Contribution Regarding Broadcast Services

The broadcasting contribution has been in existence since January 1, 2013. It replaced the previous broadcasting fees - hence the former Gebühreneinzugszentrale (GEZ) was also renamed "ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice".

The broadcasting contribution finances public broadcasting. Public broadcasting offers high-quality information and entertainment programming and independent reporting. The large media library offering delivers the content to laptops, smartphones and tablets. To ensure that this offering is available to everyone in Germany, there is the broadcasting fee. It is based on a solidarity model, which means that everyone contributes to the financing of public broadcasting.

A flat-rate contribution is calculated for every home, so that in principle every household has to pay EUR 18.36 per month, regardless of whether any equipment at all is available and used in the household. This covers all types of use, including the radio in the car. The fee must be paid for three months at a time.

For student dormitories, the following regulation applies:

"For rooms in student dormitories that lead off from a generally accessible corridor, the broadcasting contribution of 18.36 euros per month must be paid. They are considered apartments - regardless of whether they have their own bathroom or kitchen. If several rooms are separated from a generally accessible hallway or staircase by their own apartment door and are designed or used like a shared apartment, only one person must be registered for the broadcasting fee, as in any other shared apartment, and the shared apartment can share the broadcasting fee."

For more information on the broadcasting fee, please visit: www.rundfunkbeitrag.de/studierende