Germany · Rundfunkbeitrag · housing
A Rundfunkbeitrag letter: do you have to pay €18.36 and how to get an exemption
Short answer
If you receive Grundsicherung (Jobcenter), social assistance or AsylbLG benefits, apply for an exemption with a copy of your Bescheid. Exemption is never automatic; without an application the fee accrues and becomes debt.
Got a letter from the Beitragsservice?
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- What the letter is and who sent it
- The reply deadline
- How serious it is and what to do
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What to do step by step
- 1
Check that the letter concerns your home: only one person per home pays.
- 2
If a flatmate already pays, send the Beitragsservice their contribution number (Beitragsnummer).
- 3
If you receive Grundsicherung, social assistance or AsylbLG, apply for exemption online at rundfunkbeitrag.de.
- 4
Attach a copy of your current benefit Bescheid and note its end date.
- 5
When the Bescheid is renewed, apply again so the exemption does not lapse.
Important
Ignoring the letters is risky: unpaid fees go to enforcement. If a Mahnung or Festsetzungsbescheid arrives, check the appeal deadline in that letter.
Official sources
Checked: 2026-10-07