Do students have to pay the Rundfunkbeitrag (broadcasting fee)?

If you get a letter from the "ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice", it is about the Rundfunkbeitrag, the public broadcasting fee. It is a real, official contribution, and it applies to students too.

The basics (as of October 2026)

• €18.36 per month per dwelling (€220.32 per year), no matter how many people live there or whether you own a TV or radio.
• It is charged per dwelling, not per person.

Shared flat or dorm?

• Shared flat (WG): only one adult per flat has to be registered and pay. Agree among yourselves who registers and share the cost. Flatmates who are already registered can then deregister (online form on rundfunkbeitrag.de).
• Student dorm: a room that opens onto a generally accessible corridor counts as its own dwelling, even with its own bathroom or kitchen, so each room pays the full fee.
• Dorm flat behind its own front door, used like a WG: the shared-flat rule applies (one payment per flat).

Steps

1. Check whether your flat already has a contribution account (ask your flatmates).
2. If not, register the flat online at rundfunkbeitrag.de.
3. Keep the contribution number (Beitragsnummer) from the confirmation letter; you need it for any change.
4. If someone else in the flat already pays, do not register a second account; answer the letter and say the flat is already registered. Ask the paying flatmate for the details the Beitragsservice asks for.
5. When you move out or leave Germany, use the deregistration form on rundfunkbeitrag.de.

Exemption

• Students who receive BAföG and do not live with their parents can apply for exemption. It also covers a spouse or registered partner, but not flatmates.