Netflix and YouTube don't need one. Live TV and BBC iPlayer do. Check in 30 seconds before you pay £180 a year.
1. What do you watch?
You only need a TV licence — £180 a year from April 2026 — if you watch or record live TV on any channel or service, or use BBC iPlayer at all. Watching Netflix, Disney+, YouTube videos or on-demand shows on ITVX and Channel 4 does not need a licence, so most international students don’t need one. If you do watch live TV or iPlayer: one licence covers a house rented on a joint tenancy, but a room in university halls or a separately rented room needs its own licence. If you don’t need one, declare it at tvlicensing.co.uk and the warning letters stop.
Only if you watch or record live TV (on any channel or app, including foreign channels and live streams) or use BBC iPlayer. If you only watch on-demand streaming — Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, YouTube videos — you don’t need a licence, whatever device you watch on.
No. On-demand streaming doesn’t need a licence. The exception is live content: watching a live event or live channel inside any app (including YouTube live streams and sport on Prime Video) counts as live TV and does need a licence.
If you watch live TV or BBC iPlayer in your own room, yes — your room needs its own licence. The licence your halls holds only covers communal areas like the common room. One exception: if you watch on a device running purely on its own battery (not plugged into the mains) and your parents’ home in the UK has a licence, you’re covered by theirs.
It depends on your tenancy. If the whole house is rented on one joint tenancy agreement, a single licence covers everyone — split it between housemates. If you each have a separate tenancy agreement for your own room, each room that watches live TV or iPlayer needs its own licence.
From 1 April 2026, £180 a year. You can pay in instalments. If you move out of the UK or stop needing your licence, you can claim a refund for any full months left — worth doing when you go home for the summer or finish your course.
Make a "No Licence Needed" declaration at tvlicensing.co.uk. It takes two minutes and the letters stop. The letters look official and threatening, but they are reminders, not fines — as long as your declaration is honest, you have nothing to worry about.
Watching or recording live TV, or using iPlayer, without a licence is an offence that can lead to prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000 plus costs. If you actually watch live TV or iPlayer, buy the licence — it isn’t worth the risk.
This tool gives general information based on TV Licensing’s published rules. TV Licensing makes the final decision on whether you need a licence.