How to Deregister ARD ZDF Beitrag When Leaving Germany

What the Rundfunkbeitrag is (and why you are paying it)

If you live in Germany, you pay the Rundfunkbeitrag — whether or not you own a TV, listen to German radio, or have ever watched a single minute of public broadcasting. It is a mandatory household levy that funds the public broadcasters ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio, collected by their joint collection office, the ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice (older letters may still call it the GEZ).

The fee is €18.36 per month, per dwelling — not per person, and not per device. That works out at €55.08 per quarter (it is usually debited quarterly) or €220.32 per year. One dwelling means one fee: a family pays once, a couple pays once, and a shared flat pays once in total. When you registered your address after moving in, your details were passed on and the Beitragsservice opened an account in your name and sent you a Beitragsnummer — which is why the letters started arriving even though you never signed up for anything.

Because it is a legal obligation rather than a subscription, you cannot cancel it simply because you do not use it. While you live in your own home in Germany, the only routes out are a formal exemption (see below) — or giving up the dwelling for good. And that is exactly where most expats get caught.

The mistake almost every expat makes

Before leaving Germany, you do everything right: you go to the Bürgeramt and deregister your address (the Abmeldung), hand back your keys, and fly home assuming every German account is now closed. It is not.

The Bürgeramt and the Beitragsservice are two completely separate institutions. Your Abmeldung is a city registration matter — it is never forwarded to the Beitragsservice as a cancellation. So your Beitrag account simply stays open, and the Beitragsservice keeps charging €18.36 a month — €220.32 a year — long after you have left the country.

If you paid by direct debit, the money keeps leaving your German bank account every quarter. If you did not, payment demands pile up at an address you no longer live at, arrears build up month after month, and surcharges are added on top. The fix is a separate deregistration with the Beitragsservice itself. It is free, takes a few minutes online, and is described step by step below.

How to deregister step by step (leaving Germany)

1. Deregister at the Bürgeramt first — and keep the certificate. Do your Abmeldung (possible from 7 days before until 14 days after you move out) and keep the Abmeldebestätigung, the deregistration certificate you receive. The Beitragsservice wants it as proof of the date you gave up your home. If you have lost it, you can normally request a copy from the Bürgeramt of your last German address. Our Anmeldung and Abmeldung guide covers how registration and deregistration work.
2. Find your Beitragsnummer. The 9-digit number is printed on every letter and payment notice from the Beitragsservice, and it also appears in the reference line of their debits on your bank statements. The online form asks for it.
3. Open the "Wohnung abmelden" form at rundfunkbeitrag.de. Select the reason that you are giving up the dwelling and moving abroad permanently (dauerhaft ins Ausland ziehen). Enter the date you moved out and your new address abroad, so the written confirmation can actually reach you.
4. Upload your Abmeldebestätigung. A scan or photo uploaded in the form is enough. It proves your departure date, and your account is then closed effective from the month in which you gave up the home.
5. Wait for the closing letter — and check for your refund. The written confirmation arrives by post, usually within 4 to 6 weeks. If contributions were taken for months after you moved out, the overpayment is refunded to your bank account — so do not close your German bank account until the refund has landed. The same logic applies to a much larger amount: the pension contributions you paid while working here — many non-EU leavers can claim those back too, as our German pension refund guide explains.

Two practical notes: deregistration cannot be done by phone. If you prefer paper, you can send the completed form by post to ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice, 50656 Köln.

The other cases: moving in, moving within Germany, second homes

Moving in with someone who already pays

Because the fee is per dwelling, two accounts for one home is one too many. If you move in with a partner or into a flat where the Beitrag is already paid, deregister your own account and give the Beitragsnummer of the person who pays for the shared home. Your account is closed; theirs simply continues.

Moving within Germany

Moving to another German address is not a deregistration. Register your new address at the Bürgeramt and notify the Beitragsservice of the move (address change / Wohnungswechsel) so your existing account follows you. Do not open a second account for the new home — one account, updated address.

