The United Kingdom observes British Summer Time (BST, UTC+1) from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October. In 2026, clocks go forward on March 29 and go back on October 25.
British Summer Time (BST) is UTC+1, used in the UK from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October. Outside BST, the UK is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT, UTC+0). BST was first introduced during World War I in 1916.
Yes — despite Brexit, the UK continues to align its clock-change dates with the European Union. Both the UK and EU change clocks on the last Sunday in March and the last Sunday in October. In 2026 these dates are March 29 and October 25.
During BST (March 29 – October 25), the UK is at UTC+1 rather than UTC+0. This changes the time difference with the US: London–New York becomes 5h (instead of 5h during EST) because both are in their summer time simultaneously after the US clocks change on March 8.
There has been ongoing political debate about making BST permanent (moving the UK to UTC+1 year-round). However, as of 2026 no legislation has been passed. The Scottish Government has opposed year-round BST due to the very late winter sunrises it would cause in northern Scotland.