In Poland, the conditions for subscription fees for radio and TV have changed: now you have to pay for smartphones and tablets.

In Poland, new RTV rules came into force on January 1, 2026. This is a mandatory monthly fee for using radio (R) and television (TV). Now it applies not only to televisions and radios, but also to smartphones, tablets, and computers, if they can be used to watch TV or listen to the radio. reports Business Insider.

According to recent decisions by administrative courts, as of 2026, the term "receiver" now also includes multifunctional devices, such as tablets, laptops, and smartphones.

The mere possession of a smartphone does not mean that you have to pay a new subscription fee, clarified Radio Eska. The key factor is the presence of television or radio receivers already registered in the household. The subscription fee applies to an individual user, not to each device they own.

Therefore, people who do not own a television but watch media content on mobile devices are also required to register them and pay the RTV subscription fee. In this case, it is not the device itself that is important, but its ability to receive radio or television programs.

If the subscription fee for television is paid, there is no need to pay extra for using mobile devices as receivers.

It is noted that individuals pay a single fee for a certain type of receiver (one for radio and one for television) within a single household, regardless of the number of devices they own.

For businesses, the subscription fee is charged for each receiver separately. This also applies to radio stations in company cars, including leased ones, where the obligation to pay lies with the user, not the leasing company.

In 2026, the monthly fee for radio will be 9.50 PLN (approximately 113 UAH or 2.25 EUR), and for television, it will be 30.50 PLN (363 UAH or 7.24 EUR).

The payment of the RTV subscription is checked by Poczta Polska employees. If an unregistered receiver is found, its owner may be fined an amount equal to 30 times the monthly subscription fee. According to media reports, most checks are carried out in companies, and private households are rarely checked.

The Polish government is planning a reform. From 2027, the fee will be replaced by an audiovisual payment, which will be included in the annual income tax (PIT) declaration. This mechanism will allow approximately PLN 2.5 billion (almost EUR 600 million) to be allocated annually to public media. However, old subscription debts will remain and are subject to collection.

Many EU countries (and Europe in general) also have mandatory fees or license fees for public television and radio, similar to the Polish RTV subscription. The basis is a mandatory contribution to finance public broadcasting (TV + radio).

In Germany, the fee is €18.36 per month (about €220 per year) per household, regardless of whether there is a TV. In the United Kingdom, the BBC license fee is approximately £174.50 (about €200) per year. Payment is mandatory if you watch/register a TV.

In the Czech Republic, a combined fee is paid for television and radio: about 150 Czech crowns + 55 crowns (approximately 60-70 per year) for a household.

In Italy, the license fee is included in the electricity bill and amounts to approximately 90 euros per year.

However, in Spain, there is no separate television license. Public television is financed through tax/other collection mechanisms, but there is no separate payment from households.

Some countries have abandoned the separate license fee, which is related to changes in public broadcasting funding models. For example, France, Finland, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, and others have abolished the classic fee.

In some countries, the fee is not tied to the presence of a television. For example, in Germany, the Rundfunkbeitrag must be paid even if there is no television – the actual address of the household is what matters.

In Ukraine, there is no classic television or radio license fee (i.e., a mandatory payment from households for owning a TV or radio). The Law "On Television and Radio Broadcasting" provides for a license fee for TV and radio companies and providers who want to broadcast or provide program transmission services. This is a fee for obtaining and renewing a license for the broadcasters themselves, not for each viewer or device owner.

Until 2010, Ukraine had a subscription fee (usually a few hryvnias per month) for wired radio – the so-called "radiotochka". Such loudspeakers were widespread in the USSR and remained in Ukraine for many years after independence.