You almost certainly do not need a degree, and you probably do not need to be tall. Across the ten major airlines below, the real entry bar for cabin crew in 2026 is being old enough, fluent in English, professionally presented, able to reach the overhead safety equipment, and able to pass a medical. The single biggest practical gate is not on your CV at all: it is your legal right to work at the base you apply to.
Updated 24 June 2026. Each airline's requirements here were checked against its own official careers page and cross checked against the cabin crew listings on AeroScout. Airlines change these rules by intake and by base, so always confirm on the airline's own page before you apply.
The requirements that apply almost everywhere
Before the airline by airline detail, here is what is true across nearly all of them. These are the patterns worth knowing, because they clear up most of the myths.
- No university degree. Every airline here treats cabin crew as an accessible role. Most ask only for completed secondary or high school education, and several (easyJet, Jet2, British Airways) name no academic qualification at all.
- No prior flying experience. All of them train new crew from scratch. Some want general customer service experience instead, but none in this set require previous aviation or cabin crew experience for their standard intake.
- Reach, not height. The point of any physical measure is whether you can reach the overhead safety equipment. Several airlines (Qatar, Wizz Air, Cathay Pacific) publish only an arm reach test and no height minimum at all. Where a height bar exists, it is modest.
- Fluent or proficient English. This is the one language that is mandatory almost everywhere. A second language is framed as an advantage, not a requirement, with Cathay Pacific's Chinese Mainland intake the main exception.
- The right to work is the real gate. European carriers expect you to already have EU or UK work rights and do not sponsor visas. Gulf and Asian carriers sponsor the visa but require you to relocate to their hub.
- No visible tattoos in uniform. This is close to universal. The exact wording and any piercing rules vary, and the fine detail often lives in a grooming policy rather than the requirements page, so check the current rules.
Cabin crew requirements by airline, at a glance
A quick comparison, then the detail for each airline underneath. Where an airline states a reach figure on tiptoes we say so, and where it uses a flat height we say that instead, because they are not the same thing.
| Airline | Minimum age | Height or reach | Experience | The standout rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emirates | 21 | 160cm tall and able to reach 212cm high | 1 year customer service | Visa sponsored, based in Dubai |
| Qatar Airways | 21 | 212cm arm reach on tiptoes; no height rule | None required | A reach test, not a height rule |
| Etihad Airways | 21 | 163cm height; no reach test | None required | Flat height bar, no reach test |
| Ryanair | 18 | 157cm to 188cm | None required; free training | Needs EU or UK right to work |
| Wizz Air | 18 | 210cm arm reach; no height rule | None required | Strong glasses prescriptions may fail the medical |
| easyJet | 18 | About 157cm to 190cm, without shoes | 6 months customer facing | UK or EEA right to work, plus a 25m swim |
| Jet2.com | 18 | Functional reach; about 157cm per guides | None required | Four week unpaid training course |
| British Airways | 18 | At least 157.5cm tall, vertical reach 2.01m | 12 months customer service | Mandatory wet drill swim course |
| Singapore Airlines | 18 | 158cm women, 165cm men | None required | Five O Level credits including English |
| Cathay Pacific | 18 | 208cm arm reach on tiptoes | None required (Hong Kong) | A second language is preferred |
Figures are a snapshot for 2026 and shift by intake and base. The detail below explains what each one means in practice, and links to each airline's official page so you can confirm before you apply.
The Gulf carriers: Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad
The big three Gulf airlines are among the most popular cabin crew employers for international applicants, and they share a model: they hire most nationalities, sponsor your work visa, and base you in the Gulf with accommodation provided. The published requirements are modest. The competition is not. You can browse current openings on the cabin crew jobs in the Middle East board.
Emirates cabin crew requirements
- Age: at least 21.
- Education: a minimum of high school, Grade 12. No degree.
- Reach and height: the official wording is at least 160cm tall and able to reach 212cm high. The popular detail that the reach is measured on tiptoes comes from coaching sites, not the Emirates page.
- English: fluent written and spoken English. Emirates does not name a level.
- Experience: at least 1 year of hospitality or customer service experience. No flying experience needed.
- Work rights: open to all nationalities who can meet the UAE visa rules. Emirates sponsors the visa and you relocate to Dubai.
