Shortly after your Anmeldung, a letter from the Beitragsservice (ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio) will arrive. This is the Rundfunkbeitrag — the public broadcasting fee of €18.36 per month (unchanged for 2026), charged per household, whether or not you own a TV. It is not a scam and not optional.

The one thing to know: one flat pays once.

Living in a WG (shared flat)? Only one person pays. Ask your flatmates for the existing Beitragsnummer, reply to the letter with it, and you're exempted.
Student dorm: single apartments with own front doors pay; rooms in shared corridors often count as one household — ask your dorm admin what's standard.
Living alone? Register and set up a direct debit; done.

Ignore it and it grows: unanswered letters escalate into formal payment orders (Festsetzungsbescheid) with late fees, eventually collectable like a tax debt. Answer every Beitragsservice letter, even if just to declare your flat already pays.

Low income? BAföG recipients and some benefit receivers can apply for exemption — students paying their own way generally cannot.

Red flags:

Emails demanding Rundfunkbeitrag payment are scams. The Beitragsservice writes by post, quotes your Beitragsnummer, and never links to payment pages. Delete the email; answer the letters.
Ignoring the letters because "I don't watch TV" — the fee is per household, not per device, and silence turns €18.36/month into an enforceable debt with fees.
Paying twice in a WG because nobody talked — one Beitragsnummer per flat is enough; reply with the existing one.
Moving out and assuming it ends — you must actively transfer or deregister your Beitragsnummer, or the old flat's fee keeps accruing in your name.

The one thing to know: one flat pays once.

Living in a WG (shared flat)? Only one person pays. Ask your flatmates for the existing Beitragsnummer, reply to the letter with it, and you're exempted.
Student dorm: single apartments with own front doors pay; rooms in shared corridors often count as one household — ask your dorm admin what's standard.
Living alone? Register and set up a direct debit; done.

Low income? BAföG recipients and some benefit receivers can apply for exemption — students paying their own way generally cannot.

Red flags:

Emails demanding Rundfunkbeitrag payment are scams. The Beitragsservice writes by post, quotes your Beitragsnummer, and never links to payment pages. Delete the email; answer the letters.
Ignoring the letters because "I don't watch TV" — the fee is per household, not per device, and silence turns €18.36/month into an enforceable debt with fees.
Paying twice in a WG because nobody talked — one Beitragsnummer per flat is enough; reply with the existing one.
Moving out and assuming it ends — you must actively transfer or deregister your Beitragsnummer, or the old flat's fee keeps accruing in your name.

Handle the broadcast fee (Rundfunkbeitrag)

Handle the broadcast fee (Rundfunkbeitrag)