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Broadcasting fee; registration of an apartment

Are you moving into an apartment for which no license fee is paid yet? Then you must register this apartment for the broadcasting fee.

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ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice
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Procedure details

Note: Under certain conditions, owners of secondary residences can be exempted from the obligation to pay the broadcasting fee for their secondary residence - this requires an application that must be submitted within three months of meeting the exemption requirements.

The broadcasting fee ensures the financing of ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio. With their programs, the broadcasters inform, educate and entertain many millions of people every day.

Thanks to solidarity-based financing, public service broadcasting in Germany can operate independently of political and economic interests. For this reason, citizens must pay a broadcasting fee of EUR 18.36 for every apartment, regardless of how many people live in the apartment:

  • If you move into an apartment, you register the apartment with the ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio contribution service for the broadcasting fee.
  • If you live in the apartment with several adults, you can decide for yourself who registers the apartment.
  • If you move into an apartment for which a license fee is already paid, you do not need to register for the license fee.

You must register the apartment from the beginning of the month in which you move into it.

The amount of the broadcasting fee and its due date are regulated by law. This means that you must pay the broadcasting fee even if you have not received a special request for payment.

You can register online.

In special cases, you can be exempted from the broadcasting fee or apply for a fee reduction.

Are you already registered for the broadcasting fee with an apartment? You can also use the online portal to register another home, for example a second home, secondary residence or privately used vacation home.

  • You are the owner of an apartment.
  • You live in the apartment.
  • You are registered in the apartment or named in the rental agreement.
  • There is no broadcasting fee account for the apartment.
  • No other person is already paying a license fee for the apartment.

You can register for the license fee online, by post or by telephone.

Online

  • Call up the online procedure and follow the step-by-step instructions provided there. .

  • Alternatively, you can also register by post or telephone.

    By post

    • Call up the form for registering an apartment on the website "rundfunkbeitrag.de" in PDF format.
    • Fill in the PDF form, print it out and sign it. Then send it by post to the ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio contribution service.

    Telephone

    • Call the Beitragsservice telephone hotline and go through the document with a contact person.

Broadcasting fee: EUR 18.36 per month

Payment method: SEPA direct debit or bank transfer Registration of the apartment is free of charge. You must then pay the broadcasting fee for the registered apartment. You can adjust the payment frequency as follows:

  • statutory payment method in the middle of 3 months: EUR 55.08
  • quarterly in advance on the first of a quarter for 3 months: EUR 55.08
  • half-yearly in advance on the first of each half-year for 6 months: EUR 110.16
  • annually in advance on the first of each year for 12 months: EUR 220.32

You must register immediately after moving into the apartment.

The Beitragsservice will process your registration immediately.

Status: 13.11.2025
Editorially responsible for prodecure description: Bayerische Staatskanzlei
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