Clocks go back on October 25, 2026 in the UK and most of Europe, while most of the US changes on November 1. Check the exact times, country-by-country dates, US exceptions and what happens to the time difference.
Short Answer
If you are wondering when the clocks go back in 2026, there are two important dates:
| Region | Clocks Go Back in 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Sunday, October 25, 2026 | Back 1 hour |
| European Union countries | Sunday, October 25, 2026 | Back 1 hour |
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| Most European countries observing summer time |
| Sunday, October 25, 2026 |
| Back 1 hour |
| Most of the United States | Sunday, November 1, 2026 | Back 1 hour |
| Hawaii and most of Arizona | No change | DST not observed |
The UK government confirms that British clocks go back on Sunday, October 25, 2026. At 2:00 a.m. British Summer Time, clocks return to 1:00 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time.
European Union rules require member states to end the summer-time period at 1:00 a.m. UTC on the last Sunday in October, making October 25 the 2026 changeover date.
In the United States, daylight saving time ends on Sunday, November 1, 2026 at 2:00 a.m. local time in areas that observe DST. At 2:00 a.m., clocks move back to 1:00 a.m.
So Europe changes first in 2026, followed by most of the US one week later.
The UK's clock change takes place on:
Sunday, October 25, 2026
At 2:00 a.m. British Summer Time (BST), clocks move back one hour to:
1:00 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
The UK government lists the 2026 clock-change dates as:
After the October change, the UK remains on GMT until clocks move forward again in spring 2027.
This autumn change is often described as giving people an “extra hour in bed” because the hour between 1:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. effectively occurs twice.
Whether an individual actually gets an extra hour of sleep will, of course, depend on their work and sleep schedule.
The statement that “Europe changes its clocks on October 25” needs one important qualification:
Most of Europe changes clocks, but not every European country does.
All EU member states currently remain subject to the coordinated seasonal-time system. EU law says summer time starts on the last Sunday in March and ends on the last Sunday in October.
The October 25, 2026 transition also applies to several non-EU European countries.
Countries including Iceland, Belarus, Russia and Turkey, however, do not make a seasonal clock change in 2026.
| Country | Clocks Go Back 2026? | Date | Typical European Local Change* |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Yes | Oct. 25 | 2:00 BST → 1:00 GMT |
| Ireland | Yes | Oct. 25 | 2:00 → 1:00 |
| Portugal | Yes | Oct. 25 | 2:00 → 1:00 on mainland |
| Spain | Yes | Oct. 25 | 3:00 → 2:00 on mainland |
| France | Yes | Oct. 25 | 3:00 → 2:00 in metropolitan France |
| Germany | Yes | Oct. 25 | 3:00 → 2:00 |
| Italy | Yes | Oct. 25 | 3:00 → 2:00 |
| Netherlands | Yes | Oct. 25 | 3:00 → 2:00 |
| Belgium | Yes | Oct. 25 | 3:00 → 2:00 |
| Luxembourg | Yes | Oct. 25 | 3:00 → 2:00 |
| Austria | Yes | Oct. 25 | 3:00 → 2:00 |
| Poland | Yes | Oct. 25 | 3:00 → 2:00 |
| Czechia | Yes | Oct. 25 | 3:00 → 2:00 |
| Slovakia | Yes | Oct. 25 | 3:00 → 2:00 |
| Hungary | Yes | Oct. 25 | 3:00 → 2:00 |
| Slovenia | Yes | Oct. 25 | 3:00 → 2:00 |
| Croatia | Yes | Oct. 25 | 3:00 → 2:00 |
| Denmark | Yes | Oct. 25 | 3:00 → 2:00 |
| Sweden | Yes | Oct. 25 | 3:00 → 2:00 |
| Malta | Yes | Oct. 25 | 3:00 → 2:00 |
| Bulgaria | Yes | Oct. 25 | 4:00 → 3:00 |
| Romania | Yes | Oct. 25 | 4:00 → 3:00 |
| Greece | Yes | Oct. 25 | 4:00 → 3:00 |
| Finland | Yes | Oct. 25 | 4:00 → 3:00 |
| Estonia | Yes | Oct. 25 | 4:00 → 3:00 |
| Latvia | Yes | Oct. 25 | 4:00 → 3:00 |
| Lithuania | Yes | Oct. 25 | 4:00 → 3:00 |
| Cyprus | Yes | Oct. 25 | 4:00 → 3:00 |
| Norway | Yes | Oct. 25 | 3:00 → 2:00 |
| Switzerland | Yes | Oct. 25 | 3:00 → 2:00 |
| Serbia | Yes | Oct. 25 | 3:00 → 2:00 |
| Albania | Yes | Oct. 25 | 3:00 → 2:00 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Yes | Oct. 25 | 3:00 → 2:00 |
| Kosovo | Yes | Oct. 25 | 3:00 → 2:00 |
| San Marino | Yes | Oct. 25 | 3:00 → 2:00 |
| Vatican City | Yes | Oct. 25 | 3:00 → 2:00 |
| Ukraine | Most areas | Oct. 25 | Seasonal change applies in most areas |
| Iceland | No | — | No DST |
| Belarus | No | — | No DST |
| Russia | No | — | No DST |
| Turkey | No | — | No DST |
*Local transition times can differ by time zone and territory. The coordinated EU transition occurs at 1:00 a.m. UTC.
