2026 Daylight Saving Time Dates Worldwide

Daylight Saving Time screws up meeting schedules twice a year.

Your recurring 9 AM call suddenly happens an hour different because the US changed clocks but Europe hasn't yet (or vice versa).

Here's every DST date for 2026 you need to know, plus how to not let it wreck your global team's schedule.

What DST Actually Is

Clocks move forward one hour in spring ("spring forward"). Clocks move back one hour in fall ("fall back").

The idea? More evening daylight in summer. Originally adopted in WWI to save energy.

Today about 70 countries do it, though many have abandoned it. The practice is controversial and may not last forever.

2026 DST Dates

US and Canada

Spring forward: Sunday, March 8, 2026 at 2 AM local → clocks jump to 3 AM (lose an hour)

Fall back: Sunday, November 1, 2026 at 2 AM local → clocks back to 1 AM (gain an hour)

Exceptions: Arizona (except Navajo Nation), Hawaii, most of Saskatchewan, parts of BC, Yukon — no DST.

Europe (UK and EU)

Spring forward: Sunday, March 29, 2026 at 1 AM UTC

• UK/Ireland: 1 AM GMT → 2 AM BST
• Central Europe: 2 AM CET → 3 AM CEST
• Eastern Europe: 3 AM EET → 4 AM EEST

Fall back: Sunday, October 25, 2026 at 1 AM UTC

• UK/Ireland: 2 AM BST → 1 AM GMT
• Central Europe: 3 AM CEST → 2 AM CET
• Eastern Europe: 4 AM EEST → 3 AM EET

(The EU voted to abolish DST in 2019 but keeps delaying. Still in effect for 2026.)

Australia

Southern Hemisphere, so seasons are reversed:

Spring forward: Sunday, October 4, 2026 at 2 AM local

Fall back: Sunday, April 5, 2026 at 3 AM local

Who does DST: NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, ACT

Who doesn't: Queensland, Western Australia, Northern Territory

New Zealand

Spring forward: Sunday, September 27, 2026 at 2 AM (NZST → NZDT)

Fall back: Sunday, April 5, 2026 at 3 AM (NZDT → NZST)

Mexico

Changed policy in 2022. Most of Mexico no longer does DST.

Exception: Border cities with the US still follow US dates (March 8, November 1).

Brazil

Abolished DST nationwide in 2019. No more clock changes.

Middle East

Israel:

• Spring: Friday, March 27, 2026 at 2 AM → 3 AM
• Fall: Sunday, October 25, 2026 at 2 AM → 1 AM

Iran:

• Spring: March 22, 2026 at midnight → 1 AM
• Fall: September 21, 2026 at midnight → 11 PM previous day

Most other Middle East countries (UAE, Saudi, Qatar, Egypt) don't do DST.

Asia

Almost nobody in Asia does DST.

China, Japan, South Korea, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia — all stay on standard time year-round.

This makes Asia a constant when scheduling, but creates headaches when Asian teams work with Western teams.

The Chaos Periods ("Twilight Zones")

The worst confusion happens when some regions change but others haven't yet.

Spring 2026: US-Europe Mismatch

March 8-29 (3 weeks)

US springs forward. Europe hasn't yet.

• NY to London: 4 hours instead of usual 5
• SF to Paris: 8 hours instead of usual 9

Your recurring 3 PM London / 10 AM New York meeting? Now it's 3 PM London / 11 AM New York. Surprise!

Fall 2026: Europe-US Mismatch

October 25-31 (1 week)

Europe falls back. US hasn't yet.

NY to London: 4 hours instead of 5.

Same shift, but only one week. Less disruptive, still annoying.

Southern Hemisphere Adds to the Fun

April 2026: Northern Hemisphere springs forward, Southern Hemisphere falls back.

April 5: Australia and NZ end DST just as everyone else is starting it.

Maximum timezone chaos.

How Your Meetings Get Wrecked

Recurring Meetings

That weekly standup you set up in January? It shifts when clocks change.

Before US DST (March 7):

9 AM NY = 2 PM London = 6 PM Dubai

After US DST (March 8):

9 AM NY = 1 PM London = 5 PM Dubai

(Europe hasn't changed yet!)

After both change (March 30):

9 AM NY = 2 PM London = 5 PM Dubai

(Back to normal for US-Europe, Dubai stays shifted)

Time Differences Throughout 2026

NY to London:

• Jan-Mar 8: 5 hours
• Mar 8-29: 4 hours (transition chaos)
• Mar 29-Oct 25: 5 hours
• Oct 25-Nov 1: 4 hours (transition chaos)
• Nov-Dec: 5 hours

NY to Sydney:

• Jan-Mar 8: 16 hours
• Mar 8-Apr 5: 15 hours
• Apr 5-Oct 4: 14 hours
• Oct 4-Nov 1: 15 hours
• Nov-Dec: 16 hours

How to Handle DST Without Losing Your Mind

Use DST-Aware Tools

Tools like Whenest automatically handle DST. Schedule a meeting for April, it calculates the correct time even though DST changes happen between now and then.

Meeting planner, overlap finder, and time zone converter all handle DST automatically.

Review Recurring Meetings Twice Yearly

Set reminders:

• Early March (before Northern Hemisphere spring change)
• Late October (before Northern Hemisphere fall change)

Check every recurring meeting. Confirm times with participants.

Communicate Proactively

Don't assume people will notice. Send explicit warnings:

"Heads up: US clocks change this Sunday. Our 9 AM ET / 2 PM GMT meeting becomes 9 AM EDT / 1 PM GMT for three weeks until Europe changes too."

Use UTC When Documenting

"Weekly sync: 2 PM UTC (adjusts automatically)"

UTC never observes DST. It's a stable reference.

Avoid Critical Meetings During Transition Weeks

The week after a DST change? Confusion is highest. Don't schedule your most important stuff then.

Countries That Don't Do DST

These places never change clocks (reliable anchors for scheduling):

China, Japan, South Korea, India, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Russia, Iceland, most of Africa, most of South America, Hawaii, Arizona, Queensland (Australia).

Is DST Going Away?

Maybe.

EU: Voted to abolish in 2019. Still debating. Not implemented yet.

US: Sunshine Protection Act passed Senate in 2022, stalled in House. Various states want out but need federal approval.

Brazil: Abolished 2019 (minimal energy savings).

Russia: Ended 2014.

Until it's officially gone, assume DST continues. Monitor news if you have team members in affected regions.

Team Best Practices

Create a DST calendar: Track all transition dates for team locations. Whenest does this automatically.

Set a protocol: Who sends reminders? How far ahead? Which meetings need review?

Allow flexibility during transitions: Someone normally joins at 8 AM might need to shift for a week or two.

Use UTC for deadlines: "Due: March 15, 2026 at 11:59 PM UTC" — no ambiguity.

Tools

Meeting Planner:** Auto-adjusts for DST in future dates

Overlap Finder:** Accounts for current DST state

Time Zone Converter:** DST-aware for any date

See How It Works for details.

Bottom Line

DST messes up global scheduling twice yearly. Key 2026 dates:

Northern Hemisphere:

• US/Canada: March 8 (spring), November 1 (fall)
• Europe: March 29 (spring), October 25 (fall)

Southern Hemisphere:

• Australia/NZ: April 5 (fall), Sept-Oct (spring)

Chaos periods:

• March 8-29 (US-Europe mismatch)
• October 25-31 (Europe-US mismatch)

Use timezone-aware tools, communicate early, and build DST awareness into your process.

Want DST-proof scheduling? Try the meeting planner for automatic timezone handling across DST transitions. Read more about DST basics and global meeting practices.