Forex session times in the UK by date
Each row is one stretch between clock changes, on GMT/BST.
| Period | London | New York | Overlap | Tokyo | Sydney | Week opens |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Now → 25 Oct 2026 | 08:00 – 17:00 | 13:00 – 22:00 | 13:00 – 17:00 | 01:00 – 10:00 | 21:00 (previous day) – 06:00 | Sun 22:00 |
| 25 Oct 2026 → 1 Nov 2026 London's clocks go back to GMT | 08:00 – 17:00 | 12:00 – 21:00 | 12:00 – 17:00 | 00:00 – 09:00 | 20:00 (previous day) – 05:00 | Sun 21:00 |
| 1 Nov 2026 → 14 Mar 2027 New York's clocks go back to EST | 08:00 – 17:00 | 13:00 – 22:00 | 13:00 – 17:00 | 00:00 – 09:00 | 20:00 (previous day) – 05:00 | Sun 22:00 |
| 14 Mar 2027 → 28 Mar 2027 New York's clocks go forward to EDT | 08:00 – 17:00 | 12:00 – 21:00 | 12:00 – 17:00 | 00:00 – 09:00 | 20:00 (previous day) – 05:00 | Sun 21:00 |
| 28 Mar 2027 → 3 Apr 2027 London's clocks go forward to BST | 08:00 – 17:00 | 13:00 – 22:00 | 13:00 – 17:00 | 01:00 – 10:00 | 21:00 (previous day) – 06:00 | Sun 22:00 |
| 3 Apr 2027 → 2 Oct 2027 Sydney's clocks go back to AEST | 08:00 – 17:00 | 13:00 – 22:00 | 13:00 – 17:00 | 01:00 – 10:00 | 22:00 (previous day) – 07:00 | Sun 22:00 |
| 2 Oct 2027 → 18 Oct 2027 Sydney's clocks go forward to AEDT | 08:00 – 17:00 | 13:00 – 22:00 | 13:00 – 17:00 | 01:00 – 10:00 | 21:00 (previous day) – 06:00 | Sun 22:00 |
Why the times move, and what changes next
The sessions move on GMT/BST 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 08:00–17:00 GMT/BST, New York 13:00–22:00, both open 13:00–17:00; the week opens Sunday 22:00 GMT/BST. From 25 Oct 2026 (London's clocks go back to GMT): London 08:00–17:00, New York 12:00–21:00, overlap 12:00–17:00.
Retail forex, CFDs and the FCA in the UK
From 6 official sources, checked 8 October 2026.
What the official sources say
The FCA's rules for retail clients in COBS 22.5 cover leveraged CFDs, spread bets and rolling spot forex. A firm must require a retail client to post margin of at least 3.33% of the exposure on a major currency pair (about 30:1 leverage; the FCA's majors are any two of the US dollar, euro, yen, sterling, Canadian dollar and Swiss franc) and 5% on other currency pairs and gold (20:1). It must close positions when the client's net equity falls below 50% of the margin needed to keep them open, and a retail client's liability is limited to the funds in the account. Firms have had to apply these rules to CFDs since 1 August 2019.
The FCA advises checking its Financial Services Register to make sure you are dealing with an authorised firm, and contacting a firm only through the phone number and email address shown there, because scammers set up clone firms using genuine firms' names, addresses and Firm Reference Numbers. Its Warning List names unauthorised firms and individuals it knows of that aren't allowed to operate in the UK; the FCA says a firm missing from the list may still be unauthorised or a scam.
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.
- FCA Handbook: COBS 22.5 (restricted speculative investments), checked 8 October 2026
- FCA Handbook glossary: restricted speculative investments, checked 8 October 2026
- FCA Handbook glossary: major foreign exchange pair, checked 8 October 2026
- FCA: PS19/18, restricting CFD products sold to retail clients, checked 8 October 2026
- FCA: warning over clone firm investment scams (27 January 2021), checked 8 October 2026
- FCA: Warning List of unauthorised firms, checked 8 October 2026
Forex session times in the UK: January and July
Each city's business day on its own clock, converted to GMT/BST for a mid-January and a mid-July day.
| Session (local hours) | GMT/BST, mid-January (UTC) | GMT/BST, mid-July (UTC+1) |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney 07:00–16:00 | 20:00 (previous day) – 05:00 | 22:00 (previous day) – 07:00 |
| Tokyo 09:00–18:00 | 00:00 – 09:00 | 01:00 – 10:00 |
| London 08:00–17:00 | 08:00 – 17:00 | 08:00 – 17:00 |
| New York 08:00–17:00 | 13:00 – 22:00 | 13:00 – 22:00 |
Session overlaps in the UK
London–New York, and the shorter Sydney–Tokyo and Tokyo–London overlaps, on GMT/BST.
| Overlap | Mid-January | Mid-July |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney + Tokyo | 00:00 – 05:00 (5 h) | 01:00 – 07:00 (6 h) |
| Tokyo + London | 08:00 – 09:00 (1 h) | 08:00 – 10:00 (2 h) |
| London + New York | 13:00 – 17:00 (4 h) | 13:00 – 17:00 (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 the UK
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: 13:00–17:00 GMT/BST in mid-January and 13:00–17:00 GMT/BST 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 the UK
Sunday 17:00 to Friday 17:00 New York time, read on GMT/BST.
| Weekly | Mid-January | Mid-July |
|---|---|---|
| Opens (Sunday 17:00 New York) | Sunday 22:00 | Sunday 22:00 |
| Closes (Friday 17:00 New York) | Friday 22:00 | Friday 22:00 |
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 the UK?
The UK changes its own clocks: UTC in mid-January and UTC+1 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.