The catch is selection, not eligibility. Emirates screens very large applicant pools through walk in open days and invitation only assessment days, so meeting the published bar is the start, not the finish. Tattoos must not be visible in the uniform. Source: Emirates Group Careers.
Qatar Airways cabin crew requirements
- Age: 21 at the time of application, with no published maximum.
- Education: completed secondary or high school education. No degree.
- Reach: an arm reach of 212cm on tiptoes. Qatar does not publish a flat minimum height, so treat any height figure you see elsewhere as unofficial.
- English: fluent written and spoken English, the working language onboard.
- Experience: none required. A service or hospitality background is viewed favourably.
- Work rights: open to applicants worldwide. Qatar sponsors the visa and you relocate to Doha with shared accommodation.
You will also need to be a confident swimmer for safety training and to pass a company medical. Qatar accepts applicants with no experience at all, so for the right person it is a realistic first cabin crew job rather than a step up. Source: Qatar Airways Careers.
Etihad Airways cabin crew requirements
- Age: a minimum of 21 at the time of application, confirmed on the official page.
- Education: high school graduate, Grade 12 or equivalent.
- Height: a flat minimum height of 163cm, about 5 feet 4 inches, and notably no arm reach test on the current official page. Ability to perform safety tasks is still checked at selection.
- English: fluent written and spoken English.
- Experience: none required.
- Work rights: open to most nationalities, based in Abu Dhabi, with Etihad sponsoring the UAE visa.
Etihad is the Gulf carrier that uses a plain height bar rather than a reach test, which makes it simple to self assess. Tattoos must not show in uniform and cannot be covered to hide them. Source: Etihad Careers.
The European airlines: Ryanair, Wizz Air, easyJet, Jet2 and British Airways
European carriers are the fastest route in if you already have the right to work in the EU or the UK, because they recruit in high volume and most do not sponsor visas. The published requirements are the most accessible on this page. Browse live roles on the cabin crew jobs in Europe board.
Ryanair cabin crew requirements
- Age: 18 or over.
- Height: a height band of approximately 157cm to 188cm, which is roughly 5 feet 2 inches to 6 feet 2 inches.
- English: you must pass an online English assessment and be comfortable speaking and writing in English.
- Experience: none required. A free cabin crew training course is provided through Ryanair's recruitment partners.
- Swimming: you must be able to swim 25 metres unaided, and while supporting someone else.
- Work rights: the hard gate. EU bases need the unrestricted right to work in the EU; UK bases need the right to work in the UK. Ryanair does not sponsor visas.
Ryanair recruits cabin crew through partners such as Crewlink and Workforce International, which run frequent open days across Europe, so intake volume is high. If you have EU or UK work rights, this is one of the most attainable entries in the industry. Source: Crewlink FAQ.
Wizz Air cabin crew requirements
- Age: 18 at most bases. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, a separate entity, requires 21.
- Education: completed secondary or high school education.
- Reach: an arm reach of 210cm on tiptoes, barefoot, checked at the recruitment day. No fixed minimum height is published.
- English: fluent spoken and written English, with a proficiency test on the recruitment day.
- Experience: none required. Full training is provided.
- Medical note: the official page states that a glasses or contact lens prescription above +4 or below -4 is unlikely to pass the mandatory medical.
Work rights depend on the base, and reliable sources indicate Wizz Air does not sponsor visas, so confirm the rule for your chosen base. With rolling recruitment days across many European bases, intake is high volume. Source: Wizz Air Careers.
easyJet cabin crew requirements
- Age: 18 or older, with no upper limit.
- Height: between 5 feet 2 inches and 6 feet 3 inches, roughly 157.5cm to 190cm, measured without shoes.
- English and base language: fluent spoken and written English, plus the language native to your chosen base where that base is not English speaking.
- Experience: at least 6 months in a customer facing role. No aviation experience needed.
- Swimming: you must be able to swim 25 metres unaided, tread water, inflate a life jacket and climb into a life raft.
- Work rights: the right to live and work in the UK or EEA for your base. easyJet does not offer visa sponsorship, and you must live within 90 minutes of the base or be willing to relocate.
easyJet is accessible on requirements, with the work rights rule and a multi step assessment being the things that thin the field. Visible tattoos on the head, face or neck are not allowed. Source: easyJet Careers.
Jet2.com cabin crew requirements
- Age: commonly stated as 18. Jet2's own page does not publish a number, so confirm it.
