Money

TV and radio licence in Poland 2026: who pays, rates, exemptions

Short answer: Every user of a radio or TV receiver must register within 14 days and pay abonament RTV. 2026: 30.50 zł a month for a TV, 9.50 zł for a radio, one fee per household.

Published 16 Oct 2026, 12:58 CEST · By Expats Poland Editorial Team

Poczta Polska post office branch in Łódź

Poland has a public radio and television licence fee called abonament RTV. It is a legal duty for people who own a TV or radio, it is not tied to Polish citizenship, and it is easy to miss when you move in and set up a new flat. This guide explains who has to register, what the 2026 rates are, how to pay and who is exempt, using the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT), Poczta Polska and the legal texts they cite. Information is as of 16 October 2026.

Who has to register

Under the act on licence fees, every user of a radio or television receiver has to register it within 14 days of getting it and then pay the fee. KRRiT repeats this in its reminder of 29 December 2025.

The act counts a receiver as a device technically able to receive a radio or TV programme. Poczta Polska, which runs the register, points to a Supreme Administrative Court ruling of 7 March 2023 (II GSK 94/20): any device that allows immediate reception of a programme counts, whatever the signal source, antenna or internet connection. According to Poczta Polska, people who watch TV or listen to radio on a computer, phone or tablet are also obliged to register and pay. Audio and video players that only play recordings do not count, and neither does a TV that is not connected to any installation and works only as a monitor.

Having cable, satellite or digital TV from an operator does not replace the licence fee. KRRiT states that the duty follows directly from the act.

One fee per household

For private individuals, the rule is one fee per household, no matter how many receivers they use. The same applies to receivers in a car owned by the household. Companies, institutions and other businesses pay for each receiver they hold, including those in company cars. Paying at home does not cancel the duty to register and pay at work.

A laptop in a living room

2026 rates

The rates come from the KRRiT regulation of 27 June 2025 and are listed by KRRiT and Poczta Polska:

radio receiver: 9.50 zł per month
TV receiver, or TV and radio: 30.50 zł per month

Paying in advance is cheaper. The official tables give these examples for a TV receiver:

3 months: 87.80 zł
6 months: 173.80 zł
12 months: 329.40 zł (monthly payments would add up to 366 zł)

For a radio, the 12-month price is 102.60 zł instead of 114 zł. Poczta Polska notes that the discount applies only if you pay by the 25th day of the first month of the period. KRRiT lists the discounts as 3% for 2 months, 4% for 3 months, 5% for 6 months and 10% for 12 months. These are the rates for 2026, and a new regulation sets them each year, so check the figures for 2027 when they are published.

How to register

You can register in two ways, both described by Poczta Polska.

At any post office. Tell the clerk you want to register receivers and show an identity document. The page lists a passport and a permanent residence card among the accepted documents. You sign the form the clerk prints and you receive a notice with your individual user identification number.
Online on the Poczta Polska website. You fill in the electronic form, and the post sends you the paper registration form in two copies, normally within 4 working days. You sign, return one copy in the reply envelope and then receive the notice with your number.

Keep both documents. Poczta Polska says you should show them if you are checked. If the paper form does not arrive within 9 days of the online step, or the notice does not arrive within 14 days of returning the signed form, the post asks you to complain by email at [email protected]. The helpline is +48 43 842 06 06 on working days from 8:00 to 20:00 (charged at your operator's rate).

Who is exempt

The act and the list published by Poczta Polska for 2026 exempt several groups. These include people who are:

75 or older (Poczta Polska checks this from the PESEL register)
60 or older and receiving a pension that does not exceed 4,451.78 zł gross a month in 2026, which is 50% of the 2025 average wage of 8,903.56 zł
classified with a significant degree of disability, or totally unable to work, with the required ruling
deaf or blind, with the required certificate
entitled to family allowance under the income criterion (674 zł per person, or 764 zł where there is a child with a disability ruling)
entitled to certain social assistance cash benefits, registered as unemployed, or receiving a pre-retirement allowance

Each exemption needs a document, such as a ZUS or social assistance decision. The Poczta Polska list names the document for every group, so check it before you go.

If you are not sure

If you watch live TV or listen to radio on a laptop or phone, the device rules above apply according to Poczta Polska. If you are unsure whether your situation counts, ask the Poczta Polska RTV helpline before registering.

* Photos: Poczta Polska branch in Łódź, Wikimedia Commons, CC0. Laptop in a living room, Unsplash via Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (illustrative).

Frequently asked questions

How much is the TV and radio licence fee in 2026?

According to KRRiT and Poczta Polska, 30.50 zł per month for a TV receiver (or TV and radio) and 9.50 zł per month for a radio. Paying 12 months in advance costs 329.40 zł for a TV.

Do I pay for every TV in my flat?

No. A household of private individuals pays one fee regardless of how many receivers it has. Businesses and institutions pay for each receiver.

Do foreigners have to register?

The duty applies to every user of a receiver. Poczta Polska accepts a passport or a permanent residence card as proof of identity when you register.

Does a cable or satellite subscription cover the fee?

No. KRRiT says a contract with a cable, satellite or digital TV operator does not remove the duty to pay the licence fee.