Clocks go back in Poland on 25 October 2026: what changes
Short answer: Poland changes to winter time on the night of 24 to 25 October 2026. At 3:00 clocks go back to 2:00, so Sunday lasts 25 hours, as set by a 2022 Prime Minister's regulation.
Poland puts its clocks back one hour on the night of Saturday 24 to Sunday 25 October 2026. At 3:00 summer time the clocks go back to 2:00, so Sunday 25 October lasts 25 hours. The date is set in a regulation of the Prime Minister published in the Journal of Laws. This guide explains the rule, what happens to the repeated hour, and what it means for night-shift workers and for travellers. Status as of 15 October 2026.
The rule and the date
The regulation of the President of the Council of Ministers of 4 March 2022 on introducing and ending Central European Summer Time in 2022-2026 (Journal of Laws 2022, item 539) sets the dates. Under its section 2, summer time is ended in 2026 on 25 October, at 3:00 summer time, which is 1:00 UTC. Ending summer time means changing clocks from 3:00 back to 2:00, and that 2:00 is the first hour of Central European (winter) Time.
The same regulation says summer time began in 2026 on 29 March, when clocks went from 2:00 to 3:00.
The date falls a day earlier than last year, when the change was on 26 October 2025. Press reports note that this follows from the calendar: the change is always made on the last Sunday of October. 25 October 2026 is a Sunday, and the calendar confirms it.
* Photos: "Behind a clock (Unsplash)" (CC0) and "Joost Massys - Clock face Louvain" (public domain), Wikimedia Commons.
What happens to the hour between 2:00 and 3:00
The regulation states that the period from 2:00 to 3:00 Central European Time is marked with an additional letter "a" (hour 2a:01 to 3a:00), after which comes 3:01 Central European Time. In practice, the clock shows the hour from 2:00 to 3:00 twice. The first pass is in summer time and the second in winter time. This is how the official text avoids confusion about which 2:30 is meant, for example in timetables and records.
Phones, smartwatches and computers connected to the network normally update by themselves, according to press reports. Analogue clocks, car clocks and some appliances usually need to be set by hand.
Night-shift work on 24 to 25 October
Because the night is one hour longer, employees who work through it work one more hour than usual. The legal portal Infor.pl, in an article of 28 September 2026, says that for that extra hour an employee is entitled to either:
- the 100% overtime supplement for overtime worked at night (Labour Code, art. 151 with the night-time provisions), or
- time off in exchange for the overtime hour.
Check your contract, your employer's work-time rules and the Labour Code itself for how your shift pattern is settled. The article is general reporting and is not an individual ruling. If your employer has a different arrangement for your shift, ask your HR department before the date.
Travel and daily life
- Trains, buses and flights keep their timetables in the official time. If you travel overnight on 24 to 25 October, check the operator's notice for how the repeated hour is shown.
- The change is part of the European system of seasonal time. Press reports note that the EU has discussed ending clock changes for years without a final decision by the member states, so the autumn change still applies in 2026.
- After the change, sunset comes about an hour earlier on the clock, and mornings are lighter.
What is not covered here
The regulation we read covers the years 2022 to 2026 only. This guide does not state the 2027 dates. Check the Journal of Laws for a new regulation later.
Frequently asked questions
When do the clocks go back in Poland in 2026?
On the night from Saturday 24 to Sunday 25 October 2026. At 3:00 the clocks go back to 2:00.
Which regulation sets the date?
The Prime Minister's regulation of 4 March 2022 on introducing and ending summer time in 2022-2026, Journal of Laws 2022, item 539.
How long is the night of the change?
Sunday 25 October is 25 hours long. The hour from 2:00 to 3:00 occurs twice and is marked with an "a" the second time in the official notation.
Do I get extra pay for working that night?
According to Infor.pl, a night-shift employee who works the extra hour is entitled to the 100% night overtime supplement or to time off. Check your contract and the Labour Code for your case.
