On the night of October 24–25, 2026, Ukraine will switch to standard time by setting clocks back one hour. At 4:00 a.m. Kyiv time, the clocks must be set back to 3:00 a.m., in accordance with the current Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 509 of May 13, 1996.
Thus, Sunday, October 25, will last 25 hours, and Ukraine will switch from daylight saving time (UTC+3) to standard time (UTC+2).
Most modern smartphones, computers, and other electronic devices will adjust the time automatically, provided the time zone is set correctly. Mechanical watches and some electronic devices will need to be adjusted manually.
A distinctive feature of this year’s transition is the uncertainty surrounding the abolition of the seasonal time change. Back on July 16, 2024, the Verkhovna Rada adopted Bill No. 4201 “On the Calculation of Time in Ukraine,” which provides for the elimination of the annual switch to daylight saving time and the adoption of a permanent Kyiv time of UTC+2.
The bill was supported by 261 members of parliament. On August 21, 2024, it was sent to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his signature. However, as of October 2026, the law has not been signed and has not entered into force.
Therefore, a government resolution remains in effect in Ukraine, under which clocks are adjusted twice a year: one hour forward on the last Sunday in March and one hour back on the last Sunday in October.
Along with Ukraine, most European countries—including Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Serbia, and Montenegro—will switch to standard time on October 25.
At the same time, the time difference between Ukraine and Central European countries will remain unchanged. Specifically, Kyiv will be one hour ahead of Warsaw, Belgrade, and Budapest.
The switch to standard time means that it will get light earlier in the morning according to the clock, but it will get dark about an hour earlier in the evening.
Under current rules, Ukraine’s next switch to daylight saving time is scheduled for March 28, 2027, unless the law is amended before then.
