I Face €55 Airport Check-In Fee After Ryanair App Error on Paris–Malta Flight

On July 12, 2025, my wife and I were scheduled to fly from Paris to Malta with Ryanair (reservation code: DCCC3X). Since we both hold special (green) passports, we do not need a visa for this route. However, on July 11, when I tried to check in through the Ryanair mobile app, the system required me to enter a visa number and would not let me complete the check-in without it. Because we are exempt from visas, I was unable to fill out this field and therefore could not check in online. I even saved a screenshot of the error.

At the airport the next day, we were unexpectedly asked to pay a €55 check-in fee. Despite explaining the situation, we were told that no Ryanair representative was available on-site and that if we refused to pay, we would not be allowed to board. We had no choice but to pay with a credit card.

After arrival, we contacted Ryanair again, but they claimed that we should have reached out to them before making the payment, otherwise no refund could be processed. This response is unfair, as the issue was clearly caused by a technical error in Ryanair’s app, not by us. I have also seen other passengers online reporting similar problems.

I request a refund of the €55 unfairly charged fee and urge Ryanair to fix the app check-in error so that travelers with visa exemptions are not penalized in the future.