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Time change 2025: everything you need to know about the switch to winter time
Autumn brings blankets, hot chocolate and shorter afternoons. And, as every year, the time comes to say goodbye to the long days of sunshine. This month, Spain is preparing for the switch to winter time, a tradition that may be living through its final years.
Next Sunday, 26 October, at 3:00 in the morning, clocks must be set back by one hour, returning to 2:00. As a result, an extra hour of sleep will be gained, although the afternoons will be darker and the days will seem shorter.
The time adjustment has been applied in Spain since 1974, following the oil crisis, with the aim of making better use of natural light and reducing energy consumption. However, its effectiveness has increasingly been called into question.
Indeed, this Monday, 20 October, the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, announced that he will propose to the European Union that the time change be abolished from 2026, considering that ‘it no longer makes sense and negatively affects people’s health and lives’.
Meanwhile, citizens will have to prepare their clocks — although most devices will do so automatically — to adapt to a winter that will begin, punctually, one hour earlier than usual.