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Education · Guide

When Clocks Change to Winter Time in Europe in 2026, and How to Adjust

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Larger map of the previous version. Distinguished from summertime in the northern hemisphere and southern hemisphere. Northern hemisphere summer Southern hemisphere summer Formerly used daylight savings Never used daylight savings
Image credit: TimeZonesBoy · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

In brief

Clocks across most of Europe move back one hour at 01:00 UTC on Sunday, October 25, 2026, ending daylight saving time for the year. The switch affects the European Union plus Norway, Switzerland, Monaco, Ukraine and Andorra, giving most residents an extra hour of sleep that night.

The annual switch to winter time happens at 01:00 UTC on the last Sunday of October, when clocks are set back one hour to standard time. In 2026 that date is Sunday, October 25, according to the RAC and the Spanish outlet El Demócrata, which both confirm the change takes effect overnight between Saturday and Sunday.

Exact local times for the 2026 change

Because the switch happens simultaneously at 01:00 UTC, the local clock time differs by region. The RAC reports that in the UK and Ireland the clocks move back from 02:00 to 01:00, while El Demócrata states that in mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands the change happens at 03:00, when the time reverts to 02:00; in the Canary Islands, which use Western European Time, it happens at 02:00, reverting to 01:00.

Local time of the 2026 winter-time switch by zone
Time zone (example countries)Clocks move fromClocks move to
Western European Time (UK, Ireland, Portugal, Canary Islands)02:0001:00
Central European Time (Spain mainland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland)03:0002:00
Eastern European Time (Greece, Finland, Romania, Bulgaria)04:0003:00

How to change your clocks: a step-by-step guide

  1. Check your phone, computer, tablet and smartwatch: El Demócrata notes that most connected devices update automatically if their automatic time setting is switched on.
  2. Verify the automatic update worked on Sunday morning, especially on devices you rely on for alarms or appointments, as El Demócrata recommends.
  3. Manually set back any device without internet-based time sync, including wall clocks, traditional alarm clocks, analog watches, ovens, microwaves and some vehicle dashboard clocks, as El Demócrata lists.
  4. Move the hands or digital display back exactly one hour, following the 'fall back' rule the RAC uses to describe the autumn change.
  5. Expect the change to take effect overnight between Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25, 2026, which the RAC describes as the least disruptive timing for schools and most businesses.

Why Europe still changes the clocks

The practice began in the Netherlands in 1977, when the Dutch government introduced summer time so the country's clocks would match those of its neighbours, according to the Dutch government's official explainer. The system became standardised across Europe from 1980 and is now governed by EU Directive 2000/84/EC, which sets common dates for the spring and autumn transitions.

Will the EU scrap the clock change?

The clock change remains in force for 2026 because EU member states have not reached the unanimous agreement a time-harmonisation directive requires. Il Sole 24 Ore reports that Spain formally revived the long-stalled debate by proposing to eliminate the change from 2026, with Italy and Portugal favouring permanent summer time, while Sweden, Finland and Denmark would support ending the switch only if permanent standard time is kept instead.

Germany is described by Il Sole 24 Ore as the main political brake on the proposal, asking for economic studies and broad agreement before any decision, while Poland wants to let each country choose its own permanent time. Hungary, Romania and Greece prefer keeping the current twice-yearly system, and France has not taken a firm position, the outlet reports.

Questions

When exactly do the clocks change to winter time in 2026?
At 01:00 UTC on Sunday, October 25, 2026, which is 02:00 in the UK and Ireland, 03:00 in mainland Spain, France, Germany and Italy, and 04:00 in Greece and Finland, according to the RAC and El Demócrata.
Which countries are affected by the switch?
The change covers European Union member states as well as Norway, Switzerland, Monaco, Ukraine and Andorra, as reported by the RAC.
Do I need to manually change my phone's clock?
No, most phones, computers, tablets and smartwatches update automatically if their automatic time setting is enabled, according to El Demócrata, though it recommends checking on Sunday morning.
Which clocks do I still have to change by hand?
El Demócrata lists wall clocks, traditional alarm clocks, analog watches, ovens, microwaves and some vehicle dashboard clocks as devices that typically need a manual one-hour adjustment.
Will Europe stop changing the clocks in the future?
Not yet. The underlying EU directive still applies for 2026, and Il Sole 24 Ore reports that member states remain divided over whether to keep permanent summer time, permanent standard time, or the current biannual system, so no unanimous decision has been reached.

Sources

  1. Government of the Netherlands — Why do the clocks change twice a year?
  2. Il Sole 24 Ore — Abolish the time change? The position of EU countries on the proposal
  3. RAC — When do the clocks change?
  4. El Demócrata — Change of time 2026: when the winter time starts and which clock needs to be set back

This piece was prepared with artificial intelligence and passed an automated source check before publication. If you see an error, ask for a correction. Request a correction or reply · How we make this

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