On Sunday, October 25, 2026, clocks will be turned back one hour from 3:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m., as Serbia ends daylight saving time and switches to standard time. Although citizens will gain an extra hour of rest during the night, experts warn of short-term sleep disruptions, increased irritability, and the need for heightened caution in traffic.
In the night between Saturday and Sunday, at precisely 3:00 a.m., the time goes back to 2:00 a.m. in accordance with the Law on the Measurement of Time.
Zakon o računanju vremena i evropski usklađeni datumi
Serbia follows Central European Time, designated as CET and UTC+1, while during the summer it switches to Central European Summer Time, known as CEST with UTC+2. According to the Official Gazette of the SMG, this practice remains aligned with most European countries despite years of debate over permanently abolishing the seasonal clock change.
The European Commission proposed abolishing this practice back in 2018, and the European Parliament supported it in 2019. However, member states in the EU Council have yet to reach a consensus on whether to permanently adopt daylight saving or standard time.
Impact on biological rhythms and the groups that struggle most with the change
Although the autumn transition to standard time is tolerated better than the spring loss of sleep, experts point out that the body still undergoes an adjustment period. Dragan Hrnčić notes that our internal clock reacts to light and darkness, not to administrative decisions.
Warnings from the Emergency Medical Service and tips for the first workday
Dr. Ivana Stefanović from the Belgrade Emergency Medical Service explained to the media that on Monday, the first workday following the clock change, we can expect increased fatigue and irritability. Although we will sleep longer on Sunday morning, in the evening we will not be able to fall asleep at our usual time because our biological clock will still be running on the old schedule.
She advises citizens to consciously lower their stress levels and focus on quality sleep in the days following the time change, reminding them that such periods are often associated with a higher number of traffic accidents due to a drop in concentration.
Prilagođavanje kućnih uređaja i specifičnosti saobraćaja
While mobile phones, computers, and modern internet-connected systems automatically and silently change the time, manual clock adjustments await citizens on wall clocks, traditional alarm clocks, watches in older cars, and kitchen appliances such as stoves and microwaves.