How Long Do We Have to Respond to a FOI Request?

Public authorities must respond to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request promptly and no later than 20 working days after receiving it. Working days exclude weekends and public holidays in the UK.

If clarification is required to identify the requested information, the 20-day clock pauses until sufficient details are received. Authorities may extend the timeframe when applying a Public Interest Test, but they must inform the requester and justify the delay.

Meeting these timescales demonstrates transparency and compliance with statutory obligations under the FOIA 2000.