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When you move in and complete your registration at the city hall, you will be receiving the letter from ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio, to pay a license fee, also known as GEZ (currently 18,63 euros per month). This is essentially an obligatory contribution to finance the public broadcasting service.

Key information

-This fee is per household, not per person. This means, e.g. if you are living in a “WG” (flatshare) of 4 people, you will split the cost by 4.

-This fee is absolutely obligatory, except under certain circumstances, which you can read about here.

-If you do not pay or pay late, you could be fined. They will not leave you alone. They will send a collection agency. If you don't pay, it can also affect your Schufa score (your credit score in Germany).

-Even if you live in a flatshare, or even if you know that your flatowner is taking care of it, do not be alarmed if you receive the letter. In that case, just contact your landlord/lady or flatmates and ask them to help you fill the form with the reference number.



paper for rundfunk Beitrag

So, how do I do it?

  1. You register with the local authorities.

  2. In a couple of weeks, you receive the letter from GEZ with a reference number, that has a payment slip and information on it.

  3. You fill the payment slip with the appropriate info depending on your situation (you can also complete this step online).

    1. You are flatsharing: Ask for the reference number to your flatmates/flatowner(s)

    2. You live alone: Fill the form! If you need help with translation, you can contact us.

  4. Send the form either online or offline

  5. Done!

Info
If you want to have more general info about this fee, click here.
You can also take a look at their FAQ here.



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