The German broadcasting fee (Rundfunkbeitrag): who pays and how

2 min read · 6 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

Many newcomers take the letter from ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice for advertising or a scam. It is neither. The fee is set by law, and unanswered letters lead to back payments.

Rules, amounts and deadlines change. Check the official source linked at the end before you act, and ask the office in your city, because procedures differ from town to town.

Step by step

1. Expect the letter

   The contribution service gets new addresses from the registration offices. A few weeks after your Anmeldung it writes to you and asks whether your flat is already registered.

   Done

2. Answer it

   Use the form in the letter or the online forms on rundfunkbeitrag.de. If you ignore the letters, you are registered automatically and billed for all the months since you moved in.

   Done

3. Living alone or as a family: register

   One person registers the flat and pays. It does not matter how many people live there or how many devices there are.

   Done

4. In a shared flat: name the payer

   If a flatmate already pays for the flat, write back with that person's contribution number (Beitragsnummer). Then you owe nothing. Share the cost among yourselves.

   Done

5. Choose how to pay

   The standard is 55.08 euros every three months. You can also pay 110.16 euros every six months or 220.32 euros once a year. A SEPA direct debit is the simplest way and avoids reminders.

   Done

6. Apply for an exemption if you qualify

   People who receive certain state benefits are exempt on application, among them BAföG student support, basic income support and benefits for asylum seekers. Send the form from rundfunkbeitrag.de with a copy of the benefit notice. The exemption is not automatic.

   Done

Good to know

Rooms in shared accommodation such as boarding schools and barracks are free of the fee. A normal room or flat in a student hall of residence usually counts as a home and is not.

People with a severe disability and the mark RF in their disability card pay one third, 6.12 euros a month. Deaf-blind people are exempt.

When you leave Germany, deregister from the fee and send proof, for example your deregistration confirmation. It does not end by itself.

A second home can be exempted on application, if you already pay for your main home.

In short: 18.36 euros a month per flat. Answer the letter, register or name the payer's contribution number, pay by direct debit, apply for exemption with BAföG or benefits.