Winter Time 2026: When to Change the Clocks and Whether There Will Be a Transition This Autumn
Ukraine continues to operate under the system of seasonal clock changes. In the spring of 2026, the country already switched to daylight saving time, and in the autumn, if legislation does not change, Ukrainians can expect a return to winter time.
On the night of March 29, 2026, the clocks were set forward by one hour. The next change will be the autumn transition back to winter time.
The practice of seasonal time changes has been in place in Ukraine for over four decades. It was introduced in 1981 during the Soviet era, and after independence was declared, the procedure for switching to summer and winter time was established by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Resolution No. 509 dated May 13, 1996. Since then, clocks have traditionally been changed on the last Sunday of March and the last Sunday of October.
At the same time, the issue of abolishing seasonal time changes remains unresolved. In July 2024, the Verkhovna Rada adopted bill No. 4201 "On Time Calculation in Ukraine," which provides for the abandonment of clock changes. After adoption, the document was signed by the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, and on August 21, 2024, it was sent to the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy for signature.
However, as of today, the law has not come into force because the President has not signed it. Therefore, the current procedure for seasonal time changes continues to operate.
If legislation does not change by autumn, the next switch to winter time will take place on the night of October 24 to 25, 2026. At 04:00, the clocks will need to be set back by one hour—to 03:00.
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