Fill out the GEZ form online
Register / Cancel your German broadcasting license (Rundfunkbeitrag)
THE PROBLEM(S)
- Everyoneย who lives inย Germany must register at GEZ for a broadcasting license.
- Everyone whoย leaves Germany must cancel theย GEZ broadcastingย license.
- The GEZ formsย are only available in German.
THE SOLUTION
- Fill out the form below and pay 9,90โฌ for it.
- Receive an email with theย filled-outย GEZ form.
- Print the form and send it toย the centralย GEZ office in Cologne.
FAQ GEZ (Rundfunkbeitrag)
Everyone who is registered in Germany must pay public broadcasting fees to the GEZ.
What is the GEZ?
GEZ is a German public agency,ย which collects fees for German public broadcasting.ย In other words, the GEZ isย a state organisation that takes money from the people.
This money is used to produce public TV and radio programmes. Examples of such programmes are ARD, ZDF, InfoRadio etc.
Public broadcasting programmes are meant to ensureย the production of unbiased news content for the citizens! To what extent this is true is another matter!
So who must register at GEZ?
Everyone who lives in Germany. Every German residentย mustย pay a monthly feeย for this public broadcast. You must pay it, even if you do not have a TV, Internet access or a radio.
If you are unhappy about having to pay it, then I suggest the following. Simply see it as a contribution to the production of objective news within Germany. So in a way, you are contributing towards the democratic system!
What are Rundfunkgebรผhren?ย
Rundfunkgebรผhren literallyย means “broadcasting fees”. It is the same as GEZ.
What does GEZ stand for?
GEZ is short for Gebรผhreneinzugszentrale, which means “fee collecting agency”. It all refers to the same thing basically ;)
Who has to pay GEZ?
Every person who is registered inย Germany must also register at GEZ.
The GEZ fee is charged per registered household, not per person.
How to register at GEZ in Germany
You have recently registered in Germany and filled out the registration form (Anmeldung)?
Great! Now you must now register at GEZ.
Everyone who lives in Germany is obliged to register at GEZ and pay a monthly license fee – even if you do not have Internet, TV or a radio. Everyone has to pay it. See it as part of your duties of living in Germany.
To register at GEZ, you can simply fill out the form online – on our website.
- Fill out your personal details and your payment details.
- Our system will automatically transfer your data onto the German original GEZ form.
- Print the form.
- Sign the form and send it to the GEZ agency in Cologne (the exact address is printed on the letter that we send you).
- Done!
How to change your address details at GEZ
If you move to another address in Germany, you must update your address details at the GEZ agency in Germany.
You must also update your details,ย if you move together with another person. Why? Because in 2013 they changed the law and now every householdย must pay the GEZ fee – not every person.ย So if you live in a household with different people who are all registered at the same address,ย you do not pay the GEZ fee separately.
If each of you pays the GEZ fee separately, make sure to update your details at GEZ and let them know of the situation, so they only charge one of you.
How toย contact GEZ and update myย details?
Easy.ย Just use the registration form on this website. Enter your newย address. Print the form. And send it to the GEZ agency.
You can also add a handwritten note on a separate sheet, if you want toย leave the GEZ a message.
How to cancel GEZ payments when you leave Germany
If you deregister in Germany you must also cancel your registration at the GEZ agency in Cologne.
If you don’t cancel your GEZ license, you willย continue to get monthly invoices (Rundfunkgebรผhren).
What happens if you do not pay the GEZ invoices? You may have to be liable to pay additional fines.
So you must make sure you cancel your GEZ license (Rundfunkbeitragsservice)
Once you leave Germany you have to fill out a form to cancel your GEZ registration. It is very easy to do so:
1. You can fill out the form on our website in English.
2. We will then send you the German original form with yourย personal details on it.
3. Print the form.
4.ย Sign the form and send it to the GEZ agency (the address is printed on the instruction letterย that we send you).
What happens if I do not pay GEZ fees?
You are wondering what happens if you do not pay the GEZ invoices? More letters will arrive at your doorstep. You will be charged an additional fine.
Just make sure to get in touch with GEZ. If you get the GEZ letters in error, send them a note. You can also call them! Just fill out the form on our website and notify them of your situation!
What happens if I donโt register at GEZ?
Many people think that the monthly fee is very high and do not want to pay it.
The GEZ agency makes sure that everyone pays their contribution and charges you withย fines if you do not pay the bills.
If you have not registered at GEZ, better do it now than later. If you live in a shared flat or with your family, oneย monthly GEZ paymentย covers the entire household.
It is not paid by person but by registered apartment / house.
So if you move into an already-existing household, you do not have to pay the fee again! So make sure you write thatย onย your GEZ registration in order to avoid double-payment.
Easy, peasy, just fill out the registration form on our website and make a note on it. You can also write on the form by hand.