Overseas territories can follow different time rules from their European mainland country, so travellers should check the specific destination rather than assuming the mainland schedule applies everywhere.
The European system is coordinated at 1:00 a.m. UTC on October 25.
Because Europe has several time zones, that produces different-looking local times.
UK and Western European Summer Time
Typically:
2:00 a.m. → 1:00 a.m.
For the UK specifically:
2:00 a.m. BST becomes 1:00 a.m. GMT.
Central European Summer Time
Countries such as Germany, France, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands and much of Spain typically change:
3:00 a.m. CEST → 2:00 a.m. CET
Eastern European Summer Time
Countries including Finland, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria and the Baltic states typically change:
4:00 a.m. EEST → 3:00 a.m. EET
The underlying transition remains simultaneous at 1:00 UTC under the EU framework.
For most Americans, daylight saving time ends on:
Sunday, November 1, 2026
The switch happens at 2:00 a.m. local time.
At that point:
2:00 a.m. becomes 1:00 a.m.
The hour from 1:00 to 2:00 therefore repeats.
The US National Institute of Standards and Technology specifically lists daylight saving time in 2026 as running from March 8 at 2:00 a.m. until November 1 at 2:00 a.m. local time.
An easy memory phrase commonly used in the United States is:
“Spring forward, fall back.”
In spring, clocks move forward.
In autumn—or “fall”—they move back.
No.
Most US states observe daylight saving time, but important exceptions remain.
The US Department of Transportation and NIST identify Hawaii and most of Arizona among the areas that do not observe daylight saving time.
| US Area | Clock Change Nov. 1, 2026? | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Time areas observing DST | Yes | 2:00 a.m. EDT → 1:00 a.m. EST |
| Central Time areas observing DST | Yes | 2:00 a.m. CDT → 1:00 a.m. CST |
| Mountain Time areas observing DST | Yes | 2:00 a.m. MDT → 1:00 a.m. MST |
| Pacific Time areas observing DST | Yes | 2:00 a.m. PDT → 1:00 a.m. PST |
| Alaska areas observing DST | Yes | Back one hour |
| Hawaii | No | No DST |
| Most of Arizona | No | No DST |
| Navajo Nation in Arizona | Yes | Observes DST |
| Puerto Rico | No | No DST |
| US Virgin Islands | No | No DST |
| Guam | No | No DST |
| Northern Mariana Islands | No | No DST |
| American Samoa | No | No DST |
Federal law allows states to exempt themselves from observing DST, while states that do participate must follow the federally prescribed transition dates.
Because their laws use different schedules.
The European Union's current system sets:
The United States uses:
In 2026, this produces:
Europe: October 25
United States: November 1
That creates a one-week period when usual time differences between Europe and North America temporarily change.
This is particularly important for international meetings, flights and calls.
Normally during much of the year, London and New York are five hours apart.
But Britain switches from BST to GMT on October 25, while New York remains on EDT until November 1.
That means the London-New York difference temporarily falls to approximately:
4 hours
for the week between the European and American clock changes.
After the US moves back on November 1, the usual winter difference becomes five hours again.
Anyone scheduling an international meeting during that week should check the actual local time rather than relying on their usual conversion.
India does not observe daylight saving time, so Indian Standard Time remains UTC+5:30 throughout the year.
But the time difference with Europe and the US changes when those regions reset their clocks.
India-UK
Before the UK clock change:
India is 4 hours 30 minutes ahead of the UK during BST.
After October 25:
India is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of the UK when Britain returns to GMT.
India-Central Europe
During Central European Summer Time:
India is 3 hours 30 minutes ahead.
After October 25, when countries such as Germany, France and Italy return to CET:
India becomes 4 hours 30 minutes ahead.
India-New York
While New York is on EDT:
India is 9 hours 30 minutes ahead.
After New York returns to EST on November 1:
India is 10 hours 30 minutes ahead.
This makes the clock-change period particularly important for Indian businesses, remote workers and families regularly communicating with Europe or North America.
In most cases, modern smartphones, computers and internet-connected devices automatically update their clocks when automatic date, time and time-zone settings are enabled.
However, devices that may still need manual adjustment include:
If an appointment is particularly important—such as a flight, examination, online interview or international business meeting—it is sensible to verify the local time independently.
The autumn clock change creates an additional clock hour because one hour is repeated.
For example, when Britain's clocks reach 2:00 a.m. on October 25, they return to 1:00 a.m.
Similarly, in most of the US on November 1, 2:00 a.m. becomes 1:00 a.m.
