Logo Bayernportal
- no location -
Home > Procedures

Broadcasting Fee; Applying for an Exemption

Individuals may be exempted from the obligation to pay the broadcasting license fee upon request

Online services & Forms

Online services

Responsible for you

For contact details of the responsible authoritiy and local valid information select under "Select location" a location.
Stilisiertes Bild eines Hauses
ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice
Mehr zur Behörde

Procedure details

In the private sector, a broadcasting fee must be paid for each apartment by its owner (the person liable for the fee). The owner of an apartment is any adult who lives in the apartment themselves. Any person who is registered at that address in accordance with registration laws or is named as the tenant in the apartment’s lease agreement is presumed to be the owner. If several people live in an apartment, one of them must pay the full fee.

Exemption for social or health reasons:

Natural persons are exempt from the obligation to pay the fee upon application if

  • who receive certain social benefits (e.g., citizen’s income, basic income support for the elderly and those with reduced earning capacity, subsistence assistance or long-term care assistance under social assistance, long-term care assistance under war victims’ welfare and burden-sharing programs),
  • who receive educational assistance under the Federal Training Assistance Act and do not live with their parents,
  • who are entitled to special assistance under the Federal Pension Act,
  • who receive benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act,
  • are deafblind individuals or recipients of assistance for the blind under Section 72 of Book Twelve of the Social Code.

Upon application, the broadcasting license fee is reduced to one-third for the following individuals:

  • blind individuals or those with a significant visual impairment that is not merely temporary, with a degree of disability of at least 60 solely due to visual impairment,
  • people with hearing impairments who are deaf or who are unable to communicate sufficiently through hearing, even with hearing aids, and
  • people with a disability whose degree of disability is at least 80 and is not merely temporary, and who, due to their condition, are permanently unable to participate in public events.

The exemption or reduction granted applies within the household to the applicant, their spouse, their registered domestic partner, and children up to the age of 25. The exemption from the broadcasting license fee also applies to other adult cohabitants if their income and assets were taken into account when the social benefit was granted.

Exemption for Secondary Residences:

Upon application (see below for the deadline), individuals who already pay the broadcasting license fee for their primary residence are exempt from the obligation to pay the fee for their secondary residence. Likewise, their spouses or registered domestic partners may also apply for an exemption from the broadcasting license fee for their secondary residences. This is contingent on the partner paying the broadcasting fee for the shared primary residence.

Hardship Cases: 

An exemption is also possible in special hardship cases. A hardship case exists, in particular, if a social benefit was denied on the grounds that the income exceeds the respective needs threshold by an amount less than the monthly broadcasting fee.

  • You receive state social benefits, such as
    • Unemployment benefit II
    • social welfare
    • BAföG
    • basic income support
  • or you are deaf-blind
  • or receive assistance for the blind.

Please note:

You can apply for an exemption from the broadcasting fee as a special case of hardship if you do not receive any social benefits because your income exceeds the respective income threshold by less than EUR 17.50.

If you are exempt from the obligation to pay the contribution, the exemption also extends to your wife or husband within the home. The same applies to your registered partner.

  • Exemption for social or health reasons:

    In the case of exemption for social reasons: Corresponding confirmation from the responsible social welfare authority or benefit provider or the social benefit notification.

    For exemption for health reasons: Proof of the health impairment with the official award of "RF" ("Rundfunk-Fernsehen") or a certificate of deaf-blindness.

  • Exemption from secondary residences:

    Designation of the registered main and secondary residences, submission of the registration certificate or secondary residence tax assessment notice, submission of suitable official proof of the status of the marriage/registered civil partnership, if applicable.

  • Hardship cases:

    Proof of the rejection notice showing the amount of the overrun or a corresponding certificate from the competent authority.

    A simple copy of the relevant evidence is sufficient. Many authorities also issue so-called third-party certificates specifically for submission to the Contribution Service.

Requests for an exemption or reduction must be submitted in writing to ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice.

Please use the form or the online procedure for this purpose.

If you use the online process, you can enter your information online. Print it out at the end of the entry process and sign it. Include the required supporting documents and mail your documents to the appropriate office.

Your application will be reviewed, and you will receive a notice of the decision.

none

Exemptions for social or health reasons:

Exemptions or reductions for social reasons may be requested at any time. Past periods may be taken into account retroactively for a maximum of three years from the date of application, provided that the requirements were met during that period.

Exemption for Secondary Residences:

To qualify for an exemption for a secondary residence, an application for exemption must be submitted within three months of the requirement being met (e.g., moving into the residence). If the application is submitted later, the exemption does not take effect from the date of moving in, but only from the date the application is submitted.

Hardship cases:

Exemptions may be applied for at any time. Past periods may be taken into account retroactively for a maximum of three years from the date of application, provided the requirements were met during that period. The exemption is granted for a period of one year and must then be reapplied for if necessary.

Within a few days.

Status: 30.06.2026
Editorially responsible for procedure description: Bayerische Staatskanzlei (Bavarian State Chancellery)
Contains machine translated content. Show the original content