Germany's Notvorrat: the 10-day emergency supply, explained
Germany's Federal Office of Civil Protection (BBK) recommends that households can supply themselves for 10 days, among the highest of any government we checked (only Austria asks for more, at 10 to 14 days). Even 3 days of supplies already helps. Plan on 2 litres of liquid per person per day, which is 20 litres per person for 10 days.
What this means for your household
Set your household size to see the days, water and food the Germany advice adds up to.
Ideally 10 days of food and drink. Even 3 days already helps.
Drinking water for 2 people. Official figure: 2 L per person per day, including 0.5 L for cooking.
Person-days of food to cover (2 × 10). Pick food that needs no fridge and little or no cooking.
What goes into a 10-day Notvorrat
The federal food agency's stock table plans 2,200 kcal per person per day. These are its figures for one person over 10 days; use its Vorratskalkulator for your household.
- Drinks: 2 L per person per day, including 0.5 L for cooking (20 L for 10 days)
- Grain products, bread and potatoes: about 3.3 kg
- Vegetables and mushrooms: about 4.0 kg
- Fruit, dairy, protein foods and fats from the same table, chosen from what you already eat
- A torch with spare batteries, plus candles and a lighter
- A battery or crank radio, because many warning channels fail when the power or mobile network is down
- A power bank and important phone numbers written on paper
- The NINA warning app installed on every phone
How Germany warns you
- Cell Broadcast sends warnings straight to phones in the area. You need Android 11 or iOS 16.1 or later, and the phone must be on and not in airplane mode.
- Since November 2025, all-clear messages are also sent by Cell Broadcast at the lowest level (level 3). The BBK recommends switching level 3 on in your phone's settings.
- Cell Broadcast texts are limited to 500 characters, so the BBK also recommends the NINA app or local radio for details.
- In NINA, subscribe to the places you want warnings for and make sure the phone is not muted.
- Every September, Germany holds a national warning day (Bundesweiter Warntag) to test sirens, apps and Cell Broadcast.
German-specific steps
- Use the federal Vorratskalkulator to scale the 10-day table to your household, including vegetarian options.
- Keep a radio that doesn't need mains power. The BBK warns that many warning channels stop working in a power cut or mobile network outage.
- Build the store gradually from foods you already eat, and use and replace them before they expire.
- Read the BBK guide 'Vorsorgen für Krisen und Katastrophen' for its full checklists on documents, medicines and hygiene.
Go beyond the minimum: what we recommend
Official lists cover the basics. These are the gaps we see most often when an emergency lasts longer than expected.
- Rotate a long supply: eat the oldest first and replace it, so a week or more of food and water stays in date.
- Keep paper and digital copies of IDs, insurance and prescriptions, so you can prove who you are and get medicines.
- Write the expiry date on everything and check the kit every 6 months, so it doesn't quietly go out of date.
- Plan for phone power: a charged power bank, plus a solar panel or car charger for longer outages.
- Save offline maps of your area and agree a meeting point, in case the mobile network is down.
- An offline survival guide on your phone: HAVEN tracks your kit and expiry dates and works with no signal.Download HAVEN free
Numbers to write down
- 112 · Fire and ambulance
- 110 · Police
- NINA (BBK) · Warning app
Keep a paper copy: your phone may be flat when you need it.
Your kit, ready when the network isn't
HAVEN tracks your Notvorrat by quantity and expiry date and shows how many days it covers for your household, and its guides work offline when the power is out.
- Coverage in days for your household
- Expiry reminders
- Offline guides and AI
- Free to start, no account needed
How Germany compares
Germany: 3 to 10 days. Across the 25 governments we checked, most ask for 3 days, a growing group asks for a week, and Austria asks for the most, at 10 to 14 days. See every country's advice.
Germany preparedness FAQ
How many days of supplies does Germany recommend?
The BBK recommends being able to supply yourself for 10 days. It also says that even 3 days of supplies helps a great deal.
How much water should I store in Germany?
2 litres per person per day, of which 0.5 litres is for cooking. For 10 days that is 20 litres per person.
What is a Notvorrat?
A Notvorrat is a household emergency supply of food, drinks and essentials. Germany's official stock table plans 2,200 kcal per person per day for 10 days.
How do I get emergency warnings in Germany?
Through Cell Broadcast on your phone (Android 11 or iOS 16.1 and later), the NINA app, sirens, radio and TV. The BBK recommends enabling warning level 3 so you also receive all-clear messages.
Why does Germany recommend 10 days when most countries say 3?
The BBK's advice has long aimed at households coping on their own for longer than a short outage. Most other governments use 3 days as a minimum, and several are moving toward 7.
Official sources
- Essen und Trinken bevorraten (BBK)
- Ratgeber und Checkliste (BBK)
- Vorratstabelle (Ernährungsvorsorge, BLE)
- Vorratskalkulator (Ernährungsvorsorge, BLE)
- Cell Broadcast (BBK)
- Cell Broadcast: Entwarnung jetzt möglich (BBK, November 2025)
This page summarises official advice and is not a substitute for it. Always follow the instructions of your local emergency services. Last checked 2 November 2026.