Rundfunkbeitrag exemption rules to change from October 2025

The rules around who is obliged to pay Germany’s TV and radio tax (Rundfunkbeitrag) are set to change in October 2025. Here’s what residents need to know.

Certain students no longer obliged to pay Rundfunkbeitrag

All households in Germany are obliged to pay a radio tax (a broadcasting fee, similar to a TV licence fee in other countries) to fund public broadcasting services. Only certain groups of people are exempt from paying the radio tax in Germany.

From October, students or apprentices who receive the BAföG student loan and don’t live with their parents will be added to the list of groups exempt from paying the 18,36-euro monthly fee.

Other groups already exempt from paying include those who receive certain unemployment benefits, disability benefits, or a basic subsistence pension, people with hearing or vision impairments, and people with two or more dwellings in Germany (you only pay the licence fee for one).

What else has changed with the Rundfunkbeitrag in 2025?

Exempting certain groups of students from paying the broadcasting fee is one of many changes to the Rundfunkbeitrag system in 2025.

The Rundfunkbeitrag fee typically fluctuates, with increases requiring approval from the German parliament. However, in late 2024, representatives of the 16 federal states voted to freeze the fee amount at 18,36 euros until 2027. 

In June, the Beitragsservice, the company responsible for collecting the Rundfunkbeitrag, announced that it would also modify its payment system. People have two options when it comes to paying the Rundfunkbeitrag: setting up a direct debit, or regularly paying it by bank transfer.

Up until now, the Beitragsservice has sent out a regular invoice to people who pay the radio tax via bank transfer. For many people, this invoice also functions as a helpful payment reminder. 

However, since June, the regular invoices have been replaced with a single letter (the so-called “Einmalzahlungsaufforderung” or one-time payment request), which outlines the annual Rundfunkbeitrag payment deadlines.

You can find a detailed explanation of the upcoming deadlines on the Beitragsservice website or set up a direct debit by completing this online form.