Egypt’s clocks go back one hour at midnight between Thursday 29 and Friday 30 October 2026. The date and the rule, what to ask your school, and what to ask your pharmacist about medicine times.
Egypt’s clocks go back one hour at midnight between Thursday 29 and Friday 30 October 2026: 12:00 midnight becomes 11:00 pm, and winter time begins on Friday 30 October (Al-Ahram, 30 September 2026). Egypt returns to its standard time, UTC+2 (IANA time-zone database, read 23 October 2026).
This short guide gives the date and the rule, then what is worth checking at home. It gives no sleep advice and no rule for taking any medicine: for those, ask your pharmacist or doctor.
In short:
- The clocks go back 60 minutes at midnight between Thursday 29 and Friday 30 October 2026, under a 2023 law.
- We found no Ministry of Education announcement of new school hours for winter time (searched 23 October 2026), so follow your school’s own notice.
- Whether the change matters for a medicine is a question for your pharmacist or doctor: this guide gives no timing rule.
Last checked: 23 October 2026, on the pages listed under Sources. An official announcement can still change a date, so confirm it before you rely on it.
When does winter time start in Egypt in 2026?
Winter time starts on Friday 30 October 2026, and Thursday 29 October is the last day of summer time (Al-Ahram, 30 September 2026).
The date comes from a rule in a law. The Cabinet’s page of 26 October 2023 cites Law No. 24 of 2023: summer time runs from the last Friday of April until the end of the last Thursday of October each year, and in 2026 that Thursday is 29 October. The IANA time-zone database, a public reference of the world’s time zones, holds the same rule and sets Egypt’s standard offset at UTC+2 (read 23 October 2026).
When exactly do the clocks change?
At midnight at the end of Thursday 29 October 2026, the clock moves back 60 minutes, from 12:00 midnight to 11:00 pm (Al-Ahram, 11 October 2026).
| Detail | Until the end of Thursday 29 October | From Friday 30 October |
|---|---|---|
| Time in force | Summer time | Winter (standard) time |
| Hours from UTC | UTC+3 | UTC+2 |
| The law’s clock | The usual time advanced by 60 minutes | The usual (standard) time |
Read on 23 October 2026. The rows come from the Cabinet page and the IANA database.
The hour from 11 pm to midnight therefore happens twice on the night between Thursday and Friday: Al-Ahram describes it as an extra hour on the night of the change (Al-Ahram, 30 September 2026). For the winter respiratory-infection season, see the winter 2026/27 planner for flu, RSV and COVID season.
Do school mornings change when the clocks go back?
As of 23 October 2026 we found no announcement from Egypt’s Ministry of Education about new school start times for winter time, so your school’s own notice is the one to follow. Al-Ahram’s explainer says a clock change does not by itself add or cut working or study hours: it changes the official time by which appointments are set (Al-Ahram, 30 September 2026).
Ask your school now rather than on the first morning:
- Is the start of the school day the same on the clock as before, or has it moved?
- Has the school bus or private transport changed its pick-up time?
What should I check before the clocks go back?
Al-Ahram advises checking flight and transport times and any appointment tied to the clock, especially on devices that do not update by themselves; phones and electronics set to automatic time should update on their own (Al-Ahram, 30 September 2026). Four things are worth a look:
| Check | Who has the answer |
|---|---|
| A clinic, lab or scan appointment on or after 30 October | The confirmation you were given. If the time looks unclear, ask the clinic or lab |
| Phone alarms and reminders | You: check the time they show on 30 October |
| Clocks that do not set themselves, such as wall, car and kitchen clocks | You: change them by hand |
| Medicine times | Your pharmacist or doctor |
For a follow-up visit on or after 30 October, you can write the plan once: the next step, the date and time, and whom to call. Why it matters is in follow-up is where care is won or lost.
Try it
Your follow-up plan
Write it before you leave, or as soon as you get home. Then keep it, send it to someone who helps you, or put the date in your calendar.
Your plan
Your plan appears here as you write it.
Saves a calendar file with a reminder the day before. Open it to add the date to your calendar.
Nothing you type is saved or sent. The calendar file is made on this page and saved to your own device.
Do my medicine times need to change when the clocks go back?
This guide cannot say, and it gives no timing rule. Whether the change matters for a medicine is a question for your pharmacist or doctor: ask before the change.
Bring your medicines with their leaflets to the pharmacist, with the clock times you take each one now written down. Then ask:
- Does a one-hour shift matter for this medicine?
- For this medicine, do I follow the clock time or the gap between doses?
- The hour from 11 pm to midnight happens twice on the night of the change. If I take this medicine around then, what should I do?
- What does the leaflet say about a late or missed dose, and does it apply here?
Do not change a medicine’s timing, or stop it, on your own because of the clock change. Ask your pharmacist or doctor first.
Where Medigize stands
Medigize is a navigation tool. It is not a clinic or a pharmacy, and it does not set or confirm appointment times. We are building a record that moves with the patient, shared only with their consent. If you would like to follow that work, you can register your interest.
Frequently asked questions
When does winter time start in Egypt in 2026?
On Friday 30 October 2026, after the clocks go back 60 minutes at midnight at the end of Thursday 29 October (Al-Ahram, 30 September 2026).
Is Egypt on UTC+2 or UTC+3 in winter?
UTC+2, Egypt’s standard time. Summer time is one hour ahead, UTC+3 (IANA time-zone database, read 23 October 2026).
Do school hours change with winter time?
As of 23 October 2026 we found no Ministry of Education announcement about it. Al-Ahram says a clock change does not by itself add or cut study hours (30 September 2026). Follow your school’s own notice.
Should I change when I take my medicine because of the clock?
This guide gives no rule. Ask your pharmacist or doctor whether the change matters for your medicines, and do not change or stop a medicine on your own.
Medigize is a non-diagnostic navigation tool. This is general information, not medical advice. In an emergency, call an ambulance or go to the nearest emergency department.
Sources
- Egyptian Cabinet: under Law No. 24 of 2023, winter time starts from tonight’s midnight (page dated 26 October 2023), read 23 October 2026
- Al-Ahram Gate: winter time is near, when the clocks change in Egypt according to the law (article dated 30 September 2026), read 23 October 2026
- Al-Ahram Gate: when winter time is applied in Egypt in 2026 (article dated 11 October 2026), read 23 October 2026
- IANA time-zone database: Africa file, rules for Egypt and Africa/Cairo, read 23 October 2026
Last updated:
Explore Medigize
Medigize is in development. Explore our current scope and express your interest.