Outcomes and statistics

How long arbitration takes

Last checked 24 October 2026 · 8 sources

Short answer

There is no single figure. Rules set time limits for some steps, and a few institutions publish measured durations. Under the 2026 ICC Rules, the President of the ICC Court fixes the time limit for the final award ⁷. The LCIA reports a median of 20 months for cases that reached a final award between 1 January 2017 and 12 May 2024 ². CAS appeals have a default filing limit of 21 days ³. An ICSID annulment application is due within 120 days of the award ⁴.

ICC time limit for final award: Fixed or extended by the President of the ICC Court, 2026 Rules ⁷
ICC Expedited Procedure award: Within six months of the initial case management conference, extendable by the President ⁷
LCIA median duration to final award: 20 months, cases with final awards from 1 January 2017 to 12 May 2024 ²
CAS default appeal deadline: 21 days from receipt of the decision ³
ICSID annulment application: Within 120 days after the award ⁴

Rules set limits, not averages

Arbitration rules fix deadlines for certain steps. They do not say how long a whole case will take. Tribunals and institutions can extend many of these limits ^7,3.

Few institutions publish measured durations. The ICC's preliminary 2025 statistics, published on 12 February 2026, report caseload, parties and awards but give no average duration ⁶.

Time limits in the rules

Forum	Step	Time limit in the rules
ICC, 2026 Rules ⁷	Answer to the Request ⁷	30 days from receipt of the Request (Article 6) ⁷
ICC, 2026 Rules ⁷	Final award ⁷	Fixed or extended by the President of the Court (Article 34) ⁷
ICC Expedited Procedure ⁷	Final award ⁷	Six months from the initial case management conference, extendable ⁷
ICC Highly Expedited Arbitration ⁷	Final award ⁷	Three months from the initial case management conference, extendable ⁷
ICC, 2021 Rules (cases before 1 June 2026) ¹	Final award ¹	Six months, extendable by the Court (Article 31) ¹
CAS ³	Statement of appeal ³	21 days from receipt of the decision, where federation rules set no other limit ³
CAS ³	Operative part of the award ³	Within a maximum of four months after the Panel closes the evidentiary proceedings ³
ICSID ⁴	Application for annulment ⁴	120 days after the award, or for corruption 120 days after discovery and within three years of the award ⁴

Measured durations

The LCIA Annual Casework Report 2025, published in October 2026, cites its Costs and Duration Analysis. For cases that reached a final award between 1 January 2017 and 12 May 2024, the median duration was 20 months ².

A median is the middle value. Half of the cases took less time and half took more. It is not the same as an average.

Emergency steps are shorter. The LCIA received seven emergency arbitrator applications in 2025 and reports a median decision time of two days ².

One case record, stage by stage

The ICSID case page for ICSID Case No. ARB/07/27 shows how long each stage of an investor-state case can run. The page lists four proceedings. Each one ends with a dated tribunal or committee decision. The page does not summarise who prevailed. That is in the award and decision texts ⁵.

Original proceeding: request registered 10 October 2007, tribunal constituted 8 August 2008, merits hearing 7 to 17 February 2012, proceeding closed 28 July 2014, award rendered 9 October 2014 ⁵.
Revision proceeding: registered 24 October 2014, decision on revision issued 12 June 2015 ⁵.
Annulment proceeding: registered 9 February 2015, ad hoc committee constituted 8 May 2015, decision on annulment issued 9 March 2017 ⁵.
Resubmission proceeding: registered 24 October 2018, tribunal constituted 17 August 2020, award rendered 10 July 2023 ⁵.

What adds time

Under the 2021 ICC Rules, the steps before the hearing included the Answer, the advance on costs, the Terms of Reference and a case management conference ¹. ICC states that Terms of Reference are no longer a necessary step under the Rules in force from 1 June 2026 ⁸.

After an award, post-award proceedings can add years. In the ICSID record above, the original award came on 9 October 2014 and the resubmission award on 10 July 2023 ⁵. The ICSID Convention allows annulment applications on corruption grounds up to three years after the award ⁴.

Common questions

What is the average length of an arbitration?

No institution covered here publishes a single average. The LCIA reports a median of 20 months to a final award for cases concluded from 1 January 2017 to 12 May 2024 ².

How quickly must an ICC tribunal issue its award?

Under the 2026 Rules, the President of the ICC Court fixes or extends the time limit ⁷. Under the 2021 Rules it was six months, extendable by the Court ¹.

How fast is the ICC Expedited Procedure?

The award is due within six months of the initial case management conference, subject to extension by the President ⁷.

How long do I have to appeal to CAS?

The default is 21 days from receipt of the decision, where the federation's rules set no other time limit ³.

Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email hello@arbitrationawardsdata.com.

Sources

Arbitration stages explained
From the arbitration agreement to the request, tribunal, jurisdiction, award and after. What each stage means under ICSID, UNCITRAL and ICC texts.
ICC arbitration explained
How arbitration under the 2026 ICC Rules works, what the ICC Court does, the main stages and fees, what changed from 2021, and 2025 caseload figures.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport explained
How CAS appeals and ordinary cases work, the time limits and fees in the CAS Code, and the 2025 caseload from the ICAS annual report.
ICSID annulment explained
ICSID annulment is a narrow review of an award by an ad hoc committee on five grounds. Time limits, stays, costs and ICSID's own outcome figures.
Arbitration costs and who pays
Official fees at the ICC, ICSID and CAS, how cost advances are split, how tribunals allocate costs, and the LCIA's published median cost.