Which clock: Central European Time, as in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland; Portugal, Ireland and the UK are one hour behind, Greece and Finland one hour ahead.
Forex session times in Central European Time (CET/CEST) by date
Each row is one stretch between clock changes, on CET/CEST.
| Period | London | New York | Overlap | Tokyo | Sydney | Week opens |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Now → 25 Oct 2026 | 09:00 – 18:00 | 14:00 – 23:00 | 14:00 – 18:00 | 02:00 – 11:00 | 22:00 (previous day) – 07:00 | Sun 23:00 |
| 25 Oct 2026 → 1 Nov 2026 London's clocks go back to GMT; Central Europe's clocks go back to CET | 09:00 – 18:00 | 13:00 – 22:00 | 13:00 – 18:00 | 01:00 – 10:00 | 21:00 (previous day) – 06:00 | Sun 22:00 |
| 1 Nov 2026 → 14 Mar 2027 New York's clocks go back to EST | 09:00 – 18:00 | 14:00 – 23:00 | 14:00 – 18:00 | 01:00 – 10:00 | 21:00 (previous day) – 06:00 | Sun 23:00 |
| 14 Mar 2027 → 28 Mar 2027 New York's clocks go forward to EDT | 09:00 – 18:00 | 13:00 – 22:00 | 13:00 – 18:00 | 01:00 – 10:00 | 21:00 (previous day) – 06:00 | Sun 22:00 |
| 28 Mar 2027 → 3 Apr 2027 London's clocks go forward to BST; Central Europe's clocks go forward to CEST | 09:00 – 18:00 | 14:00 – 23:00 | 14:00 – 18:00 | 02:00 – 11:00 | 22:00 (previous day) – 07:00 | Sun 23:00 |
| 3 Apr 2027 → 2 Oct 2027 Sydney's clocks go back to AEST | 09:00 – 18:00 | 14:00 – 23:00 | 14:00 – 18:00 | 02:00 – 11:00 | 23:00 (previous day) – 08:00 | Sun 23:00 |
| 2 Oct 2027 → 17 Oct 2027 Sydney's clocks go forward to AEDT | 09:00 – 18:00 | 14:00 – 23:00 | 14:00 – 18:00 | 02:00 – 11:00 | 22:00 (previous day) – 07:00 | Sun 23:00 |
Why the times move, and what changes next
The sessions move on CET/CEST whenever New York, London or Sydney changes its clocks, and when this clock changes. Each row is one stretch between changes over the next twelve months.
Right now until 25 Oct 2026: London 09:00–18:00 CET/CEST, New York 14:00–23:00, both open 14:00–18:00; the week opens Sunday 23:00 CET/CEST. From 25 Oct 2026 (London's clocks go back to GMT and Central Europe's clocks go back to CET): London 09:00–18:00, New York 13:00–22:00, overlap 13:00–18:00.
CFD leverage limits in the EU: ESMA and national regulators
From 2 official sources, checked 8 October 2026.
What the official sources say
In 2018 ESMA, the EU's securities markets authority, agreed EU-wide restrictions on CFDs sold to retail clients: leverage limits of 30:1 on major currency pairs and 20:1 on non-major pairs, gold and major indices, a margin close-out rule at 50% of the minimum required margin, and negative balance protection on each account.
ESMA did not renew those measures, which expired at the end of 31 July 2019, because most national regulators had by then taken permanent national measures on CFDs at least as stringent as ESMA's.
This is a summary of public sources, not legal or tax advice. Rules and hours change: check with your regulator, and with your broker, before you open an account.
- ESMA: agrees to prohibit binary options and restrict CFDs (27 March 2018), checked 8 October 2026
- ESMA: ceases renewal of CFD product intervention measures (31 July 2019), checked 8 October 2026
Forex session times in Central European Time (CET/CEST): January and July
Each city's business day on its own clock, converted to CET/CEST for a mid-January and a mid-July day.
| Session (local hours) | CET/CEST, mid-January (UTC+1) | CET/CEST, mid-July (UTC+2) |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney 07:00–16:00 | 21:00 (previous day) – 06:00 | 23:00 (previous day) – 08:00 |
| Tokyo 09:00–18:00 | 01:00 – 10:00 | 02:00 – 11:00 |
| London 08:00–17:00 | 09:00 – 18:00 | 09:00 – 18:00 |
| New York 08:00–17:00 | 14:00 – 23:00 | 14:00 – 23:00 |
Session overlaps in Central European Time (CET/CEST)
London–New York, and the shorter Sydney–Tokyo and Tokyo–London overlaps, on CET/CEST.
| Overlap | Mid-January | Mid-July |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney + Tokyo | 01:00 – 06:00 (5 h) | 02:00 – 08:00 (6 h) |
| Tokyo + London | 09:00 – 10:00 (1 h) | 09:00 – 11:00 (2 h) |
| London + New York | 14:00 – 18:00 (4 h) | 14:00 – 18:00 (4 h) |
Why London–New York, with the source
London and New York overlap when the two largest trading locations' business days coincide; the UK alone handled 38% of global FX turnover in April 2025 (BIS). That is a fact about volume by location, not a forecast for any pair or hour.
Best time to trade forex in Central European Time (CET/CEST)
The London–New York overlap: the two largest FX trading locations, both in their business day.
The times, and the limits
If you want the hours when the two largest FX trading locations are both in their business day, trade the London–New York overlap: 14:00–18:00 CET/CEST in mid-January and 14:00–18:00 CET/CEST in mid-July; this week's dated times are in the first table on this page. No window is best for every pair, strategy or news day, so check the spread and the economic calendar before relying on it.
Weekly open and close in Central European Time (CET/CEST)
Sunday 17:00 to Friday 17:00 New York time, read on CET/CEST.
| Weekly | Mid-January | Mid-July |
|---|---|---|
| Opens (Sunday 17:00 New York) | Sunday 23:00 | Sunday 23:00 |
| Closes (Friday 17:00 New York) | Friday 23:00 | Friday 23:00 |
Broker hours, with a source
The week runs from Sunday 17:00 to Friday 17:00 New York time. Brokers differ by minutes: OANDA lists 17:05 to 16:59 with a daily 16:59–17:05 break (OANDA, checked 7 October 2026).
Does daylight saving change forex hours in Central European Time (CET/CEST)?
Central Europe (CET/CEST) changes its own clocks: UTC+1 in mid-January and UTC+2 in mid-July.
How the clock changes move the sessions
New York, London and Sydney change on different dates, so in the weeks between their changes (March, and from late October to early November) some sessions sit an hour away from both tables. The live clock above applies every change for today's date.