PurposeWe aimed to assess symptoms in patients after SARS-CoV-2 infection and to identify factors predicting prolonged time to symptom-free.MethodsCOVIDOM/NAPKON-POP is a population-based prospective cohort of adults whose first on-site visits were scheduled ≥ 6 months after a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test. Retrospective data including self-reported symptoms and time to symptom-free were collected during the survey before a site visit. In the survival analyses, being symptom-free served as the event and time to be symptom-free as the time variable. Data were visualized with Kaplan–Meier curves, differences were tested with log-rank tests. A stratified Cox proportional hazard model was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) of predictors, with aHR < 1 indicating a longer time to symptom-free.ResultsOf 1175 symptomatic participants included in the present analysis, 636 (54.1%) reported persistent symptoms after 280 days (SD 68) post infection. 25% of participants were free from symptoms after 18 days [quartiles: 14, 21]. Factors associated with prolonged time to symptom-free were age 49–59 years compared to < 49 years (aHR 0.70, 95% CI 0.56–0.87), female sex (aHR 0.78, 95% CI 0.65–0.93), lower educational level (aHR 0.77, 95% CI 0.64–0.93), living with a partner (aHR 0.81, 95% CI 0.66–0.99), low resilience (aHR 0.65, 95% CI 0.47–0.90), steroid treatment (aHR 0.22, 95% CI 0.05–0.90) and no medication (aHR 0.74, 95% CI 0.62–0.89) during acute infection.ConclusionIn the studied population, COVID-19 symptoms had resolved in one-quarter of participants within 18 days, and in 34.5% within 28 days. Over half of the participants reported COVID-19-related symptoms 9 months after infection. Symptom persistence was predominantly determined by participant’s characteristics that are difficult to modify.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s15010-023-02043-6.