Clock change in March 2026: everything you need to know
5 March 13:11
The practice of changing the time twice a year was invented to save electricity and now exists in about 50 countries. Many countries have already abandoned this custom, and Ukraine was supposed to join this list. It was expected that 2024 would be the last year when the time would be changed.
"Komersant Ukrainian" figured out when the clocks will be changed in Ukraine in 2026 and whether this practice will continue in the future.
Will the clocks be changed in Ukraine in 2026?
In 2024, daylight saving time was supposed to be abolished—the Verkhovna Rada voted for the corresponding law. The practice was to be abolished because it has no real benefit in terms of energy savings, but it is harmful to the health of citizens.
However, the document has not officially come into force because the president has not yet signed it. Since then, the clocks have been changed three times. If Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not sign the bill by the end of March, the transition to daylight saving time in 2026 will still take place.
When does Ukraine switch to daylight saving time?
Ukraine currently operates on standard time, which is considered natural for our country. We are in the GMT 2 time zone. Daylight saving time means that the clocks will be set to GMT 3, i.e., one extra hour will be added to the current time.
The date when the clocks are changed always falls on the last Sunday in March. In 2026, it will be the night of March 28 to 29. At 3:00 a.m. on the 29th, the hands must be moved forward one hour, meaning that after 2:59 a.m., it will immediately be 4:00 a.m. This means that we will sleep one hour less. However, it will also get dark later outside.
Please note that on mechanical watches and older devices that are not connected to the internet, the time in Ukraine must be changed manually. Modern smartphones and computers do this automatically, so their owners do not need to do anything.
