- Price
- €7.95incl. VAT, 2 pages included
- Delivery time
- Next business dayusually, after handover to the post
- Proof
- Delivery recordinto the letterbox, + tracking
- Handed to the post
- Upload by 12:00Central European Time on a business day, posted the same day
- Counts as
- Domestic registered mailprinted and posted in Germany
Do you need registered mail to cancel the Rundfunkbeitrag?
No. You can deregister your flat online at rundfunkbeitrag.de, with the form of the Beitragsservice, the office that collects the fee. A letter of your own to the Beitragsservice in Cologne works too. Registered mail is not required.
Timing matters, though. The fee ends with the month you give up the flat. It does not end before the month your notice reaches the Beitragsservice. You usually cannot deregister for past months. To prove when it arrived, save the form's confirmation or send the notice as registered mail.
Online form or registered letter?
The online form is quick and free. Save the confirmation as a PDF or a screenshot with the date. That is your record that the notice arrived.
A registered letter fits when you have already left, the form does not go through, or you want a Deutsche Post record. The address is: ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice, 50656 Köln, Germany.
Einschreiben Einwurf records posting and the drop into the letterbox. Courts have held that the tracking status alone does not always prove receipt. If there is a dispute, ask Deutsche Post for the delivery record (Auslieferungsbeleg).
When does the fee stop?
| Situation | Fee ends |
|---|---|
| Move out in May, notice arrives in May | End of May |
| Move out in May, notice arrives in July | End of July: June and July are still due |
| Your partner or a flatmate stays in the flat | The flat still owes the fee; the other person takes over the account |
| You keep a second home in Germany | The fee for that home continues |
Two months count: the month you move out and the month your notice arrives. The later one decides. So deregister as soon as you know your move-out date, and no later than that month.
How do you deregister from abroad?
- Get the deregistration certificateFrom the residents' registration office when you deregister.
- Write the noticeWith your contribution number and moving-out date.
- Upload one PDFLetter and certificate together, at the latest in the month you move out.
- Wait for confirmationKeep the tracking number until the Beitragsservice confirms.
Sample deregistration letter in German
The Beitragsservice needs your contribution number and the reason. Add a copy of your deregistration certificate from the residents' office (Abmeldebescheinigung). The Beitragsservice may ask for proof, and the certificate answers that question before it is asked. In German, the language of the Beitragsservice. Replace the parts in brackets.
[Vorname Nachname]
Beitragsnummer: [neun Ziffern]
ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice
50656 Köln
Abmeldung der Wohnung wegen Wegzugs ins Ausland
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
hiermit melde ich die Wohnung [Anschrift] zum [Datum des Auszugs] ab. Ich ziehe ins Ausland und habe keine Wohnung mehr in Deutschland. Die Abmeldebescheinigung des Einwohnermeldeamts liegt bei.
Meine neue Anschrift: [Anschrift im Ausland]
Bitte erstatten Sie ein Guthaben auf dieses Konto: [IBAN]
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
[Vorname Nachname]
Frequently asked questions
Can I cancel the Rundfunkbeitrag online?
Yes. The form at rundfunkbeitrag.de is enough. Save the confirmation with its date.
Can I cancel it for past months?
Usually not. The fee does not end before the month your notice arrives, so deregister no later than the month you move out.
Do I need the deregistration certificate?
The Beitragsservice may ask for proof. The certificate from the residents' office is the simplest.
What if my partner stays in the flat?
Then the flat still owes the fee. Your partner can take over the account.
Where do I post the notice?
To ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice, 50656 Köln, Germany.
Does registered mail prove the contents?
No registered letter proves the contents. Your proof PDF does contain the printed letter, so you can show what you sent.