage, checked in November 2026.
A lot of travellers from the US land on this question because Ryanair is so often the cheapest way between European cities. That is still true for people. For pets, it is a dead end, and the sooner you plan around it the cheaper the trip ends up.
Ryanair and the alternatives at a glance
| Option | Pets in cabin? | Limits | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryanair | No. Guide and assistance dogs only | Assistance dogs on EU/EEA and domestic routes, not Morocco or Israel | Assistance dogs fly free |
| Vueling | Yes, dogs and cats | 10 kg with carrier, 45 x 39 x 21 cm soft carrier, 5 per flight | EUR 50 domestic, EUR 60 international online |
| Transavia | Yes, dogs and cats | 8 kg with carrier, 40 x 30 x 24 cm, 15 weeks old | EUR 50 (HV flights), EUR 60 to 180 (TO flights) |
| Full-service airlines (KLM, Air France, Lufthansa, Iberia and others) | Yes, on most European routes | Usually 8 kg in cabin, larger pets in the hold | Varies by airline and route |
| LeShuttle (Channel Tunnel, by car) | Pet stays in your car | Up to 5 animals per vehicle | Roughly GBP 22 to 24 per pet each way |
Fees on the other airlines change often and their own pages don't always agree with each other, so treat the numbers above as a starting point and confirm in the booking flow before you pay.
What Ryanair actually allows
The rule is short. No animals on board, with one exception: recognised guide and assistance dogs on certain routes. That covers dogs that guide blind or partially sighted passengers and dogs trained to help with other disabilities. It does not cover cats, rabbits, birds, small dogs in carriers, or any animal travelling as a pet.
There is also no hold option and no Ryanair cargo service for live animals. Some airlines that refuse cabin pets will still put a crate in the hold or route it through a cargo arm. Ryanair does neither. The aircraft are run for fast turnarounds, often 25 minutes on the ground, and live animal handling doesn't fit that model.
Which routes take assistance dogs
Ryanair's help centre lists intra-EU and EEA flights and domestic flights as the routes where guide and assistance dogs are accepted. Flights to and from Morocco and Israel are excluded. If your itinerary touches either of those countries, you need a different airline for the dog, even if every other part of the trip is on Ryanair.
Flights to and from the UK and Ireland are covered, but with their own entry documents. Ryanair's UK and Ireland guidance says a dog entering either country needs a valid EU pet passport or a third country official veterinary health certificate, plus proof that it is affiliated to the International Guide Dog Federation, Assistance Dogs UK, or Assistance Dogs International.
Who counts as an assistance dog on Ryanair
Ryanair follows the European approach, which is stricter than what many Americans expect. The dog has to be trained and certified by a full member of Assistance Dogs International, Assistance Dogs UK, or the International Guide Dog Federation. Ryanair's EU and EEA guidance says the pet passport or veterinary certificate must be backed by documentation confirming that affiliation.
That matters if your dog was trained privately or by an organisation outside those networks. In the US, the ADA lets you train your own service dog, and US airlines accept the DOT forms rather than a certificate from a named body. Ryanair doesn't work that way. A self-trained service dog with no ADI or IGDF link will likely be refused, even if it is well trained and does real tasks.
Emotional support dogs are out entirely. Ryanair's terms say emotional support or therapy dogs that are not recognised as assistance dogs by those organisations are not permitted to travel. If you are unsure which category your dog falls into, our guide to service dogs, emotional support animals and therapy dogs explains the differences, and they matter more in Europe than at home.
Booking a flight with an assistance dog
Tell Ryanair before you fly, ideally when you book. The airline warns that if you don't pre-advise, the service may not be available when you reach the airport and you may not be able to take your booked flight. Add the request through the special assistance section of your booking or contact the special assistance team directly.
On board, the dog sits on the floor at your feet, wearing a harness that clips to your seatbelt. Ryanair's terms limit the number of assistance dogs on one flight to four, so on a busy route it is worth booking early. The dog, its food and its containers travel free on top of your normal bag allowance.
Bring every document in paper form. Gate agents check the pet passport or health certificate and the affiliation proof before boarding. Ryanair says it is not liable for any guide or assistance dog that doesn't have the correct documents, so a missing page means you don't fly and you don't get a refund on that basis.
Flights between Great Britain and Northern Ireland
One quirk catches UK travellers. When a guide or assistance dog flies between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Ryanair says you need a Northern Ireland pet travel document and the dog must be microchipped. Rabies vaccination and tapeworm treatment are not needed for that journey. It is a domestic UK flight, but the document is still checked, so sort it out before you get to the airport.
