My ID was stolen during my stay in Spain. Will Ryanair let me board the flight?

I’d say with any other airline maybe but RyanAir? No chance. SO brought her passport for id except it had literally just expired. To go to Ireland from UK you do NOT need a passport. RyanAir is an Irish company, they alone insist on these rules – nothing to do with security, just profit. She had other photo id but they said no current passport no fly. She had to get another RyanAir flight. They monopolise the routes. I have to use them still. Nasty, cynical company.

You can board a Ryan air flight with any form of photo id. I’ve used my company id card just because I dislike showing people my official id if they have no right to see it.

Even within Schengen, Airlines can demand passport or national identity.

Everyone, public carrier or Joe Public is held legally responsible for transporting an illegal immigrant across borders, and not just across an ‘external border’.

I am Irish, and I have lived the best part of a dozen or more years across the EU and have read debates within various groups about having passport on hand for inspection. I don’t have the URL now but I was pointed towards an EU legal document that said there is a legal requirement for the traveler to be able to prove residency.

The methods to prove need to satisfy immigration/law officer are not explicit. Thus even a Q&A with an officer could prove sufficient.

I know of this being tested in Prague, CZ where a few Taiwanese students were jostled by police for not having any ID on them. They called a contact at the Taiwanese embassy (who I was having dinner with) and it was sorted out over the phone. I have also been checked on a CZ/DE train without my passport. I was able to provide my UK based license, plus answer questions about my German home address which satisfied the officer (who politely reminded me to carry my passport or national ID next time to avoid problems).

I had the same problem in Spain (Madrid), the response is NO, for security issues that´s not possible, i had to go to the embassy of my country to get a new id to be able to take the flight.

apply for local and international flights.

I left my passport at home in the UK and was travelling with a customer to Germany. I was able to travel on my UK Driving License (which has a photo). I had to pay in cash on arrival at immigration in Germany for temporary identification papers. As I only had a credit card my customer was kind enough to pay for me and I refunded him later.

So you can travel outbound too within the EU without a passport but you do need ID and you may need to see immigration on arrival.

Had the problem with Ryanair, on a back flight from Germany to Slovakia noticed at the airport that the passport stayed at home. Since it was timely not possible to go back, after talking with them the boarding proceeded with just a library card that had a photo on it (and a name).

Talking to them and explaining will greatly increase your chance but it depends on your attitude, their goodwill, mood and a bit of luck in the end.

From my experience, it entirely depends on the flight personnel. They can do a lot of things when they feel like it. So if you have the police report (which you apparently got), even a copy of your ID and maybe some other ID document (drivers license?) it should be fine.

And like the others mentioned, you can get a temporary passport at a consulate:

http://www.alicanteturismo.com/konsulate-alicante/?lang=en

I’m not sure it is relevant (and the case is closed anyways) but some countries (checked for UK, Poland and Germany) allow you to get a temporary passport not only from an embassy, but also from a consulate, which are usually located in other major cities besides the capital.

In theory, it’s against Ryanair policy to let anyone enter the plane without a valid identifying document.

In practice, you have to try! Do not call their telephone infoline or anything like that, because they will tell you it’s not possible. Be sure to contact Ryanair at the airport as early as possible during your flight day. Take the police report with you. If you have some identifying document left at home and it’s possible for a family member or a friend to send you a scan of it – it will help, too. Good luck!