How Long You Have to Claim
Under EU Regulation 261/2004, the time limit for claiming flight compensation depends on the law of the country where the airline is based or where you departed from, because the regulation itself sets no deadline. This means the window varies widely across Europe: in France and Spain you generally have five years, in Germany three years, and in the UK and Ireland six years. Some countries, like Poland, allow only one year. Because deadlines differ so much, it is worth checking the specific national rules that apply to your route before assuming your claim has expired.
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In practice, the safest approach is to file as soon as possible after a delayed or cancelled flight, since gathering boarding passes, booking confirmations and other evidence becomes harder as time passes. Airlines are currently holding billions of euros in unpaid compensation, and proposed reforms to EU261 could shorten claim windows in future, so waiting rarely works in your favour. If you are unsure which deadline applies, services like AI Flight Refunds can determine the correct time limit for your route and pursue the claim on your behalf.
Country-by-Country Limitation Periods
EU261 itself does not set a deadline for claiming flight compensation, so the time limit depends on the limitation period of the country where you choose to file your claim. This can be the country of departure, the country of arrival, or the country where the airline is headquartered, and the differences are substantial. In the United Kingdom, claims must generally be brought within six years under the Limitation Act 1980, while Ireland allows six years as well. Germany applies three years from the end of the year of the flight, France allows five years under consumer law, and Spain sets a five-year period following recent reforms. Italy permits twenty-six months, the Netherlands two years, and Denmark and Norway three years, while Belgium allows only one year.
Because these deadlines vary so widely, passengers should never assume they have years to act. The safest approach is to file as soon as possible after a delayed or cancelled flight, keeping boarding passes and booking confirmations as evidence. Airlines across Europe are reportedly sitting on billions in unpaid compensation, and delays in claiming only strengthen their position.
Time Limits for Delayed Flights
Under EU Regulation 261/2004, the time limit for claiming flight delay compensation is not set by the regulation itself but by the statute of limitations in each member state. This means the deadline varies depending on where you file your claim. In many countries, including the United Kingdom, passengers have up to six years to pursue compensation, while in others, such as Germany, the period is three years, and in France it can be as short as two years for domestic flights and five years for international ones. The clock generally starts from the date of the delayed or cancelled flight, so it is wise to act promptly and keep all boarding passes, booking confirmations, and records of the delay.
Passengers claiming compensation for delays must also meet the eligibility rules: the delay at the final destination must exceed three hours, the flight must depart from an EU airport or arrive in the EU on an EU carrier, and the airline cannot invoke extraordinary circumstances. With European airlines reportedly holding billions in unpaid compensation, claims are often contested, so submitting well before the deadline strengthens your position. If an airline refuses, escalation to a national enforcement body or court remains possible within the applicable time limit.
Claiming for Cancelled Flights
If your flight was cancelled or delayed, EU Regulation 261/2004 gives you the right to claim compensation of up to €600 per passenger, but you must act within the time limits set by each member state. There is no single Europe-wide deadline for submitting a claim. Instead, each country applies its own statute of limitations, which ranges widely: the United Kingdom allows six years, while countries such as Belgium, Poland and Portugal impose as little as one year. Most major jurisdictions, including Germany, France and Spain, sit somewhere between two and five years, so it pays to check the rules that apply to your specific route and the airline's country of origin.
Because time limits vary so much, the safest approach is to file your claim as soon as possible after the disruption. Keep your booking confirmation, boarding passes and any communication from the airline, as these documents support your case if it escalates to a national enforcement body or court. With European airlines reportedly holding billions of euros in unpaid compensation, many passengers never claim what they are owed, often simply because they assume the deadline has passed. Acting early protects your rights and improves your chances of a successful payout.
How AI Flight Refunds Speeds Claims
Under EU Regulation 261/2004, time limits for claiming flight compensation are not set by the regulation itself but by the national laws of each EU member state, which means the deadline varies depending on where your airline is based or where you file your claim. In practice, these limits range widely: countries like the United Kingdom allow six years, while Germany applies three years, and some nations such as France and Italy use five-year and two-year windows respectively. This patchwork approach often confuses passengers, who wrongly assume a single Europe-wide deadline exists. The safest approach is to file as soon as possible after a delayed or cancelled flight, since evidence like boarding passes and delay confirmations becomes harder to gather over time.
Airlines are also aware that many travellers miss these deadlines, and with an estimated €3.2 billion in unpaid compensation sitting with European carriers, delays in claiming work in their favour. Services like AI Flight Refunds help passengers determine which national deadline applies to their specific route and file promptly, tracking the claim through the airline or relevant national enforcement body so that legitimate compensation of up to €600 is not lost to an expired time limit.
EU261 Claim Deadlines by Country
| Country | Time Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 6 years | Claims from England, Wales, and Northern Ireland follow a six-year limitation period |
| Scotland | 5 years | Scottish law sets a shorter five-year window for EU261 compensation claims |
| Germany | 3 years | Claims must be filed within three years of the flight date under German statute |
| France | 5 years | French courts apply a five-year limitation period to compensation claims |