The GEZ Rundfunkbeitrag: How International Students Get Fined €18.36

The Most Hated Letter in Germany

You just moved into your new apartment in Germany. You successfully registered your address at the city hall (Anmeldung). You feel great.

Two weeks later, a mysterious yellow envelope arrives in your mailbox from the ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice.

Inside is a bill demanding that you pay €18.36 per month.

Welcome to the Rundfunkbeitrag (formerly known as the GEZ). It is universally the most hated tax in Germany, and as an international student, you cannot escape it.

What is the Rundfunkbeitrag?

It is the German Broadcasting Fee. It funds the state-run public television and radio stations (ARD, ZDF, and public radio).

The law is brutal and absolute: The fee is tied to the apartment, not the person or the equipment.

"But I don't own a TV!" – It doesn't matter. The law assumes that because you own a smartphone or a laptop with internet access, you could* technically stream public radio. You must pay. "But I don't speak German, I only watch Netflix!"* – It doesn't matter. You must pay. "I am an international student, not a citizen!"* – It doesn't matter. If you live in an apartment in Germany, you must pay.

The WG Loophole (Shared Apartments)

Because the fee is strictly One Apartment = One Fee (€18.36), living in a shared flat (WG) is your saving grace.

If you live in a WG with 3 other students, the apartment only owes €18.36 total. You do not each pay €18.36.

You split the bill. One flatmate registers their bank account with the Beitragsservice and pays the €18.36. The rest of you just give that flatmate €4.50 a month.

When the GEZ sends you a threatening letter demanding payment, you simply log onto their website and input your flatmate's Beitragsnummer (Contribution Number) to prove the apartment is already paid for.

The BAföG Exemption

There is only one way to legally pay €0 for the TV Tax: You must receive BAföG (State Welfare).

If you receive BAföG, you can send the GEZ your approval letter, and they will exempt you from the tax entirely. However, as we know, 99% of non-EU international students are legally banned from receiving BAföG. Therefore, you are banned from the exemption.

Do Not Ignore the Letters

Many international students throw the yellow GEZ letters in the trash, assuming it's a scam.

Do not do this. The Beitragsservice does not give up. If you ignore them, they will add massive late fees (Säumniszuschläge). If you ignore them for a year, the debt will grow to over €300, and they will legally authorize the state to freeze your bank account or send a bailiff to your house to seize your property.

Factor the €18.36 into your monthly budget immediately. Use our Cost of Living Calculator to see how this hidden tax impacts your monthly blocked account payout.