Was ist der Gästebeitrag?

Der Gästebeitrag ist eine Gebühr, die Kurorte pro Tag oder pro Übernachtung erheben können. Er ist zweckgebunden und darf nur für örtliche touristische Zwecke eingesetzt werden. Bei uns haben Sie deshalb freien Zugang zu allen Stränden und bewachten Badefeldern, Gästeeinrichtungen und Kurparks. Gäbe es den Gästebeitrag nicht, wären viele Leistungen nicht zu erbringen oder manche müssten einzeln teuer bezahlt werden.

Wer muss den Gästebeitrag bezahlen und wer ist befreit?

Gästebeitragspflichtig ist jede Person, die sich auf Borkum zu Freizeitzwecken als Tagesgast oder als Urlauber aufhält oder sich in Kur/Reha befindet und keinen festen Wohnsitz auf der Insel hat. Gästebeitragspflichtig sind auch alle Teilnehmer von Sportveranstaltungen. Personen die sich ausschließlich beruflich auf der Insel aufhalten, sind für die Dauer der beruflichen Tätigkeit vom Gästebeitrag befreit. Dieses ist dem Vermieter durch Übergabe einer Bescheinigung des Arbeitgebers nachzuweisen. Diese Personen werden nicht angemeldet und erhalten keine Gästekarte. Weiterhin sind Kinder im Alter von bis zu 12 Jahren vom Gästebeitrag befreit. Besitzer eines Schwerbehindertenausweises erhalten 50% Ermäßigung bei einem Grad der Behinderung von 100; Besitzer eines Schwerbehindertenausweises mit Merkzeichen „B“ sowie deren Begleitperson erhalten ebenfalls 50% Ermäßigung.

Wie hoch ist der Gästebeitrag?

Beitragshöhe ab 01.01.2026 Gästebeitrag (pro Nacht) Jahresgästebeitrag Erwachsene 4,80 € 144,00 € Schwerbehinderte, deren Grad der Behinderung 100 beträgt und Schwerbehinderte mit amtlichem Ausweis mit Merkzeichen "B" sowie deren Begleitperson 2,40 € 72,00 € Kinder 12 - 17 Jahren (Kinder unter 12 Jahre frei) 1,50 € 45,00 € Schwerbehinderte Kinder (12 - 17 Jahre), deren Grad der Behinderung 100 beträgt und Schwerbehinderte Kinder (12-17 Jahre) mit amtlichem Ausweis mit Merkzeichen "B" . Die erwachsene Begleitperson zahlt den ermäßigten Erwachsenentarif (siehe oben). 0,75 € 22,50 € Tagesgäste ab 12 Jahren 4,00 € Die Vermieter-Saisonzeiten sind nicht identisch mit den Gästebeitrags-Saisonzeiten. Änderungen vorbehalten/Stand Januar 2026.

Wo kann ich den Gästebeitrag zahlen?

Ihr Vermieter zieht den Gästebeitrag von Ihnen ein und führt ihn an die Gästebeitragskasse ab. Gäste, die nicht bei einem Vermieter wohnen, sondern privat untergebracht sind (z.B. Verwandtenbesuche) sowie Jahresgästekarteninhaber können den Gästebeitrag an der Gästebeitragskasse in der Kulturinsel, Goethestr. 25, entrichten. An Wochenenden und Feiertagen können Sie Ihren Gästebeitrag auch in der Tourist-Information entrichten. Bitte beachten Sie dann die Sonderöffnungszeiten! Zu den Öffnungszeiten der Gästebeitragskasse gelangen Sie unter "mehr erfahren".

Ich habe eine Gästekarte erhalten - was nun?

Nach Entrichtung des Gästebeitrages bei Ihrem Vermieter oder an der Gästebeitragskasse erhalten Sie eine gültige Gästekarte. Bitte führen Sie diese in Verbindung mit einem amtlichen Lichtbildausweis immer mit sich, da Sie von einem Mitarbeiter des Kur- und Touristikservice kontrolliert werden. Die Gästekarte benötigen Sie zum reibungslosen Einlass ins Gezeitenland ~ Wasser & Wellness, Neuer Leuchtturm, Nordsee Aquarium, Spielinsel, Tennisinsel sowie beim Erwerb von Eintrittskarten für Veranstaltungen und Vorträgen in der Kulturinsel.

Guest Contribution

Dear Guests,

We want you to Borkum Feel completely at home in the middle of the UNESCO World Heritage Wadden Sea! Well-maintained and supervised beaches as well as clean and well-developed parks are therefore a matter of course. Furthermore, we want to offer our guests, both young and old, an interesting and varied entertainment program – whether sporting or cultural and musical. To make this excellent tourist infrastructure possible and to enable you to use our services free of charge or at a reduced rate, the city of Borkum a guest fee is charged.

Important to know: Please remember your guest card! Without the presentation of the guest card, access to the facilities such as the Gezeitenland ~ Water & Wellness, the Nordsee Aquarium, the Spielinsel, the new Leuchtturm or to offers from the Kulturinsel cannot be granted smoothly!