- Reach and height: Jet2 states a functional reach and jump seat harness requirement rather than a height in centimetres. Independent guides put the effective minimum at around 5 feet 2 inches.
- English: fluent spoken and written English.
- Experience: none required, but you must pass a four week training course that the Summer 2026 listing states is unpaid and held local to your base.
- Work rights: Jet2 is a UK carrier hiring for UK bases, so the operative rule is the right to work in the UK. You must live within 75 minutes of your base.
Hiring is high volume and seasonal, on fixed term summer contracts across UK bases, which makes it genuinely accessible, but the vetting is thorough and includes five years of references. Source: Jet2 Careers.
British Airways cabin crew requirements
- Age: 18 or over at the time of application.
- Reach and height: the official functional standard is a minimum height of at least 1.575m and a vertical reach of at least 2.01m, assessed in a functionality check that includes reaching overhead lockers and operating doors.
- English: proficient in both spoken and written English.
- Experience: at least 12 months of customer service experience. No flying experience required.
- Swimming: a mandatory wet drill course with British Airways' appointed partner, completed before training, which includes entering a pool and climbing into a life raft.
- Work rights: the right to live and work in the UK. British Airways states plainly that it does not offer visa sponsorship for the role.
British Airways uses a vertical reach figure rather than a tiptoe arm reach number, so read its standard on its own terms. Tattoo rules are stricter on the BA CityFlyer subsidiary at London City than on the mainline. Source: British Airways Cabin Crew FAQs.
The Asian carriers: Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific
Both recruit through location specific intakes rather than global open days, and both run a long selection over several rounds. Plan for a slower, more patient process than the European carriers.
Singapore Airlines cabin crew requirements
- Age: 18, a legislative minimum, with no upper limit stated.
- Education: at least five GCE O Level credits including English, or Higher Nitec and above. A degree is an advantage, not the minimum.
- Height: a minimum of 1.58m for women and 1.65m for men, stated as needed to meet aircraft safety and emergency reach. No official arm reach figure is published.
- English: fluent English with strong communication skills.
- Experience: none required. A service oriented personality is emphasised.
- Work rights: recruitment is run as location specific intakes and you must be eligible to be based in Singapore.
Singapore Airlines recruits directly, with no agencies, and runs a long selection over several rounds, so apply early and expect a wait. Source: Singapore Airlines Careers.
Cathay Pacific cabin crew requirements
- Age: a minimum of 18.
- Education: high school graduate or above for the Hong Kong intake. The separate Chinese Mainland intake requires a bachelor's degree, or high school plus a year of flying experience.
- Reach: a minimum arm reach of 208cm on tiptoes. No minimum height in centimetres is published.
- English: proficient written and spoken English. You may be exempt from the English test with a valid TOEIC score of 325 or above in both Reading and Listening, or IELTS Academic Band 6.0 or above.
- Languages: the Hong Kong intake prefers at least one additional language. The Chinese Mainland intake requires English and Chinese, Putonghua.
- Work rights: you need the right to work in Hong Kong, and Cathay refers successful non residents to the relevant Hong Kong immigration scheme.
Cathay is the carrier here most likely to expect a second language, especially Putonghua for the Chinese Mainland intake, so a useful Asian language genuinely strengthens your application. Source: Cathay Pacific Careers FAQ.
Which airlines are easiest to get into?
Easiest to apply to is not the same as easiest to be hired by, so here is the honest order. The European low cost carriers have the most accessible published requirements and recruit in the highest volume, but they expect you to already hold work rights.
- Most accessible: Ryanair and Wizz Air. Age 18, no experience, training provided, and frequent open days. The real gate is having EU or UK work rights, because they do not sponsor visas.
- Accessible with a catch: easyJet, Jet2 and British Airways. Modest requirements and high volume hiring, but a firm UK or EEA work rights rule with no sponsorship, plus customer service experience at easyJet and BA.
- Sponsored but competitive: Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways. They sponsor your visa and relocate you, and the published bar is low, but they screen huge applicant pools.
- Hardest in practice: Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific. The requirements are modest, but these are among the most sought after crew jobs in the world, with long selection and low acceptance.
