The licence fee amounts to € 17.50 per month, which is booked every three months. That means you have to pay € 52.50 every three months. You can also opt for a semi-annual or annual prepayment. Once you register, you can decide whether you want to transfer the funds manually or prefer it to be collected automatically (via SEPA direct debit).
Licence Fee for Public Broadcasting
Why do I have to pay "Rundfunkbeitrag"?
Whenever you turn on the TV or radio, you can choose from a variety of channels. In Germany, the companies which operate these channels are divided into two main categories: private broadcasting and public broadcasting companies. Private broadcasters finance themselves through advertising, but the public broadcasting companies, e.g. ARD and ZDF, are primarily funded through licence fees paid by the public. Everyone who lives in Germany must pay such licence fees so that they can benefit from public broadcasting - whether they actually use the services or not. Public service broadcasting contributions are regulated by the Public broadcasting State Treaty ("Rundfunkbeitragsstaatsvertrag").
What Do I Need To Know?
Important
Some scammers send fake payment requests. Whenever you receive a payment request which seems to be from the Contributions' Service, first check your contribution number ("Beitragsnummer") and your address on the letter. Scammers, in principle, cannot know your actual contribution number. If in doubt, call the Contributions' Service and make sure the letter comes from them.