Time in London, United Kingdom 🇬🇧
The current local time in London, United Kingdom is shown below — the city is in the Europe/London time zone (UTC +01:00 · BST).
London local time
Sunday, 11 October 2026 BST
London at a glance
- Time zone
Europe/London· British Summer Time- UTC offset now
- +01:00 BST
- Daylight saving
- Yes · UTC +00:00 / +01:00
- Coordinates
- 51.51° N, 0.13° W
- Population
- 8,982,000
- Country
- United Kingdom · ISO GB
- Dialing code
- +44
- Currency
- British Pound (GBP)
- Work week
- Monday to Friday
- Drives on the
- Left
London right now
Time difference
London is shown here relative to your device's time zone.
Planning a call? Compare hours side by side in the time zone converter.
Next public holiday
New Year's Day
Thu, Jan 1, 2026 · all United Kingdom holidays →
Sun today
Sunrise 07:18 · Sunset 18:18
Day length 11h 0m · twilight and monthly table →
London vs. major cities
How far London is from the world's main business centres right now, what time it is there when the working day starts in London, and which hours of a 09:00–17:00 day the two places share. Daylight saving changes are applied automatically.
| City | Difference | At 09:00 in London | Shared office hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York · United States | −5 h | 04:00 | 14:00–17:00 |
| Los Angeles · United States | −8 h | 01:00 | None |
| São Paulo · Brazil | −4 h | 05:00 | 13:00–17:00 |
| Paris · France | +1 h | 10:00 | 09:00–16:00 |
| Johannesburg · South Africa | +1 h | 10:00 | 09:00–16:00 |
| Dubai · United Arab Emirates | +3 h | 12:00 | 09:00–14:00 |
| Delhi · India | +4:30 h | 13:30 | 09:00–12:30 |
| Singapore · Singapore | +7 h | 16:00 | 09:00–10:00 |
| Beijing · China | +7 h | 16:00 | 09:00–10:00 |
| Tokyo · Japan | +8 h | 17:00 | None |
Shared office hours are shown in London time. Compare any set of cities hour by hour in the time zone converter, or pick a slot that suits everyone with the event planner.
Clock changes in London
Since 1970, London has gone through 3 distinct time-keeping periods, observing daylight saving time in 55 of 57 years. The current pattern, in place since 1972, is UTC +00:00 with UTC +01:00 in daylight saving time. Clocks currently go forward on the last Sunday in March and back on the last Sunday in October, a rule in place since 1996.
| Date | Change | Local clock | New offset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday, 29 March 2026 | Forward 1 hour | 01:00 → 02:00 | UTC +01:00 |
| Sunday, 25 October 2026 | Back 1 hour | 02:00 → 01:00 | UTC +00:00 |
| Sunday, 28 March 2027 | Forward 1 hour | 01:00 → 02:00 | UTC +01:00 |
| Sunday, 31 October 2027 | Back 1 hour | 02:00 → 01:00 | UTC +00:00 |
When clocks go forward, sunrise and sunset both happen an hour later by the clock — darker mornings, lighter evenings — and the night of the change is an hour shorter. When they go back, the reverse applies.
Time zone history since 1970 (3 periods)
| Years | Offset | Daylight saving |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | UTC +01:00 all year | No daylight saving time |
| 1971 | UTC +00:00 all year | No daylight saving time |
| 1972–2026 | UTC +00:00, DST UTC +01:00 | Forward on the last Sunday in March, back on the last Sunday in October (since 1996) |
Source: IANA tz database, as shipped with the Unicode ICU library.
Daylight in London through the year
The longest day in London is 21 June with 16h 38m of daylight; the shortest is 22 December with 7h 49m. Day length swings by 8 h 49 min over the year. The earliest sunrise is at 04:43 on 17 June and the latest sunset at 21:23 on 23 June — not on the solstice itself, because solar noon drifts through the year.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is London in?
London uses the Europe/London time zone (GMT / BST): UTC +00:00 in standard time and UTC +01:00 during daylight saving time.
Does London observe daylight saving time?
Yes. In 2026 clocks in London go forward on Sunday, 29 March 2026 at 01:00 and back on Sunday, 25 October 2026 at 02:00.
When is the longest day of the year in London?
Around 21 June, with 16h 38m of daylight. The shortest day is around 22 December, with 7h 49m.
What is the dialing code for London?
To call London from abroad, dial your international access code, then United Kingdom's country code +44, then the local number without its leading trunk prefix.
What are normal working days in London?
The standard work week in United Kingdom runs Monday to Friday, with the weekend on Saturday and Sunday. Keep this in mind when scheduling calls from countries with a different weekend.
Explore more for London
Everything else we track for London: daylight, weather, the country overview, and the exact time-zone references.