Zakat on Gold in Germany 2026: Nisab and Euro Calculation

Zakat on gold in Germany: the short answer

Zakat on gold in Germany is due once the pure gold you own reaches the nisab and you have held it for a full lunar year: 2.5% of its value. The nisab is 85 grams of pure 24-karat gold in one widely used method, 85 grams of 21-karat gold in the method of Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta, and 87.48 grams in the UK’s National Zakat Foundation. Weigh the pure gold first, then multiply by today’s euro price. If you have no reference yet, the 85-gram pure gold line is the one our live calculator uses.

This guide is written for Arabs in Germany and Europe who keep part of their savings in gold: a few bars, coins bought from a German dealer, or family jewellery stamped 585 or 750. It explains the three nisab references, how to convert German hallmarks into pure gold, how to price the result in euro without guessing, and where the scholars differ on jewellery that is worn. It is general information, not a fatwa and not tax advice. For a ruling on your own case, ask a scholar you trust.

What is the nisab of gold, and why do sources give different numbers?

The nisab is the minimum amount of wealth on which zakat becomes due. For gold, the classical measure is twenty mithqal, and modern bodies translate that into grams in slightly different ways. Three references come up most often in Arabic and European searches:

The pure gold equivalent of the Egyptian figure is our own arithmetic: 85 × 21 ÷ 24. Dar al-Ifta explains that it chose 21 karat because it is what people are used to, and because it balances the interest of the poor and of the owner. The other two references count pure gold. The practical difference is about 11 grams of pure gold between the lowest and the highest line, which matters for someone whose savings sit close to the threshold. Pick one reference, ideally the one your local imam or mosque follows, and use it consistently every year.

NZF also lists a silver nisab of 612.36 grams and recommends it as safer and more beneficial for those who receive zakat. Because silver is far cheaper per gram, the silver nisab is reached much sooner. If you hold cash savings as well as gold, ask which standard your scholar applies to the combined wealth.

How do I convert German gold stamps into pure gold?

Here is the step most Arabic guides skip. In Germany, gold is usually stamped by fineness in parts per thousand rather than by karat. A bar or coin marked 999 is practically pure. A ring marked 750 is three quarters gold, and a chain marked 585 is a little over half. Classic 21-karat Gulf jewellery corresponds to 875.

The rule is simple: weight in grams × fineness ÷ 1,000 = grams of pure gold. IslamQA describes the same idea in karats: multiply the grams by the karat and divide by 24.

The last column uses the 85-gram pure gold reference. If you follow the Egyptian reference of 85 grams of 21 karat, the threshold in pure gold is lower, about 74.4 grams, so you reach it sooner. Gemstones, enamel and the clasp count for nothing: Dar al-Ifta states that jewellery made of non-precious stones carries no zakat, so only the gold content matters.

How do I calculate zakat on gold in euro?

Take one example, measured only in grams so that it never goes out of date. A saver in Düsseldorf owns a 50-gram bar stamped 999 and 60 grams of jewellery stamped 750 that she keeps as savings rather than for wear.

• Bar: 50 × 999 ÷ 1,000 = 49.95 g of pure gold
• Jewellery: 60 × 750 ÷ 1,000 = 45 g of pure gold
• Total: 94.95 g of pure gold, which is above every nisab reference in the table
• Zakat: 2.5% of 94.95 g = about 2.37 g of pure gold

To turn that into euro, multiply 2.37 by the live price of one gram of 24-karat gold on the day you pay. We do not print a price in this article because it would be wrong by tomorrow. The live gold price page for Germany shows the gram price in euro for 24, 21 and 18 karat and includes a zakat calculator that applies the 85-gram pure gold line for you.

Now a borderline case. A 40-gram bar stamped 999 and a 50-gram chain stamped 585, both kept as savings, hold 39.96 + 29.25 = 69.21 grams of pure gold. That is below all three references, including the lowest at about 74.4 grams, so no zakat is due on it as gold this year, although cash savings may change the picture.

Which day’s price? IslamQA, in answer 462994, says the value is taken on the day you pay, so a payment made late is valued at that later day’s price. A practical habit is to fix one date in the Hijri calendar, such as a day in Ramadan, and repeat the calculation on that date every year.

Is there zakat on gold jewellery that is worn?

This is the question with two serious answers, and an honest guide shows both.

The majority view: no zakat on jewellery worn for adornment. In fatwa 8848 of 28 December 2025, Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta states that gold a woman owns for adornment carries no zakat, even if she might sell part of it in need, and attributes this view to the Malikis, the stronger Shafi’i view and the apparent Hanbali position. Zakat applies, it says, to gold kept purely for saving, preserving wealth or investment.

The Hanafi view: zakat is due on worn jewellery too. IslamQA, answer 59866, sets out this position and prefers it, on the basis that the texts on gold and silver do not distinguish between worn and stored pieces.

Both camps agree on the part that matters most for savers in Germany: bars, coins and jewellery bought as a store of value are zakatable once the nisab and the year are complete. IslamQA, answer 145770, says zakat is due on gold that reaches the nisab whether or not it is held for trade.

A checklist before you pay

• List every piece: bars, coins and jewellery, with weight and stamp. The dealer invoice usually shows both.
• Decide which pieces are worn and which are savings, and which jurisprudential view you follow for worn pieces.
• Convert everything into grams of pure gold with the fineness rule.
• Compare the total with the nisab reference you have chosen.
• Check that a full lunar year has passed since you first held the nisab; Dar al-Ifta lists the lunar year as a condition in fatwa 8848.
• Multiply the total pure gold by 2.5%, then by the live 24-karat gram price on the day you pay.
• Pay through a mosque or an organisation you trust, or directly to eligible people you know, and keep a record.
• Keep a short note of the date, the weight and the price used, so next year’s calculation takes minutes.

Zakat is a religious duty, not a German tax, and it does not replace any filing with the Finanzamt. For how Germany treats gold you sell, gifts and income from abroad, see our guide to taxes in Germany for Arab savers.

Frequently asked questions

How many grams of gold make the nisab?

It depends on the reference: 85 grams of pure 24-karat gold (IslamQA), about 85 grams of 21-karat gold (Dar al-Ifta, Egypt) or 87.48 grams (National Zakat Foundation). Use one reference consistently.

Do I pay zakat on my gold if it is below the nisab?

No. If your pure gold stays under the nisab you choose, no zakat is due on it as gold, though cash savings may change the picture, so ask your scholar about combined wealth.

Is my 585 or 750 jewellery counted at full weight?

No. Count only the gold content: weight × fineness ÷ 1,000. A 20-gram chain stamped 585 holds 11.7 grams of pure gold.

Can I pay zakat in euro instead of gold?

Yes. IslamQA confirms that the value can be paid in cash at the price of the day you pay.

Which price should I use in Germany?

Use the gram price of 24-karat gold in euro on the day you pay, applied to your pure gold weight. The live gold page shows it and calculates zakat for you.

Does zakat count as a tax in Germany?

No. Zakat is a religious obligation. German tax rules on gold are separate; this article is general information and not tax advice.