That is why the event is widely described as providing an “extra hour of sleep.”
More precisely, however, it creates an extra hour in the calendar day. Whether someone actually sleeps for an additional hour depends on their personal schedule.
Not in 2026.
This is an important point because older reports can make it appear that the EU has already decided to permanently stop changing clocks.
The European Commission proposed ending seasonal clock changes in 2018, and the European Parliament subsequently supported ending the system.
But the required EU legislative agreement has not been completed.
The Council of the European Union said in its latest available position that no final decision had been reached and that the existing one-hour seasonal clock-change system remains in place.
The European Commission likewise states that the Council has not finalised its position.
European institutions were still examining the issue in 2026, including further work studying the possible impact of discontinuing seasonal time changes.
Therefore:
Yes, EU clocks still go back on October 25, 2026.
Reports suggesting Europe had already abolished the twice-yearly clock change are outdated.
After returning to standard time in autumn 2026, the next seasonal change comes in spring 2027.
UK and EU
The next last Sunday in March is:
Sunday, March 28, 2027
The European Commission's newly published timetable also lists March 28, 2027 as the beginning of the EU summer-time period.
GOV.UK likewise lists March 28 as Britain's 2027 spring clock change.
United States
Under existing US rules, daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March.
That falls on:
Sunday, March 14, 2027
unless US law changes before then. The federal rule continues to specify the second Sunday in March for the start and first Sunday in November for the end of DST.
| Date | Location | Event |
|---|---|---|
| March 8, 2026 | Most of US | DST began |
| March 29, 2026 | UK & most of Europe | Summer time began |
| October 25, 2026 | UK & most of Europe | Clocks go back 1 hour |
| November 1, 2026 | Most of US | Clocks go back 1 hour |
| March 14, 2027 | Most of US | DST starts again under current rules |
| March 28, 2027 | UK & EU | Summer time starts again |
For anyone searching “when do clocks go back in 2026?”, the two dates to remember are:
UK and most of Europe
Sunday, October 25, 2026
Most of the United States
Sunday, November 1, 2026
Clocks move back by one hour.
The UK returns from BST to GMT, EU countries return from their summer-time arrangements to standard time, and most of the US returns from daylight saving time to standard time.
But not every location participates.
Hawaii and most of Arizona do not change their clocks, while European countries including Iceland, Belarus, Russia and Turkey also do not follow the October 25 seasonal change.
For travellers, international businesses and people with family abroad, the biggest practical point is that Europe changes one week before the US in 2026, temporarily altering familiar transatlantic time differences.
When do the clocks go back in the UK in 2026?
The clocks go back on Sunday, October 25, 2026. At 2:00 a.m. BST, the time returns to 1:00 a.m. GMT.
When does daylight saving time end in the US in 2026?
For most of the US, daylight saving time ends on Sunday, November 1, 2026 at 2:00 a.m. local time. Clocks move back to 1:00 a.m.
When do clocks go back in Europe in 2026?
EU member states and most European countries using seasonal clock changes move clocks back on Sunday, October 25, 2026. The coordinated EU transition occurs at 1:00 a.m. UTC.
Do the clocks go back tonight?
For the UK and most of Europe, the 2026 autumn change is on October 25. For most of the US, it is November 1. Whether that means “tonight” depends on the date and country from which you are reading.
Do clocks go back one hour or forward one hour in October?
They go back one hour in the UK and most European countries in October.
Do we get an extra hour of sleep when clocks go back?
The day contains a repeated clock hour, which is why it is commonly described as an extra hour of sleep. Whether you actually sleep longer depends on your schedule.
Does Germany change clocks in 2026?
Yes. Germany returns from Central European Summer Time to Central European Time on October 25, 2026.
Does France change clocks in 2026?
Metropolitan France changes clocks on October 25, 2026, moving back one hour. Some French overseas territories follow different rules.
Does Spain change clocks in 2026?
Yes. Spain changes on October 25, 2026. Local transition times differ between mainland Spain and the Canary Islands because they use different time zones.
Does Italy change clocks in 2026?
Yes. Italy moves back one hour on October 25, 2026.
Does the US change clocks on October 25?
No. Most US areas wait until November 1, 2026.
Does Arizona change clocks?
Most of Arizona does not observe daylight saving time. The Navajo Nation is an important exception and does observe DST.
Does Hawaii change clocks?
No. Hawaii does not observe daylight saving time.
Has Europe abolished daylight saving time?
No. A proposal to end seasonal clock changes has not completed the EU legislative process, so the current system remains in place in 2026.
Clocks go back on October 25, 2026 in the UK and most of Europe, and on November 1 in most of the US. One extra hour appears on the calendar, but not every country or US state participates.
UK & most of Europe: Oct 25.
Most of US: Nov 1.
Clocks go back 1 hour.
Check local exceptions.
The Rajatheertha Team publishes news, explainers, guides and updates across India and the world. Our coverage follows Rajatheertha's editorial, verification and corrections standards.
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