EU261 Time Limit: How Long Do You Have to Claim Flight Compensation?
The short answer: it depends on which country's courts would handle your claim. EU Regulation 261/2004 doesn't set a uniform statute of limitations — each EU member state applies its own national law. The window ranges from 1 year (Spain, Belgium, Poland) to 6 years (UK, Ireland).
⚠️ Spain, Belgium, Poland: 1-year window
If your delayed or cancelled flight departed from or arrived in Spain, Belgium, or Poland — the claim window is only 1 year. This is far shorter than most passengers expect. If you flew with Wizz Air from Warsaw or Ryanair from Madrid in 2025, check immediately.
EU261 claim time limits by country
| Country | Limit |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom Longest window. UK261 mirrors EU261 post-Brexit. | 6 years |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands Applies to KLM flights departing AMS. | 5 years |
| 🇫🇷 France Applies to Air France + all flights from French airports. | 5 years |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland Ryanair HQ jurisdiction — strong claim window. | 6 years |
| 🇵🇹 Portugal TAP Portugal domestic/EU routes. | 3 years |
| 🇩🇪 Germany Runs from end of year of the disruption. | 3 years |
| 🇪🇸 Spain ⚠️ Shortest window in Europe. File immediately. | 1 year |
| 🇮🇹 Italy For flights from Italian airports. | 2 years |
| 🇵🇱 Poland Applies to Wizz Air routes from Poland. | 1 year |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium ⚠️ Short window. Brussels Airlines, TUI fly routes. | 1 year |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden SAS, Norwegian, Wizz Air Nordic routes. | 3 years |
| 🇪🇺 EU default (others) If no specific national rule applies. | 3 years |
Which country's law applies to my claim?
The key question is which court has jurisdiction — and that depends on where you sue, not necessarily where the airline is based.
Practical rule: you can usually choose to file in the country where your flight departed OR where your final destination was. Most passengers choose the country with the longer limitation period.
Ryanair flight London–Madrid
→ You can sue in UK (6 years) or Spain (1 year) → choose UK courts
easyJet flight Paris–Amsterdam
→ France (5 years) or Netherlands (5 years) → either works
Wizz Air flight Warsaw–London
→ Poland (1 year) or UK (6 years) → choose UK
KLM flight Amsterdam–New York
→ Netherlands (5 years) for the EU leg
Air France flight Paris–Rome
→ France (5 years) or Italy (2 years) → choose France
When does the clock start?
In most countries, the limitation period starts from the date of the disrupted flight — not from when you first attempted to claim or when the airline rejected your claim.
Germany exception: the 3-year window runs from the end of the calendar year in which the flight took place (BGB §199). A flight on January 2, 2023 has until December 31, 2026 to file — giving almost 4 years in practice.
UK exception: under the UK Limitation Act, the 6-year clock starts from the date of the breach — which is typically the flight date, but some courts have accepted the date of denial if the airline actively misled you.
SubRadar tracks your EU261 expiry dates
SubRadar scans your inbox for flight booking emails and sends you an email alert when a potential EU261 claim is within 90 days of expiring — so you never miss the window.
What if the airline took a long time to respond?
If you filed a claim with the airline and they took months to deny it, the limitation period doesn't pause — it keeps running from the flight date. If you're approaching the deadline, file in court before the airline responds.
Exception: some countries allow the limitation period to be suspendedwhile arbitration or national authority mediation is pending (e.g. France's MTV Médiateur). Check local rules or use a claims service that tracks this automatically.
Find flights that are about to expire
SubRadar scans your Gmail or Outlook for airline booking confirmation emails from the past 3–6 years, identifies potential EU261 claims, and alerts you before the statute of limitations runs out. Free scan.
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