Is the forex market open today?
From Monday to Friday, yes: the forex market is open 24 hours a day, from Sunday 5:00 p.m. to Friday 5:00 p.m. New York time. On Saturdays, and on Sundays before the weekly open, it is closed. The status at the top of the clock tells you whether the market is open right now, which sessions are trading, and how long until the next session opens or closes. You don't need to convert any time zones yourself.
Forex session times at a glance
The foreign exchange market has no central exchange, so it never "rings a bell". Instead, trading follows the business day around the globe: it opens in Sydney, moves to Tokyo, then London, and finishes in New York. The table shows the typical hours for each major session. Times in UTC move by an hour when a city switches to or from daylight saving time, which is why there are separate summer and winter columns.
| Session | Local time | UTC (Jan) | UTC (Jul) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 07:00–16:00 | 20:00–05:00 | 21:00–06:00 |
| Tokyo | 09:00–18:00 | 00:00–09:00 | 00:00–09:00 |
| London | 08:00–17:00 | 08:00–17:00 | 07:00–16:00 |
| New York | 08:00–17:00 | 13:00–22:00 | 12:00–21:00 |
The live clock above does the conversion for you: pick your time zone and every session, overlap and countdown is shown in your local time, with daylight saving applied automatically for each city.
The four major forex sessions
Sydney session
Sydney opens the trading week on Monday morning local time, which is Sunday evening in Europe and the Americas. It is the quietest of the four sessions, but it is the first chance to react to weekend news, so opening gaps are common. The Australian and New Zealand dollars (AUD, NZD) are the most active currencies.
Tokyo (Asian) session
Tokyo is the largest Asian centre, and Hong Kong and Singapore trade alongside it. The Japanese yen dominates, so USD/JPY, EUR/JPY and AUD/JPY see most of the volume. Moves are often steadier than in London, which suits range-based strategies.
London (European) session
London is the world's biggest forex centre and handles the largest share of daily volume. Many trends of the day start here, and EUR/USD, GBP/USD, EUR/GBP and USD/CHF are at their most liquid. Frankfurt and Zurich open around the same time.
New York session
New York is the second-largest centre and the home of the US dollar, which is on one side of most trades. US economic releases, usually at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time, can move the whole market. Activity fades in the New York afternoon after London closes.
Session overlaps: the busiest hours of the day
When two sessions are open at once, more banks and traders are active, so volume rises and spreads usually tighten. The clock's purple overlap band and the timeline's overlap lane show these windows as they happen.
- London–New York: about four hours each weekday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. New York time. This is usually the most liquid and most volatile part of the day.
- Tokyo–London: a short overlap in the European morning. It is often quieter, but it can bring breakouts in EUR/JPY and GBP/JPY.
- Sydney–Tokyo: the Asian morning, when AUD/JPY, AUD/USD and NZD/USD are most active.
When does the forex market open? (Sunday opening time)
The forex week opens on Sunday at 5:00 p.m. New York time and closes on Friday at 5:00 p.m. New York time. In UTC that is 21:00 while the US observes daylight saving time and 22:00 in winter. Traders in India see the market open on Monday at02:30 IST (summer) or 03:30 IST (winter). The clock shows a "Market closed" status over the weekend, with a countdown to the Sydney open.
What is the best time to trade forex?
There is no single best time for everyone. It depends on the pairs you trade and your strategy. As a rule of thumb:
- Major USD, EUR and GBP pairs: the London–New York overlap offers the deepest liquidity and the tightest spreads.
- JPY, AUD and NZD pairs: the Tokyo and Sydney sessions, especially their overlap.
- Avoid, if you want tight spreads: the hour around the daily rollover (5:00 p.m. New York), Friday evenings and major holidays.
The timeline's activity strip shows how busy the market usually is at each hour of the day, so you can see at a glance whether now is a high- or low-activity time.
Forex market hours in India (IST)
India does not use daylight saving time, so the session times in IST change by an hour when Sydney, London or New York change their clocks. These are the typical session hours in IST:
| Session | IST (Jan) | IST (Jul) |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 01:30–10:30 | 02:30–11:30 |
| Tokyo | 05:30–14:30 | 05:30–14:30 |
| London | 13:30–22:30 | 12:30–21:30 |
| New York | 18:30–03:30 | 17:30–02:30 |
London session time in India
The London session runs from 13:30–22:30 IST in the northern winter and 12:30–21:30 IST when the UK is on summer time (late March to late October). It is the busiest session for EUR/USD, GBP/USD and gold (XAU/USD).
