I’m not certain, but I believe it’s a day or two. At contract expiry, you state whether you intend to stand or not, and if you do, you’d better deposit in full before the deliveries start, which is a few days later.
(Assuming deliveries are going to happen ... three days in a row this month there have been zero deliveries of silver to the standing longs ... makes you go “Hmmmm...”)
Exactly right! Especially when everyone seems to want physical!!