Airlines in Europe that do take pets
If your pet isn't an assistance dog, you need another carrier. The good news is that several budget and full-service airlines in Europe carry small pets in the cabin, and they often fly the same routes as Ryanair.
Vueling is the closest budget alternative in Spain and southern Europe. Its pet help page allows dogs and cats in the cabin in a soft, non-rigid carrier no larger than 45 x 39 x 21 cm, with the pet and carrier together weighing no more than 10 kg. Only one pet per person and five per flight are allowed, and pets can't travel in the hold. Vueling's supplementary charges list EUR 50 online for a domestic flight and EUR 60 for international routes, more at the airport.
Transavia, the budget arm of Air France-KLM, also takes cats and dogs in the cabin. Its cabin pet page sets an 8 kg limit including the bag, a carrier up to 40 x 30 x 24 cm, and a minimum age of 15 weeks. The fee depends on the flight number: EUR 50 per pet per one way flight on HV flights and EUR 60 to EUR 180 on TO flights.
The full-service airlines are the most flexible, because most of them also take larger pets in the hold. We cover the details airline by airline in our guides to KLM, Air France, Lufthansa and Iberia. They cost more than Ryanair, but they are the only way to fly a dog over about 8 kg within Europe.
The UK problem: pets can't fly into Great Britain in the cabin
If your trip involves England, Scotland or Wales, there is a bigger issue than Ryanair. The UK government's pet travel rules say pets have to travel as cargo on a plane unless you are on a chartered private plane or travelling with a guide or assistance dog. So no airline, budget or otherwise, can put your cat under the seat on a flight into London.
Leaving the UK is different, but coming back in is where most people get stuck. That is why so many owners travelling between the UK and the continent drive instead. Our guide to pet transport to the UK covers the approved routes and what an air cargo booking involves if you have to fly.
Driving instead: the Channel Tunnel and ferries
For UK and Ireland travellers, the car is usually the easiest answer. LeShuttle, the vehicle train through the Channel Tunnel, takes dogs, cats and ferrets in your car. Its pet travel page says you check in at the Pet Reception, which is open 24 hours, and should arrive at least 90 minutes before departure. Up to five animals can travel per vehicle. LeShuttle's own pages quote slightly different fees, roughly GBP 22 to 24 per pet each way, so check the price when you book. Registered guide and assistance dogs travel free.
Ferries are the other option, and several operators across the Channel and the Irish Sea carry pets in vehicles or kennels. Rules vary by operator and ship, so check before you book. The documents are the same either way: a microchip, a rabies vaccination, the right health certificate or pet passport, and for dogs entering Great Britain, a tapeworm treatment given by a vet within the set window before arrival.
Pet passports and health certificates
Whatever transport you choose, the paperwork follows the pet, not the airline. Inside the EU, an EU pet passport issued by an EU vet covers most trips. Travellers from the US can't get an EU pet passport at home and use a USDA-endorsed health certificate instead. Our pet passport guide explains which document you need, how long it lasts, and what happens when you cross from the EU into the UK or back.
Already booked Ryanair and have a pet?
This happens a lot. Someone books the cheap fare first and checks the pet rules later. There is no add-on to buy and no exception to ask for, so the choices are to leave the pet with a sitter at home, travel by a different airline or by road, or hire someone to move the pet separately.
Before you write off the Ryanair ticket, check what changing it would cost against what a new booking on Vueling or Transavia costs for the same day. Ryanair fares are usually non-refundable, but sometimes the cheapest fix is to keep your own seat and send the pet by road with a family member, or fly yourself and put the pet in boarding for the week. For short trips, a good sitter at home is often kinder to the animal than two flights and a strange apartment.
A quick checklist for an assistance dog on Ryanair
If your dog does qualify, run through this list a week before the flight. Confirm the route is not to or from Morocco or Israel. Confirm the dog's training organisation is a full member of ADI or IGDF, or Assistance Dogs UK for UK and Irish routes, and print the proof. Check that the pet passport or official health certificate is valid for the dates you travel, including any rabies vaccine waiting period. Make sure the special assistance request shows on your booking. Pack a harness that clips to a seatbelt, a mat, water and a few poo bags, and arrive early, because document checks take time at the desk.
Moving to or from Europe with a pet
If you are relocating rather than taking a holiday, Ryanair was never going to be the right tool. A move usually means a long haul flight with an airline that carries pets in the hold or as cargo, then a short connection or a drive at the European end. Our guide on pet transport from Europe to the US covers the airlines, the CDC rules for dogs, and when it makes sense to hire a pet shipper.
For a one way move with a larger dog, the cost of a professional shipper is often close to what you would spend piecing it together yourself with a cargo booking, vet visits and an extra night in a hotel. The difference is that someone else deals with the crate rules and the cargo terminal.