Common myths about cabin crew requirements
| The myth | The reality |
|---|---|
| You have to be tall | Most airlines care about reach, not height. Qatar, Wizz Air and Cathay publish only an arm reach test. Where a height bar exists it is modest, such as Etihad's 163cm. |
| You need a degree | No airline here requires one for entry level cabin crew. Secondary or high school is the usual ceiling, and several name no academic qualification at all. |
| You need flying experience | Every airline trains first timers. Some want general customer service experience instead, but never prior aviation experience for the standard intake. |
| There is a strict weight limit | None of these airlines publishes a weight or BMI number. The standard is good health, professional presentation and fitting safely into a jump seat. |
| Any airline will sponsor your visa | Only the Gulf and Asian carriers here sponsor and relocate you. The European carriers expect you to already have the right to work at your base. |
How we checked this
Every airline's requirements were researched against its own official careers page first, then independently fact checked, and finally cross checked against the requirement fields we capture across the cabin crew listings on AeroScout, such as minimum age, height, arm reach and swimming. Where the airlines publish a figure, it lined up with our data, for example the Emirates 212cm reach and 160cm height and the Wizz Air 210cm reach. Where a popular figure is not on an airline's official page, such as the on tiptoes detail for the Emirates reach, or a specific swim distance for the Gulf carriers, we have said so rather than present it as official. Airlines change these rules by intake and by base, so treat this as a sourced snapshot for 2026 and confirm on the airline's own page before you apply.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a degree to become cabin crew?
No. None of the major airlines require a university degree for entry level cabin crew. Most ask only for completed secondary or high school education, and several, including easyJet, Jet2 and British Airways, state no formal academic qualification at all. The main partial exception is Cathay Pacific's separate Chinese Mainland intake, which wants a degree or high school plus a year of flying experience.
How tall do you have to be to be cabin crew?
It is usually about reach, not height. Several airlines, including Qatar, Wizz Air and Cathay Pacific, publish only an arm reach test of roughly 208cm to 212cm on tiptoes and no height minimum, because the point is reaching the overhead safety equipment. Where a height bar does exist it is modest, for example Etihad's 163cm, Singapore Airlines' 158cm for women and 165cm for men, or easyJet's range from about 5 feet 2 inches.
What is the minimum age to be cabin crew?
Usually 18. The European carriers on this list, Ryanair, Wizz Air, easyJet, Jet2 and British Airways, hire from 18. The three big Gulf carriers, Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad, set their minimum at 21. There is generally no upper age limit.
Do you need previous experience to apply?
Generally no. Every airline here accepts first timers and provides full training. Some want general customer service experience rather than aviation experience: Emirates asks for 1 year, British Airways for 12 months and easyJet for 6 months. Ryanair, Wizz Air, Jet2, Qatar, Etihad, Singapore Airlines and Cathay's Hong Kong intake require no prior experience at all.
Can you have tattoos as cabin crew?
Usually only if they are not visible in the uniform. No visible tattoos in uniform is close to a universal rule across these airlines, and tattoos that can be discreetly covered are often acceptable. easyJet specifically bars visible tattoos on the head, face and neck. The exact rules and any piercing policy vary by airline and change over time, so check the current grooming policy before you apply.
Which airlines are easiest to get into?
European low cost carriers tend to be the most accessible. Ryanair and Wizz Air hire at 18 with no experience, provide training and run frequent open days. The catch is that they do not sponsor visas, so you must already have EU or UK right to work. Gulf and premium Asian carriers like Emirates, Qatar, Cathay and especially Singapore Airlines have similarly modest published requirements but are far more competitive in practice.
Do airlines sponsor your work visa?
It depends on the airline's model. Gulf carriers, Emirates, Qatar and Etihad, and Cathay Pacific subject to immigration approval, sponsor a work visa and relocate you to their hub, so you do not need pre existing work rights there. European carriers, Ryanair, easyJet, British Airways and, according to reliable sources, Wizz Air, do not sponsor visas, so you must already hold the legal right to work at the base you apply for. Always confirm the exact rule on the airline's careers page, as it varies by base and entity.
Find cabin crew jobs
Now you know the requirements, see who is hiring. Browse live cabin crew jobs on AeroScout, free and with no card, whether you search under the flight attendant title or by region for the Middle East or Europe. Already flying and ready to lead a cabin? Look at cabin manager jobs too. For the wider hiring picture, read our pilot and cabin crew hiring report, and if you are weighing up where to search, our guide to the best pilot and cabin crew job boards in 2026.