New York session time in India
The New York session runs from 18:30–03:30 IST in winter and 17:30–02:30 IST in US summer time, past midnight in India. The London–New York overlap therefore falls in the Indian evening, which suits part-time traders. Choose Mumbai (UTC+5:30) in the clock to see today's exact times.
Daylight saving time and forex sessions
The US and UK change their clocks on different weekends in March and in October/November, and Australia changes in the opposite direction, while Japan and India do not change at all. For a few weeks each year the gaps between sessions shift by an hour, and fixed-offset tables drift out of date. This clock calculates each session from the city's own time zone, so it stays correct all year.
How to use this forex market hours clock
- Choose your time zone from the purple selector. The clock follows your device's time zone by default.
- Use Global Clock for an at-a-glance view of which sessions are active right now.
- Switch to Timeline to read exact open and close times, overlaps and countdowns.
- Click a session to highlight it. Use the settings button to add Frankfurt, Singapore, Hong Kong or Mumbai.
- Use the pop-out button to keep the clock floating above your trading platform.
Frequently asked questions
Is the forex market open today?
The forex market is open every weekday, 24 hours a day, from Sunday 5:00 p.m. to Friday 5:00 p.m. New York time. It is closed on Saturday and for most of Sunday. The live clock on this page shows whether the market is open right now, which sessions are active and when the next one opens.
What are the forex market hours?
The forex market trades 24 hours a day, five days a week. The trading week opens on Sunday at 5:00 p.m. New York time (21:00 UTC in summer, 22:00 UTC in winter) when the Sydney session starts, and closes on Friday at 5:00 p.m. New York time when the New York session ends. In between, trading passes from Sydney to Tokyo, London and New York.
Is the forex market open 24 hours?
Yes, on weekdays. Because the major financial centres are spread across time zones, at least one session is almost always open from Sunday evening to Friday evening (New York time). The market is closed over the weekend, and liquidity is thin around major holidays such as Christmas and New Year.
What time does the forex market open on Sunday or Monday?
Forex opens on Sunday at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, which is 21:00 UTC while the US is on daylight saving time and 22:00 UTC in winter. In India that is Monday 02:30 IST in summer and Monday 03:30 IST in winter. Asia-Pacific traders therefore see the market open early on Monday morning.
When does the forex market close on Friday?
The market closes on Friday at 5:00 p.m. New York time (21:00 UTC in summer, 22:00 UTC in winter). Liquidity usually drops sharply in the last hours before the close, and spreads can widen.
What is the best time to trade forex?
For most traders the best time is the London–New York overlap, roughly 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. New York time (12:00–16:00 UTC in summer, 13:00–17:00 UTC in winter). Both of the largest centres are open, volume peaks and spreads on EUR/USD, GBP/USD and USD/JPY are typically at their tightest. Asian pairs such as AUD/JPY and USD/JPY also move during the Tokyo session.
What are the forex session times in India (IST)?
In Indian Standard Time the typical session hours are: Sydney 01:30–10:30 (winter) / 02:30–11:30 (summer); Tokyo 05:30–14:30 (winter) / 05:30–14:30 (summer); London 13:30–22:30 (winter) / 12:30–21:30 (summer); New York 18:30–03:30 (winter) / 17:30–02:30 (summer). India does not use daylight saving time, so these IST times move by an hour when Sydney, London or New York change their clocks. The live clock above shows the exact times for today.
What is the London session time in India?
The London forex session runs from 13:30–22:30 IST during the northern winter and 12:30–21:30 IST while the UK is on British Summer Time (late March to late October). India does not change its clocks, so only the UK change moves the IST time.
When do the London and New York sessions overlap?
The London and New York sessions overlap for about four hours: 12:00–16:00 UTC while both cities are on summer time and 13:00–17:00 UTC in winter. This window usually has the highest trading volume of the day.
Which forex session is the most volatile?
The London session is usually the most active single session, and the London–New York overlap is the most volatile part of the day. The Sydney and late New York hours are typically the quietest.
Why do forex session times change during the year?
Sessions follow the local business hours of each financial centre. London, New York and Sydney change their clocks for daylight saving time on different dates, while Tokyo does not, so session times shift by an hour at different points in the year when expressed in UTC or in your local time. This clock applies each city's DST rules automatically.
Is the forex market open on public holidays?
The forex market is decentralised, so it does not close for most national holidays, but a bank holiday in a major centre reduces liquidity in that session. Many brokers close or shorten trading hours on Christmas Day and New Year's Day; check your broker's holiday schedule.
Session hours are the typical business hours of each financial centre. Liquidity starts to build before the official open and fades before the close, and your broker's trading hours may differ. The information on this page is general and is not financial advice.