120,000 people don't want to pay and are taking action instead
Around 120,000 people in Austria applied to be exempt from the ORF-Beitrag (ORF contribution) between January and July 2026, with about 96,000 applications approved. The number of applications has risen by almost 12 percent compared with the same period last year.
The figures were provided by the ORF-Beitrags Service (OBS), which confirmed that approximately 80 percent of the applications submitted during the first seven months of the year were successful. The growing number of applications shows increasing demand among eligible households to avoid the mandatory contribution.
Under the ORF-Beitrags-Gesetz (ORF Contribution Act), an exemption is possible when applicants meet specific legal requirements and remain below the permitted household income limits. The rules apply to several groups facing particular financial or social circumstances.
People who may qualify include the unemployed, apprentices, pensioners, recipients of Pflegegeld (care allowance), people receiving Mindestsicherung (minimum-income support), and those receiving Studien- or Schülerbeihilfe (student or school grants). Certain people with severe hearing impairments and recipients of childcare-related benefits can also qualify.
Income limits also play a major role. In 2026, a one-person household can have a maximum monthly net household income of €1,465.40 to qualify, while the limit for a two-person household is €2,311.81. For every additional person living in the household, €226.11 is added to the threshold.
The exemption is particularly valuable because eligible households can avoid paying the ORF contribution, which can cost up to around €20 per month. In some cases, receiving the exemption can also provide access to a cheaper electricity tariff, adding another financial benefit for households struggling with rising living costs.
The OBS says applicants can check whether they meet the requirements using its online Befreiungs-Rechner (exemption calculator) and can also submit the necessary application for the fee exemption. The sharp rise in applications suggests that more Austrians are looking closely at every available way to reduce household expenses.