Winter Time 2026 in Ukraine: When to Change the Clocks and Will the Seasonal Time Change Be Abolished?

The bill to abolish the time change in Ukraine has not yet been signed by the president, so in the fall of 2026, the country will switch to winter time again. Find out the exact date and time of the clock change and what is known about the possible abolition of seasonal time changes

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Despite lengthy parliamentary debates on abolishing the seasonal clock change, the matter has yet to be settled. As of June 2026, the relevant law has not yet come into effect, which means that this fall, Ukrainians will once again set their clocks back to standard time. RBC-Ukraine reports on this.

Read also: Ukraine has adopted an “OLX tax”: what is it and who will it affect?

When and how should clocks be set to standard time in 2026?

According to current legislation—Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 509 “On the Procedure for Calculating Time on the Territory of Ukraine” dated May 13, 1996—the switch to standard time occurs every year on the last Sunday of October.

In 2026, this is Sunday, October 25. Clocks must be set back one hour—at 4:00 a.m., the time will revert to 3:00 a.m. This actually takes place on the night from Saturday to Sunday, from October 24 to 25.

The same resolution also defines the switch to daylight saving time—on the last Sunday in March at 3:00 a.m., the clocks are moved forward one hour. This has been the case for over three decades.

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The attempt to abolish daylight saving time: what went wrong?

Parliamentary discussions regarding the abolition of daylight saving time in Ukraine have been ongoing for several years. Back in the summer of 2024, the Verkhovna Rada supported Bill No. 4201, initiated by Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk.

The document aimed to establish clear legal norms for calculating time in the country: to standardize units of time measurement and the specifics of its calculation within the state, as well as to provide the population and government agencies with verified data on the exact time and date.

The key change was to be the elimination of the switch to daylight saving time—meaning that all of Ukraine would operate on a single, standard winter time without any seasonal “shifts.”

However, the final provisions of the law state: the new rules take effect the day after official publication, and this requires the president’s signature. The bill was submitted to Volodymyr Zelenskyy for signature as early as August 21, 2024. As of June 10, 2026, the document has still not been signed.

Due to the lack of presidential approval, the new regulations have not taken effect, and the old 1996 decree remains in force in the country.

Until the law is signed and officially published, it does not legally exist. This means that all regulations regarding the seasonal clock change remain in effect unchanged.

In the fall of 2026, Ukraine will once again follow the usual procedure: on the night of October 24–25 at 4:00 a.m., the clocks will be set back to 3:00 a.m. The day will be an hour longer, mornings will be a little brighter, and evenings will be darker.

It is currently unknown whether the law will be signed before the next switch to daylight saving time in March 2027.

We remind you! Ukraine is actively transitioning from paper employment records to electronic ones. This is not just a formality, but an important step toward preserving insurance records and ensuring timely pension payments. Read about the deadlines set by law, how digitization works, and what documents you need to submit to ensure your employment history is fully accounted for.

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