Who pays?

• One fee only must be paid by each household. All adults in this household are jointly liable for this fee.
• There is one flat fee; no distinction is made between a radio and/or television reception fee. The obligation to pay the fee does not depend on whether equipment which makes it possible to receive radio or television programme services (radios or TV sets, smartphones, tablets or computers with internet access) is present.
• Someone who does not have a principal residence in Switzerland, and for whom the household constitutes their secondary residence, must pay the fee.
• Legal basis: Art. 69 and 69a of the Federal Radio and Television Act (RTVA; CC 784.40).

FAQ

The universal fee system for private and collective households

How does the universal fee system work?

The fee is being levied regardless of equipment. All private and collective households must in principle pay the universal fee. 

How much does the universal radio and television fee cost?

a) For a private household CHF 335

b) For a collective household (Old-age and nursing homes, hostels, penal institutions, boarding schools, asylum accommodation, etc.) CHF 670

c) For businesses, a graduated system of tariffs applies

What is the universal radio and television fee used for?

In all the country’s different language regions, it will enable a diversified, equivalent offering of programme services to be provided. The largest part of the fee will go to the SSR-SRG, but local radio and television broadcasters from all the language regions will benefit from it.

Amount and use of the fee  

What is a collective household and what fee does it have to pay?

Collective households are, for example, old people's homes and nursing homes, hospitals, student hostels, prisons, etc. Article 2 of the Register Harmonization Ordinance (RHO; CC 431.021) lists definitively the types of collective households. A collective household pays a household fee of CHF 670 annually. The body responsible for the collective household is responsible for payment of the fee.

If a collective household is subject to value-added tax and if it has an annual turnover of at least CHF 500,000, it is additionally subject to the business fee.

Obligation to pay the fee

I have only one radio. Do I still have to pay the entire fee?

Yes. A reduction of the fee is not provided for in law. The fee is in principle independent of the presence of receiving equipment (radio or television equipment) in the household.

We only receive foreign programme services. Does the fee have to be paid?

Yes. Every household has to pay the fee regardless of which radio and/or television programme services are consumed.

I have had my cable connection sealed off / I have had the aerial removed / I have a satellite dish: Do I have to pay the fee?

Yes. The obligation to pay the fee is device-independent. 

Registration and exemption

Do I have to register with Serafe?

No. Every household automatically receives a bill from Serafe

Do changes to my housing situation (e.g. moving house or separation) have to be notified to the collection agency?

No. For billing, the collection agency, Serafe, uses data provided from the residents' registers of the cantons and municipalities. If you move house, it is important that you communicate this information to your residents' register office immediately.

Which private households can be exempted from the obligation to pay the fee?

Private households in which a person lives,

• who receives annual supplementary benefits relating to the AHV or IV pensions (Art. 69b para. 1 let. a RTVA);
• who has a Federal Department of Foreign Affairs identity card (Art. 69b para. 1 let. b RTVA and Art. 61 para. 3 RTVO);
• who is deafblind (if no person obliged to pay the fee is a member of the household) (Art. 61 para. 4 RTVO).

I receive an annual supplementary benefit; from what point in time will my household be exempt?

Recipients of annual supplementary benefits associated with AHV or IV pensions are exempt for a maximum of five years retroactively from the commencement of receipt of supplementary benefits (but from the time of introduction of the household fee on 1 January 2019 at the earliest). If an application for fee exemption was not previously submitted to Billag, no exemption can be granted for the period prior to 1 January 2019.

I receive social benefits; can I be exempted from the fee?

No, only persons who receive annual supplementary benefits associated with old age, survivors and invalidity insurance can be exempted from the fee. The exemption applies to this person's household. In the case of social benefits, the fee for radio and television, like the current reception fee, is included in the in the basic needs used to derive subsistence.

My father has been living in a home for a short time now. Does he have to pay the fee?

No. An old people's home or care home is considered to be a collective household, which has to pay the collective household fee for its members. The fee is therefore paid directly by the home. Note that this only applies if your father’s main place of residence is now the care home (and not another address).

I have a holiday home in Switzerland which is my secondary residence. Do I have to pay the household fee twice?

No. The fee paid by a household applies to the main residence but also to a secondary residence, whether it is used by one or more household members.
(Exception: If a person's main residence is abroad, they have to pay the fee for their secondary residence in Switzerland).

I am a weekly resident. Do I have to pay the household fee twice?

No. The fee has to be paid only for one's main residence. Members of this household who live for a number of days a week in a different location do not have to pay the fee twice.

I have already received the annual bill, but I am emigrating in June. Will I get a refund for the remaining 6 months?

Yes, you will be reimbursed the amount for this period. Here's how it works: the residents' registration office will inform Serafe of the household's deregistration and of your emigration. To receive the refund of the amount, inform Serafe of your bank account details.

I am travelling abroad for several months; can I be exempted from the fee for these months?

Not in principle. Only people who deregister their place of residence in Switzerland and move abroad receive a refund. If a place of residence in Switzerland is maintained, there is no exemption from the fee.

If I go abroad temporarily, do I have to de-register with Serafe?

No. Someone who goes abroad only temporarily and who does not cease to reside in Switzerland continues to be liable for the fee with Serafe AG.

The only persons who do not have to pay the fee are those who do not have a principal residence or a secondary residence in Switzerland.

Is the household fee refunded in the event of death?

If the deceased was the only adult living in the household and the annual bill has already been paid, the heirs are entitled to claim a refund for the excess amount because the household is deemed to be dissolved on the last day of the month in which the person died (Art. 69a para. 5 RTVA). In order to assert their claim, the survivors must provide Serafe with the certificate of inheritance and the relevant bank details.

Last modification 01.01.2021