How long will it take a beginner to reach ELO 1700?

Just approximately.

ELO/Fide

1700 days.

And the serious answer?

Anywhere from a couple days to never.

Für immer. Schach ist zu kompliziert und besonders für die meisten Leute.

Snapes, I see you are a diamond member that tells me you are serious about wanting to improve. And the goal you are setting is very reasonable. Depending on what other activities that must take up your time will really be the deciding factor!  Joining one of your local chess clubs will help greatly. When I was in Germany on two occaions, I played much chess with the locals, and I must say, there are alot of excellent players out your way! I have confident you will reach that level and more!

Those who do make it to 1700, I doubt it took so many hours...

And the serious question?

Huh? I'd say pretty much all 1700s are far less "beatable" than 1000 level players...

It was a serious question. I simply have no idea whether one year for example is absolutely realistic or absolutely unrealistic.

Skill is relative. But obviously 1700s are far better than 1000s. What you said made no sense.

Some things for you to read

http://www.chess.com/article/view/an-optimal-self-preparation-program-for-1400-ndash-1600-uscf-rated-players

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/what-makes-a-class-a---expert-player

1700s are massively better than 1000s. Everyone with common sense knows this. The ELO system literally will tell you, mathematically, that a 1700 player has a 99% chance to win against a 1000 player. I could never play a 1700 player in my life and I would know that. I compete with 1500-1600s but am invincible to a 1000. Common sense. Your rating here is in the 1500s. Looks like you don't have a lot of room to talk.

2 years without serious training (mainly tactics plus basic endgames and some opening preparation). Also playing certain amount of OTB standard games. From personal experience.

Ok, 1557 blitz player, I'll assume your FIDE is 1800. Therefore you are as easy to beat as a 1100 player. Therefore I will destroy you!

By your own logic, you aint so much a chess god after all.

I expect age has a lot to do with it. This is just a total guess based on my understanding...If you're playing almost daily, a few games at least a day my guess is for a kid starting out under 13 it would take 2-5 years, between ages 14-18 maybe 3-6 years, 19-25 maybe 5-7 years. If you start out as a beginner over the age of 25, it could take a decade or more.

As long as he needs

There is no linear increase in your skill, many things it depends on.

Furthermore this questions is like similar ones from other areas "How long does it take to make the first million" and alike. Would you tell them a honest answer? If yes then you are living in a bubble of dreams masking out reality.

I don't know that I approve of the way some people react to this sort of issue, but it is true that questions like this can not really be answered. In some (rare) cases a person moves quickly up to a high level. Everyone reaches a plateau somewhere or other and pretty much stays there subsequently. There are cases of people who speed up their progress. If I remember correctly, Fischer thought that he was such a person. For any one person, progress depends on many factors, talent, motivation, available resources, ... that sort of thing. I think it is fair to say that it is rare for someone to go from beginner to 1700 in a year, but I am not aware of any available statistical study of that sort of issue.

Well its been three years and he's not 1700 yet. Sooooooo