In 2026, around 70 countries will change their clocks according to their own national schedules. The dates of the transition vary significantly depending on the region and hemisphere, and more than 125 countries have abandoned this practice altogether. Learn more about the exact dates for changing the clocks in different countries and the reasons why the world is gradually moving away from seasonal time changes

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Every year, dozens of countries around the world change their clocks to make the most of daylight hours during the warm season. In 2026, about 70 countries will change their clocks again — some in spring, others in autumn, depending on the hemisphere. The dates of the transition vary from region to region, so travellers and those who work with international partners should know the exact schedule.

Below are the specific dates for changing the clocks in North America, Europe, Latin America and the Southern Hemisphere, as well as a list of countries that have abandoned this practice altogether.

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Clock changes in the United States and Canada in 2026

North America traditionally switches to daylight saving time earlier than Europe. In 2026, this transition will take place on 8 March (Sunday). On this day, most American states will move their clocks forward one hour. However, there are exceptions: Hawaii, most of Arizona, and some overseas territories of the United States do not practise daylight saving time and live on a standard schedule all year round.

Canada follows a similar calendar — the change is also scheduled for 8 March. Most provinces and territories will change the time, although some regions will maintain standard time. A number of countries in the Caribbean and Central America also follow a similar schedule, with daylight saving time in effect from 8 March to 1 November 2026, but not all countries in the region change their clocks.

Daylight saving time in Europe: date and time zones

European countries switch to daylight saving time simultaneously according to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), but the local time of the change varies depending on the time zone. In 2026, the date of the change is Sunday, 29 March, at 01:00 UTC.

For countries in the CET (Central European Time) zone, the clocks are set forward from 02:00 to 03:00. This group includes Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, France, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Montenegro, Switzerland, Sweden, and 12 other countries.

Countries in the EET (Eastern European Time) zone change their clocks from 3:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. These include Bulgaria, Greece, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Ukraine, Finland and the Åland Islands.

Moldova will also make the change on 29 March, although the technical details may be specified by separate government decisions. It should be noted that Russia and Belarus do not practise seasonal time changes.

Daylight saving time in Latin American countries

Latin America is the region with the most heterogeneous approach to daylight saving time. Only a few countries continue to practise changing their clocks, and the dates of the transition vary significantly.

Brazil applies daylight saving time only in certain states. The 2025–2026 season started in October 2025 and will end in April 2026. Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay have their own individual schedules, with the start usually falling between August and November and the end between March and April. Legislation in this region changes frequently, so the exact dates of the transition are specified each year at the national government level.

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End of daylight saving time in Australia and New Zealand in 2026

In the Southern Hemisphere, daylight saving time for the 2025–2026 season begins in October 2025. Therefore, in 2026, the reverse process takes place here — a return to standard time.

In Australia, this applies to the states of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory. The date of the return to standard time is Sunday, 5 April 2026. The rest of the Australian states and territories, including Queensland and Western Australia, do not use daylight saving time. New Zealand also returns to standard time in March–April 2026, in accordance with the national DST calendar.

Which countries will not change their clocks in 2026?

Of the 195 countries in the world, only about 70 practise seasonal time changes. This means that 125 countries live on a fixed schedule without any clock changes.

One of the most famous examples is Japan, which abolished daylight saving time in 1952 thanks to an efficient lighting system. China abandoned this practice in 1991 and, despite its vast territory, lives in a single time zone, UTC+8. India has never switched to daylight saving time because the difference in daylight hours throughout the year is minimal there. South Korea experimented with daylight saving time in the 1980s but later abandoned it.

Singapore and Malaysia (located near the equator), Iceland (where seasonal variations in daylight hours are too extreme for DST to be effective), Argentina (which abolished the practice several years ago), as well as Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, where stable daylight hours and religious traditions make changing the time inappropriate.

Turkey has been permanently on summer time (UTC+3) since 2016, and Morocco abandoned winter time in 2018, keeping UTC+1, except for the month of Ramadan, during which it temporarily returns to winter time.

Why are countries abandoning daylight saving time?

The main reason for countries near the equator is that there is no practical sense in it, as the length of daylight hours throughout the year remains almost unchanged. Changing the clocks in such conditions offers no advantages in terms of energy savings or the organisation of daily life.

Another argument is the impact on public health. Studies indicate that changing the time can cause sleep disturbances, increased stress levels and even an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition, in today's world of widespread LED lighting and energy-efficient technologies, changing the clocks no longer provides significant energy savings, which was the original purpose of this practice.

Time zone changes, long flights, and the body's adaptation to a new routine all place additional strain on travellers' health. The Visit World portal offers travel medical insurance that will provide reliable protection in any country in the world. This is especially important during international trips involving time differences and climatic conditions.

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Reminder! In 2026, more and more people are choosing to live abroad, not only for travel, but also for long-term residence or freelance work. We talked about the cheapest countries to live in in 2026 in our previous article.

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