Overview
- The data match began on Sunday, November 8, 2026, with municipal registry offices compiling and sending selected adult residents’ records to the ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice through December 8, 2026.
- From mid‑December the service will send written clarification requests to adults who cannot be linked to a registered paying household, with the first letters expected around December 14 and all mailings planned to finish by December 2027.
- If an addressee does not reply the service will automatically register them for the public broadcaster fee, can set retrospective charges no earlier than January 1, 2024, and may issue payment orders, reminders and enforcement measures if debts remain unpaid.
- The registry data sent include name, birthdate, academic title, former names, marital status, current and previous addresses and move‑in date, and citizens cannot opt out of the data transfer.
- Recipients can stop further action by returning the paper reply form or using the QR code to file information online or by giving an existing contributions number if someone at the same address already pays; affected people are advised to respond promptly because response windows for such letters are typically short.