Twice a year the time changes in Portugal. Although the time change calendar is quite specific, many people living in and travelling to Portugal still have questions about when the clocks change. Whether you're in mainland Portugal, Madeira or in the Azores, this is everything you need to know about the time change in 2022, including when the clocks are going back in Portugal and the reasons why time change is a way of life in almost every country in the world.
Time change Portugal 2022: date and time
When does the time change in Portugal for winter 2022? The change to winter time, also known as standard time, always takes place on the last weekend of October, at dawn from Saturday to Sunday. 2022 will be no exception and, after the summer season, with the longer days, the time has come for us to set the clock hands back an hour to winter time.
This means that in 2022, those in Portugal will turn the clocks back an hour in the early hours of Sunday 30th October. When it is precisely 2am, the clocks should be moved back an hour to 1am. Therefore, with the arrival of winter time, the days will get shorter and the nights longer. It will start to get dark at around 6pm in Portugal.
Time change in mainland Portugal and Madeira 2022
The time change in mainland Portugal and Madeira will take place at 2am on Sunday, 30th October 2022. And since it will be 1am again, you will have the opportunity to sleep an extra hour.
On most digital watches and mobile phones, the time change is automatic, which creates even more difficulties for people who usually use conventional watches. If you are in doubt, make a note in your calendar that the time change takes place at the end of October so that when you wake up, you remember to change the time on all your watches.
Time change in the Azores 2022
Given that Portugal has 2 time zones and that the Azores use UTC–01:00 (mainland Portugal and Madeira use UTC+00:00), the time change is slightly different. The time also changes in the Azores islands on the same day, between the 29th and 30th October 2022. The only difference is that Azoreans will set their clocks back at 1am on the morning of 30th October, so it will be midnight again.
Time change Portugal 2023-2027
All the details about the time change in Portugal from 2023-2027, from Portugal daylight savings 2023 to winter time in 2027.
| Year | Daylight saving time (summer) | Standard time (winter) |
| 2023 | 26th March 2023: at 1am the clocks move forward to 2am in Mainland Portugal and Madeira. In the Azores, at midnight the clocks will be put forward to 1am. | 29th October 2023: at 2am the clocks are put back to 1am in mainland Portugal and Madeira. In the Azores, at 1am, the clocks should be set back to midnight. |
| 2024 | 31st March 2024: at 1am the clocks move forward to 2am in Mainland Portugal and Madeira. In the Azores, at midnight the clocks will be put forward to 1am. | 27th October 2024: at 2am the clocks are put back to 1am in mainland Portugal and Madeira. In the Azores, at 1am, the clocks should be set back to midnight. |
| 2025 | 30th March 2025: at 1am the clocks move forward to 2am in Mainland Portugal and Madeira. In the Azores, at midnight the clocks will be put forward to 1am. | 26th October 2025: at 2am the clocks are put back to 1am in mainland Portugal and Madeira. In the Azores, at 1am, the clocks should be set back to midnight. |
| 2026 | 29th March 2026: at 1am the clocks move forward to 2am in Mainland Portugal and Madeira. In the Azores, at midnight the clocks will be put forward to 1am. | 25th October 2026: at 2am the clocks are put back to 1am in mainland Portugal and Madeira. In the Azores, at 1am, the clocks should be set back to midnight. |
| 2027 | 28th March 2027: at 1am the clocks move forward to 2am in Mainland Portugal and Madeira. In the Azores, at midnight the clocks will be put forward to 1am. | 31st October 2027: at 2am the clocks are put back to 1am in mainland Portugal and Madeira. In the Azores, at 1am, the clocks should be set back to midnight. |
Why does time change in Portugal?
The history of time change is long, but it was essentially created with the aim of improving the habits and living conditions of Europeans. We would need to go back to the First World War, in a situation not very different to the one we live in today, due to the War in Ukraine.
At that time, there were serious problems in ensuring the heating and lighting of homes, and it was important to save on energy consumption, which at that time came from coal and the use of candles. Experts and government officials were certain that changing the time would allow people to enjoy natural light for longer. It was then that Portugal, which had also taken part in that conflict, gave in to the time change.
Nowadays, the change of time for winter and summer time is still much debated in the public sphere, but in fact many people look forward to the change because they know it promotes a better quality of life.
Does the time change help save electricity and natural gas?
Does the time change save energy? With electricity and natural gas bills getting higher and higher, it is more than normal to find people asking these questions.
Saving energy was in fact the initial goal when the time change was introduced. However, nowadays, changing the time does not make a big difference when it comes to electricity and natural gas bills in Portugal. The same is true in the European Union, which after a public consultation in 2018 stated that the change does not directly lead to energy savings.
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