Twice a year the clocks change in Germany and across the EU: forward one hour at the end of March, back one hour at the end of October. The rule is simple, yet the same questions come up every year: when exactly is it, do you sleep longer or shorter, and whatever happened to the planned abolition?
The rule in one sentence
Summer time starts on the last Sunday in March at 2 a.m. and ends on the last Sunday in October at 3 a.m. In March the clock goes forward from 2 to 3 a.m., so the night is one hour shorter. In October it goes back from 3 to 2 a.m., so the night is one hour longer. The English mnemonic: spring forward, fall back.
All dates until 2030
| Year | Summer time starts (2 → 3 a.m.) | Summer time ends (3 → 2 a.m.) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday, 29 March | Sunday, 25 October |
| 2027 | Sunday, 28 March | Sunday, 31 October |
| 2028 | Sunday, 26 March | Sunday, 29 October |
| 2029 | Sunday, 25 March | Sunday, 28 October |
| 2030 | Sunday, 31 March | Sunday, 27 October |
The next change is on Sunday, 28 March 2027. Because the dates follow a fixed rule, they can be calculated for any year. The time zone converter also shows the next clock change for every city.
The legal basis
In the EU, Directive 2000/84/EC governs summer time. Under it, summer time starts and ends in all member states at the same moment, namely 01:00 UTC. That is why Portugal (from 1 to 2 a.m.), Germany (from 2 to 3 a.m.) and Greece (from 3 to 4 a.m.) change in the same second, and the time difference between EU countries always stays the same.
In Germany the Summer Time Ordinance (Sommerzeitverordnung, SoZV) implements the directive. § 2 SoZV states that summer time starts on the last Sunday in March at 2 a.m. CET and ends on the last Sunday in October at 3 a.m. CEST. For the double hour in October the ordinance even provides names: the first hour from 2 to 3 a.m. is called "2A" (still summer time), the second "2B" (already standard time).
What happens on the night of the change
In March an hour is missing. The times from 2:00 to 2:59 a.m. do not exist in Germany on that day. If you enter an appointment at 2:30, you really mean 3:30 summer time; the time zone converter calculates it that way and points it out. Anyone working that night has a shift one hour shorter.
In October an hour occurs twice. At 3 a.m. the clock jumps back to 2 a.m., and the time from 2:00 to 2:59 runs twice. A night shift lasts one hour longer. Without further information it is unclear which of the two hours a time refers to; the converter takes the first one, i.e. summer time.
Radio-controlled clocks change automatically because the DCF77 time signal from Germany's national metrology institute (PTB) announces the change. Smartphones and computers follow the rules of the time zone database. You mainly need to change ovens, microwaves, older car clocks and heating controls by hand.
Why do we change the clocks at all?
The idea is to make better use of daylight in the evening. Germany introduced summer time for the first time in 1916, during the First World War, to save coal for lighting. After several interruptions it was reintroduced in both German states in 1980, partly because of the oil crisis and to align with neighbouring countries. Today the energy saving is considered small, because lighting accounts for only a small share of electricity use.
Is the EU abolishing the clock change?
In 2018, following an online consultation, the European Commission proposed ending the clock change. Each country would choose whether to keep permanent summer or standard time. The European Parliament agreed on 26 March 2019. For the rule to take effect, however, the Council of the member states must also agree, and to this day it has no common position. Many states fear a patchwork of different times in the single market.
Until that changes, Directive 2000/84/EC continues to apply unchanged, with two changes a year (as of October 2026). Outside the EU the picture is mixed: Russia (2014) and Turkey (2016) stay on one time permanently, Mexico largely abolished daylight saving time in 2022, while the USA and Canada continue to change their clocks.
Tips for the change
- In March: go to bed 15 minutes earlier on each of the days before. Plenty of daylight on Sunday morning helps your body clock.
- In October: most people find the extra hour easier. Small children and pets still need a few days; shift meal times gradually.
- Appointments abroad: in the weeks between the changes in Europe and North America, the difference shifts. More in Time difference Germany–USA.
Conclusion
Spring forward, fall back: summer time starts on the last Sunday in March and ends on the last Sunday in October. In 2027 these are 28 March and 31 October. Abolition was voted for in 2019 but has not been implemented. Background on time zones and offsets is in the main guide Calculating time differences.
Sources: Directive 2000/84/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 January 2001 on summer-time arrangements; German Summer Time Ordinance (SoZV) §§ 1–3; European Parliament legislative resolution of 26 March 2019. As of October 2026.