Second home (Zweitwohnung)

Since a 2018 ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court, you can apply for an exemption for a second home if you already pay the Beitrag for your main home. Without that application, both dwellings are charged — so if you keep a Zweitwohnung, apply rather than assuming.

Death of the account holder

Relatives can close a deceased person's account by notifying the Beitragsservice with the death certificate (Sterbeurkunde). If a partner or family member stays in the dwelling, the account is not closed but re-registered in their name, because the dwelling itself remains liable.

Exemptions while you still live in Germany

Briefly: recipients of Bürgergeld or BAföG, and people with certain severe disabilities (for example deaf-blindness, or the RF mark in a severely disabled person's pass), can be exempted entirely or pay a reduced rate. Apply to the Beitragsservice with the benefit notice or proof — exemptions are granted from the month of application, so do not wait.

Already left Germany without deregistering?

Do it now — the same online form works from abroad, and your Abmeldebestätigung fixes your leaving date. With that proof, your account is closed effective from the month you gave up the home, and contributions collected after that month are refunded to your bank account.

One honest caveat: formally, your obligation to pay runs until you notify the Beitragsservice. The backdated closure depends on proving when you left, which is exactly what the Abmeldebestätigung does — but the longer you wait, the more arrears, letters and surcharges accumulate in the meantime. Deregister before you leave, or in the first weeks after.

And if you never deregister at all? The account stays open and the debt grows by €18.36 every month. The Beitragsservice then issues a formal assessment notice (Festsetzungsbescheid) that fixes the debt officially, adds a late-payment surcharge (Säumniszuschlag) of 1% of the arrears — a minimum of €8 — and can ultimately move to enforcement. Leaving the country does not make the debt expire: if you return to Germany later, it can still be collected. Five minutes with an online form, or years of quiet debt — it is an easy choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Does deregistering at the Bürgeramt (Abmeldung) cancel the Rundfunkbeitrag automatically? +
  No. The Bürgeramt and the ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice are separate institutions, and your Abmeldung is never forwarded as a cancellation. Your Beitrag account stays open and the €18.36 monthly fee keeps being charged until you deregister with the Beitragsservice itself — even if you have already left Germany.
• Can I deregister retroactively and get a refund? +
  Yes. If you send your Abmeldebestätigung (the deregistration certificate from the Bürgeramt) as proof, your account is closed effective from the month you gave up your home, and contributions paid beyond that month are refunded to your bank account. Formally, the obligation runs until you notify the Beitragsservice, so deregister before you leave or as soon as possible afterwards.
• Where do I find my Beitragsnummer? +
  Your Beitragsnummer is the 9-digit number printed on every letter and payment notice from the Beitragsservice. You can also find it on your bank statements, in the reference line of the Beitragsservice direct debits. You need it for the online deregistration form.
• I live in a shared flat (WG). Does each of us pay the Rundfunkbeitrag? +
  No. The fee is charged per dwelling, not per person: one account covers the whole flat, no matter how many people live there. One flatmate registers and pays the €18.36, and the others can have their own accounts closed by giving that Beitragsnummer. The same applies to couples and families living in one home.
• What happens if I just ignore the Beitragsservice letters? +
  The debt keeps growing by €18.36 every month. The Beitragsservice issues a formal assessment notice (Festsetzungsbescheid), adds a late-payment surcharge (Säumniszuschlag) of 1% of the arrears, at least €8, and can ultimately enforce payment. Leaving Germany does not make the debt disappear — it can still be collected if you return.
• Can I deregister by phone or email? +
  Not by phone — deregistration is not possible over the phone. Use the online form 'Wohnung abmelden' at rundfunkbeitrag.de and upload your Abmeldebestätigung. Alternatively, send the completed form by post to ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice, 50656 Köln. You will receive a written confirmation, usually within 4 to 6 weeks.