SERAFE: Switzerland's radio and TV licence fee – who pays and how much

The SERAFE fee is that annual bill nobody asked for yet everyone receives. No television, no radio — it doesn't matter: if you run a household in Switzerland, you pay it. Here is how it works, how much it costs, and the rare cases where you can legally avoid it.

At a glance

• Every household in Switzerland pays the fee, whether you own a television, a radio, or nothing at all. Device ownership has made no difference since 2019.
• Amount: CHF 335 per year per household. It drops to CHF 312 per year from 1 January 2027.
• You do not register yourself. SERAFE receives data from your municipality's residents' register and bills you automatically.
• One single fee per household, regardless of the number of people. A flatshare of four people = one bill, not four.
• Exemption is possible if you receive supplementary benefits (EL/PC) under AHV or IV, on request.

What you need to understand

SERAFE AG has collected the household fee from private households since 1 January 2019, replacing Billag. The key change: the fee became independent of device ownership. Previously, you paid because you had a TV. Today, you pay because you exist administratively as a household.

In practice:

• The fee is due per household (one dwelling, one household), not per person.
• The data comes from your municipality's residents' register. As soon as you form a household (moving in, arriving in Switzerland), you are billed without having to do anything.
• It funds SRG SSR as well as regional radio and television stations holding a licence.

Who has to pay

Every household in which at least one adult is registered in the residents' register. This includes:

• tenants and owners alike,
• single-person households,
• flatshares (which form a single household and therefore receive a single bill),
• people who have recently arrived in Switzerland, from the moment they register with their municipality.

Not owning any receiving device makes no difference: the fee remains due.

How much and how billing works

• CHF 335 per year currently, CHF 312 from 2027.
• The annual invoice is the default option.
• You can switch at any time to quarterly billing and choose your payment method.

The up-to-date amount is always shown on the SERAFE website — worth checking since the fee is subject to regular downward revisions.

Exemption cases

Two main situations allow you to avoid paying:

• Supplementary benefits (EL/PC) under AHV or IV: households that receive these can apply to SERAFE for an exemption, with supporting documentation.
• Collective households (care homes, residential homes): they fall under a separate regime from private households.

An exemption is never automatic: you must apply and provide the supplementary benefit decision.

What to do in the event of an error, a move or a departure

• Moving within Switzerland: you need not worry about double billing — your new household is linked via the municipality. Still, check that you are not being billed for two addresses.
• Leaving Switzerland: the fee continues to run as long as your household is listed in the register. Deregister your departure with your municipality — that is what closes your liability.
• A bill that seems wrong (already paid, household incorrectly assigned): contact SERAFE directly; do not let it drag on. A SERAFE invoice is official — ignoring it does not make it disappear.

SERAFE can be reached at 058 201 31 67, Monday to Friday from 8 am to 6 pm.

Common mistakes

• Thinking you don't pay without a TV. That has been incorrect since 2019.
• Treating the bill as a scam and throwing it away. SERAFE is the official body mandated by the federal government.
• Paying twice in a flatshare. One household equals one fee: sort it out with your flatmates.
• Forgetting to deregister a departure abroad. Without notifying the municipality, the fee keeps running.
• Not applying for an exemption despite receiving supplementary benefits.

Useful official links

• SERAFE · Official website: billing, exemptions, contact. Phone 058 201 31 67 (Mon–Fri, 8 am–6 pm).
• OFCOM · Radio and television licence fee: the legal framework and amounts set by the federal government.
• Your municipality's residents' registration office: for any registration or deregistration that determines your liability.

How Admini can help

The SERAFE fee is one of those recurring letters you forget about between two moves. Admini helps you:

• Centralise your SERAFE bills and supporting documents (EL/PC decision for an exemption, departure confirmation).
• Retrieve proof of a disputed payment without digging through three binders.
• Get a reminder when you move or leave Switzerland, so you file the deregistration that closes your liability.

The idea isn't to pay less — it's to never pay for nothing.