Borkumthe promenade with the pavilion — Borkumhe pavilion on the beach promenade

Free use/offers

access to all beaches and promenades including the guarded beaches (DLRG/seasonal)
public Toilets
Tourist information Borkum
Information over Borkum
Events such as BEACH DAYS BORKUM, wine festival, Borkumthe light week “Lücht up Börkum” and sound colours Borkum
“Music & Sea”-Kurkonzerte on the promenade (seasonal)
Use of the reading area in the Kulturinsel with various newspapers from all over Germany
indoor play and craft activities for children, 1,00 € entrance fee for adults
Varied beach entertainment
use of the Thalasso exercise course
Free Wi-Fi in the area of Nordsee Aquariums, the cultural island, the Gezeitenlands, the tourist information, the municipal utilities, as well as on the promenade
Guest Welcoming in the Cultural Island (See noticeboard for dates)
rental of boules balls at the Tourist Information (against a deposit)
beach ashtray at the tourist information office or at the beach tent rental companies
The digital travel guide: WebApp “MyBorkum" (willkommwww.borkum.de/en)
Digital City Rally about Actionbound: to the city rally
Sharemagazines: Digital reading circle in Borkum-Wi-Fi with numerous daily newspapers, journals and magazines

Reduced/subsidized offers

FKK-Budjes with its own privacy area
Reduced admission to the Spielinsel for adults 1,00 €, children free
Reduced admission to Gezeitenland ~ Water & Wellness (swimming pool, spa treatments, fitness and wellness)
Reduced admission to the Nordsee Aquarium
Reduced admission to the new Leuchtturm
Reduced pitch fee in the Tennisinsel
Concerts and events in the Kulturinsel (e.g. Blues Night or Klangfarben Borkum and the open-air concert of BEACH DAYS BORKUM)

Additional services

The guest contribution not only enables the financing of public facilities and events, but also other tourist services that you as a Borkum-Guest are offered, for example

the trained Lifeguard at the designated bathing areas
the beach entertainment and beach cleaning
the care and maintenance of the Green areas and the children's playgrounds
the benches and hiking trails across the entire island

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the guest contribution?

The guest contribution is a fee that health resorts can charge per day or per overnight stay. It is earmarked and may only be used for local tourist purposes. With us, you therefore have free access to all beaches and supervised bathing areas, guest facilities and spa parks. If there were no guest contribution, many services would not be available or some would have to be paid for individually at a high price.

Who has to pay the guest fee and who is exempt?

Any person staying on Borkum is staying for leisure purposes as a day guest or as a holidaymaker or is undergoing a health cure/rehab and does not have a permanent residence on the island.

All participants in sporting events are also subject to a visitor's tax.

Persons staying on the island solely for business purposes are exempt from the visitor's tax for the duration of their work. This must be proven to the landlord by providing a certificate from their employer. These persons are not registered and do not receive a visitor's card.

Children up to the age of 12 are exempt from the visitor's tax. Holders of a severe disability card receive a 50% discount with a disability rating of 100%; holders of a severe disability card with the "B" designation and their accompanying person also receive a 50% discount.

How much is the guest contribution?

contribution amount from January 01.01.2026, XNUMX

	guest fee (per night)	annual guest fee
Adult	€4,80	€144,00
Severely disabled people whose degree of disability is 100 and severely disabled people with official ID with the mark "B" and their accompanying person	€2,40	€72,00
children 12 - 17 years (Children under 12 years free)	€1,50	€45,00
Severely disabled children (12 - 17 years), their degree of Disability is 100 and severely disabled children (12-17 years) with official ID card with the symbol "B" . The adult accompanying person pays the reduced adult rate (see above).	€0,75	€22,50
Day Visitors from 12 years	€4,00

The rental seasons are not the same as the tourist tax seasons. Subject to change/as of January 2026.

Where can I pay the guest fee?

Your landlord collects the guest contribution from you and pays it to the guest contribution office. Guests who are not staying with a landlord but are staying privately (e.g. visiting relatives) and annual guest card holders can pay the guest contribution at the guest contribution office in the Kulturinsel, Goethestr. 25. On weekends and public holidays you can also pay your guest contribution at the tourist information office. Please note the special opening times!

For the opening hours of the guest contribution office, please click on "find out more".

Learn more

I have received a guest card - what now?

After paying the guest fee to your landlord or at the guest fee office, you will receive a valid guest card. Please always carry this with you along with an official photo ID, as you will be checked by an employee of the spa and tourist service. You will need the guest card for smooth entry into the Gezeitenland ~ Water & Wellness, Neuer Leuchtturm, Nordsee Aquarium, Spielinsel, Tennisinsel as well as when purchasing tickets for events and lectures in the Kulturinsel.

guest contribution calculator 2026

Would you like to calculate the applicable guest contribution online?
Under the following link, you will find our guest contribution calculator

relatives' annual guest card

Using the application (PDF) from the download area, you can apply for a personalized annual pass for your family members who do not live on the island. This requires free admission to the household. The application is available from Borkum living family members in person with proof of this at the guest contribution office in the Kulturinsel, Goethestr. 25.
The fee for issuing the annual guest card for relatives is €10,00 per person. The city Borkum reserves the right to request documents to verify the relationship/residence/employment in Borkum to request.

Source: Guest contribution statute valid from 01.01.2025, § 3 para. 5

"Persons who have their main residence in the survey area or who are employed or in training can apply for an annual relative's guest card for their relatives pursuant to Section 4 Paragraph 2 Letter a) who have been taken into the household, stating their name, address and relationship. This annual guest card can be used to access tourism facilities and events; it is not transferable and must be shown to supervisors when using tourism facilities or attending events."