ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio contribution service

Broadcasting Fee: General Information for Private Individuals

Prerequisites

• As a private individual, you must register each of your residences for the broadcasting fee if you are of legal age and no broadcasting fee is yet being paid for the residence.
  • You do not need to register an unoccupied apartment.
• You need to update your data if anything has changed.
  • This applies in particular if you have a new address, a name change, a new bank account, or if you wish to use a different payment method.
• You can deregister from the broadcasting fee if you have been paying it and the obligation to pay the fee no longer applies to you.
  • This is the case if you move abroad, move in with someone who already pays, or if you give up your apartment.

Documents required

The documents you need depend on your request.

You can find out exactly which documents you need from the relevant authority.

Please note

You pay the broadcasting fee for private households per apartment. It does not depend on the type or number of broadcasting devices you own. The rule is: one fee per apartment.

The broadcasting fee covers all

• Radio sets,
• Smartphones and
• computer

within your apartment and in the privately used cars of all residents. If one resident pays the broadcasting fee, this covers the fee obligation for all persons living in the apartment. This regulation applies to

• Families,
• Shared apartments and
• unmarried couples

Are you a student living in a student residence hall?

This depends on the specific spatial conditions on site. You have to pay a broadcasting fee if you have your room directly accessible through a private entrance.

• from the stairwell or
• an anteroom or
• can be entered from the outside.

You do not have to pay a fee if you can only access your room through another apartment.

You can apply for a discount if you have a severely disabled person's ID card with the code "RF". This applies, for example, to...

• if you are blind or severely visually impaired (with a degree of disability of at least 60 solely due to visual impairment),
• if you are deaf or severely hearing impaired or
• if you are permanently unable to participate in public events due to a disability and your degree of disability is at least 80.

If you receive a discount, it also applies to your spouse or registered partner within the same apartment.

You can be exempted from the broadcasting fee if you receive certain social benefits.

An exemption is also possible if your income only slightly exceeds the limit for social benefits (by less than 17.50 euros).

If you receive blind person's allowance or are deafblind, you can apply for an exemption.

Different rules apply to companies, institutions and self-employed individuals.

Deadlines

• You must pay the broadcasting fee from the first day of the month in which you move into an apartment.


• Please notify us of any changes to your personal information immediately.


• Your obligation to pay contributions ends at the end of the month in which you no longer use the apartment and you have notified the responsible authority.

Procedure

• They submit the notification along with the required documents to the responsible authority.
• The responsible authority will review your report and documents. If necessary, they will request further documents or information from you.
• The responsible authority will decide on your application or amend your data accordingly.
• You may receive a notification.
• You may receive regular payment requests for the broadcasting fee.
• They settle the payment requests.

Processing time

Processing usually takes 4-6 weeks.

Fees

• There are no fees.


• Costs only arise from the broadcasting fee itself, unless you are exempt.

Legal remedies

omitted

Legal basis

State Broadcasting Agreement (RBStV)


https://www.rundfunkbeitrag.de/e175/e4794/Rundfunkbeitragsstaatsvertrag.pdf