- Get link
- X
- Other Apps
BUREAUCRACY · GERMANY
Rundfunkbeitrag (GEZ) Explained: Why You Pay €18.36 a Month Even Without a TV
A few weeks after your Anmeldung, a letter from the "ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice" lands in your mailbox. It's not a scam, and ignoring it is the most expensive thing you can do. Here's how it works.
Almost every newcomer has the same reaction: "I don't own a TV. I don't watch German television. I don't even understand German radio yet. Why am I paying for this?" Fair question. The answer is that Germany stopped caring about devices more than a decade ago — and once you understand how the system works, you can make sure you pay exactly what you owe, no more.
This is the Rundfunkbeitrag, still widely called "GEZ" after the old collection agency. It funds Germany's public broadcasters (ARD, ZDF, Deutschlandradio). Below: how much it costs in 2026, who pays it, how to split it in a shared flat, who can get out of it, and what to do when you leave Germany.
What You Pay in 2026
€18.36 per month, per household. This rate has been unchanged since August 2021.
Usually billed quarterly: €55.08. Collected in the middle of each three-month period. You can also pay half-yearly or once a year (€220.32).
From the month you move in. The obligation starts on the first day of the month you move into your flat — not from the day the letter arrives.
Will it go up? The independent commission KEF has recommended a small increase to €18.64 from January 2027, and ARD and ZDF have taken the frozen rate to the Federal Constitutional Court. As of autumn 2026, no new rate has been set — we'll update this post when that changes.
Why "I Don't Have a TV" Doesn't Work
Before 2013, the fee depended on which devices you owned, which led to inspectors knocking on doors and people hiding TVs. Since 2013 the rule is brutally simple: one fee per residence (Wohnung). It doesn't matter whether you own a TV, a radio, a laptop, or nothing at all, and it doesn't matter whether you speak German or watch anything.
Germany's courts have repeatedly confirmed this model. So arguing "I never use it" in a letter will get you a polite reply and the same bill. Save your energy for the things you can change, which we'll get to below.
How They Find You (Yes, Automatically)
You don't need to sign up proactively for the Beitragsservice to find you. When you do your Anmeldung at the Bürgeramt, the registration office passes your data on. A few weeks later, you'll receive a letter asking you to register or confirm that someone in your household already pays.
The smarter move: register yourself online right after your Anmeldung on the official site, rundfunkbeitrag.de (it's available in English and several other languages). You'll get a Beitragsnummer (contribution number) and choose a payment method — SEPA direct debit is the easiest way to never think about it again.
Scam check: The only legitimate sender is the "ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice" in Cologne, and the official website is rundfunkbeitrag.de. Private "GEZ cancellation services" that charge you money to fill in a free form are a waste — everything can be done yourself, for free, online.
Shared Flats (WG): Only One Person Pays
Because the fee is per residence, a WG with four people still pays one fee of €18.36. The usual setup:
- One flatmate registers and pays the full amount.
- Everyone else splits it internally — €4.59 each in a four-person flat.
- The others reply to their letters with the payer's Beitragsnummer, confirming the household is already covered. Then they won't be charged.
This is the step people skip. If you just ignore your letter because "my flatmate pays," the system has no way of knowing that — and you'll be registered as a second payer for the same flat.
Moving out of a WG? If you're the registered payer and you're leaving, transfer the account to a remaining flatmate or tell the Beitragsservice who takes over. Otherwise you can end up still owing for a flat you no longer live in.
Who Can Get an Exemption or Reduction
Exemptions exist, but they are never automatic. You must apply, with proof. The main groups:
Bürgergeld and social assistance recipients. Send a copy of your current Bescheid (decision letter) with the application.
BAföG recipients who don't live with their parents. Important for international students: most don't receive BAföG — and a scholarship or a part-time job does not qualify you. Many international students therefore do have to pay.
Asylum seekers receiving benefits under the Asylbewerberleistungsgesetz.
Certain disabilities. Deafblind people and recipients of Blindenhilfe are fully exempt. People with the "RF" mark in their disability ID can pay a reduced €6.12 per month.
Second residences (Nebenwohnung). If you or your spouse/partner already pay for your main residence, you can apply to be exempt for the second one.
Exemptions can be granted retroactively for up to three years if you had the qualifying status during that period — so if you were on benefits and didn't know about this, it's worth applying now.
What Happens If You Ignore It
A lot of newcomers ignore the letters, assuming they're optional or will go away. They don't. The sequence is:
- Payment reminders, then a formal Festsetzungsbescheid (assessment notice) with a late-payment surcharge of 1% of the overdue amount (minimum €8).
- If that's ignored too, the debt is handed to the local enforcement authority. That can mean a bailiff (Gerichtsvollzieher) or a garnishment of your bank account or wages.
- In the worst cases, failed enforcement can land you in the official debtor register (Schuldnerverzeichnis), which also shows up in your SCHUFA. That's the last thing you want when you're apartment-hunting.
Already behind? Contact the Beitragsservice and ask for a payment plan (Ratenzahlung). It's far cheaper and calmer to sort it out yourself than to wait for enforcement.
Leaving Germany? Deregister — Properly
The fee doesn't stop just because you left. When you move abroad (or move in with someone who already pays), you need to deregister (abmelden) on rundfunkbeitrag.de, giving the reason and, for a move abroad, your Abmeldebescheinigung from the Bürgeramt.
The catch: the obligation generally ends no earlier than the month in which your deregistration reaches them. So do it in the same week you deregister your address — not six months later from your new country.
Our Take
You can debate whether Germany's public broadcasting model is fair — plenty of Germans do, loudly. But as a newcomer, the practical answer is simple: register once, set up direct debit, split it with your flatmates, apply for an exemption if you qualify, and deregister when you leave. That's it. Twenty minutes of admin now saves you surcharges, bailiff letters, and a lot of stress later.
Got a confusing letter from the Beitragsservice or a question about your situation? Post it in our Facebook group (without your Beitragsnummer!) — someone there has almost certainly dealt with the exact same thing.
Comments
Post a Comment