Daylight Saving Time 2026: Which Countries Change Their Clocks and When
The US springs forward on March 8, 2026. The UK and Europe follow on March 29. Australia falls back on April 5. And India, China, Japan and most of Asia and Africa never change their clocks at all.
DST 2026 Quick Reference: Exact Dates by Region
Countries That Never Change Their Clocks
The majority of the world's population lives in countries that do not observe daylight saving time. Most of Asia, Africa and parts of South America use a single fixed offset year-round. This is why IST, JST, SGT and most other Asian time zones never shift, even as their trading partners' clocks move twice a year.
Asia (no DST)
- India - IST UTC+5:30 (fixed)
- China - CST UTC+8 (fixed)
- Japan - JST UTC+9 (fixed)
- South Korea - KST UTC+9 (fixed)
- Singapore - SGT UTC+8 (fixed)
- Thailand - ICT UTC+7 (fixed)
- Indonesia - WIB/WITA/WIT (fixed)
- Vietnam - ICT UTC+7 (fixed)
- Malaysia - MYT UTC+8 (fixed)
- Philippines - PHT UTC+8 (fixed)
- Pakistan - PKT UTC+5 (fixed)
- Bangladesh - BST UTC+6 (fixed)
- UAE - GST UTC+4 (fixed)
- Saudi Arabia - AST UTC+3 (fixed)
Africa and Middle East (no DST)
- Nigeria - WAT UTC+1 (fixed)
- South Africa - SAST UTC+2 (fixed)
- Egypt - EET UTC+2 (fixed)
- Kenya - EAT UTC+3 (fixed)
- Ghana - GMT UTC+0 (fixed)
- Ethiopia - EAT UTC+3 (fixed)
- Tanzania - EAT UTC+3 (fixed)
- Turkey - TRT UTC+3 (fixed, stopped DST in 2016)
- Israel - IST UTC+2 (observes DST, ends late Oct)
US States with No DST
- Arizona - MST UTC-7 (fixed year-round, except the Navajo Nation which does observe DST)
- Hawaii - HST UTC-10 (fixed year-round)
Arizona note: Phoenix stays on MST all year. During US summer, when most of the country is on MDT (UTC-6), Arizona is on MST (UTC-7), making it 1 hour behind Denver and equal to PDT/Los Angeles during those months.
Americas and Pacific (no DST)
- Jamaica - EST UTC-5 (fixed)
- Trinidad and Tobago - AST UTC-4 (fixed)
- Panama - EST UTC-5 (fixed)
- Colombia - COT UTC-5 (fixed)
- Peru - PET UTC-5 (fixed)
- Bolivia - BOT UTC-4 (fixed)
- Venezuela - VET UTC-4 (fixed)
- Queensland, Australia - AEST UTC+10 (fixed)
- Western Australia - AWST UTC+8 (fixed)
How DST Affects Time Zone Converters
When one country observes DST and another does not, the time gap between them changes by one hour on DST transition dates. This is why you cannot hardcode a time difference and expect it to stay accurate year-round.
India (IST) to US East Coast (EST/EDT)
IST is always UTC+5:30. EST is UTC-5 and EDT is UTC-4. So the gap is 10 hours 30 minutes when the US is on EST (winter) and 9 hours 30 minutes when the US is on EDT (summer). The gap changes on March 8 and November 1, the US DST transition dates.
UK (GMT/BST) to US East Coast (EST/EDT)
The gap is usually 5 hours. But because the US springs forward 3 weeks before the UK does (March 8 vs March 29), the gap drops to 4 hours for those 3 weeks in late March. After the UK moves to BST on March 29, the gap returns to 5 hours. In autumn, the US falls back on November 1 while the UK falls back on October 25, creating another short window where the gap is 4 hours.
India (IST) to UK (GMT/BST)
IST is 5.5 hours ahead of GMT in winter and 4.5 hours ahead of BST in UK summer. India does not change its clocks, so only the UK's clock change on March 29 and October 25 affects this gap.
Countries That Have Recently Ended or May End DST
Several countries have eliminated daylight saving time in recent years or have legislation pending that could end it.
Turkey (ended DST in 2016)
Turkey permanently adopted GMT+3 (Turkey Time, TRT) in 2016 and no longer adjusts for summer or winter. This means Turkey is always 3 hours ahead of UTC, regardless of season.
Russia (ended DST in 2014)
Russia moved to permanent "summer time" in 2014, keeping its clocks forward year-round. Moscow Standard Time (MSK) is permanently UTC+3 with no seasonal adjustment.
European Union (DST repeal pending)
The EU voted to end mandatory DST in 2019, but implementation has been delayed. As of 2026, EU member states still observe DST on the same schedule (last Sunday in March and last Sunday in October). No confirmed end date has been set at the EU level.
United States (Sunshine Protection Act)
The US Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act (which would make daylight saving time permanent) in 2022, but the House of Representatives did not bring it to a vote. The bill lapsed. As of 2026, the US still observes standard DST with a spring forward and fall back each year. Legislative proposals to end the clock change resurface periodically but have not become law.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the US spring forward in 2026?
The US moves forward to daylight saving time on Sunday, March 8, 2026, at 2:00 AM local time. Clocks jump to 3:00 AM, meaning there is no 2:00 AM to 2:59 AM that night. This affects most US states except Arizona and Hawaii, which stay on standard time all year.
When does the UK spring forward in 2026?
The UK moves to British Summer Time (BST, UTC+1) on Sunday, March 29, 2026, at 1:00 AM GMT. Clocks jump to 2:00 AM. The UK returns to GMT (UTC+0) on Sunday, October 25, 2026, at 2:00 AM BST (which becomes 1:00 AM GMT).
Does India have daylight saving time?
No. India Standard Time (IST, UTC+5:30) is fixed year-round and has never observed daylight saving time. IST does not change in spring or fall. This means the time gap between India and countries that do observe DST (like the US or UK) shifts by one hour on DST transition dates, even though India's clocks stay the same.
What happens to time zone converters during DST transitions?
Reputable time zone converters (including this one) automatically adjust for DST transitions. When you enter a date, the converter checks whether the source and destination time zones are currently in standard or daylight saving mode and applies the correct offset. The tricky period is the transition week itself, especially for the US-UK gap in late March when the two countries spring forward on different dates.
Why do the US and Europe change their clocks on different dates?
The US and Canada changed their DST start date to the second Sunday of March (previously the first Sunday of April) in 2007, partly for energy-saving reasons. The EU kept its traditional schedule: last Sunday of March and last Sunday of October. This creates a 3-week gap in spring (when the US has already sprung forward but the EU has not) and a brief gap in autumn (when the EU has already fallen back but the US has not).
See Live DST Status for Any Country
Our converter automatically applies the correct DST offset for any date you choose. No manual calculation needed.
DST affects your team meetings too. See Remote Work Timezone Guide for how the March US-UK DST gap shifts your recurring meeting window by one hour for three weeks each year.