Month 1
Time
15 min
Cost
€18.36/mo per household
Difficulty
Easy
What to bring
Your Anmeldung details
A German bank account for the direct debit
Not needed: A TV or radio, the fee applies regardless of what you own
Your options
Register & pay (rundfunkbeitrag.de)
The mandatory route
€18.36/mo
Register your household and set up the direct debit. One fee per home, not per person, flatmates split it.
Exemption / reduction (Befreiung)
For students on aid and others
€0 or reduced
Recipients of certain benefits (e.g. BAföG, some social support) can apply to be exempted or to pay a reduced rate.
Ignore the letters
Pretend it isn't happening
Escalating debt + fines
The fee is enforceable. Ignoring it leads to back-payment demands and enforcement, never the move.
Prices checked June 2026
Do it
- 1
Expect the letter after your Anmeldung
Registering your address quietly flags your household. A letter from the Beitragsservice arrives within weeks.
- 2
Register one payer per household
It's one fee per dwelling. In a shared flat, one person registers and pays; everyone else deregisters by naming that account.
- 3
Set up the direct debit
Pay monthly, quarterly or yearly by SEPA. Quarterly is the default if you do nothing.
- 4
Apply for exemption if eligible
Students on BAföG and certain benefit recipients can apply for Befreiung or a reduced rate with proof.
Words you'll hear
Rundfunkbeitrag
The €18.36/month broadcasting fee, charged per household whether or not you own a TV. Not optional, they find you via the Anmeldung.
Common questions
I live in a shared flat, do we each pay?
No. The fee is per household, so one flatmate pays the single €18.36 and the others deregister by referencing that registration.
Can I really not opt out if I have no TV?
Correct, the fee funds public broadcasting per household regardless of devices. Only formal exemptions (not "I have no TV") reduce it.
Full checklist tracking and task completion live in the Settli app for Berlin.