Morocco is preparing for a major change to its official time next month, when clocks across the country will go back by one hour and the Kingdom permanently returns to Greenwich Mean Time.
For anyone searching for the current time in Morocco, the country remains on GMT+1 for now.
That will change on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026.
At 2 a.m., clocks will be turned back by 60 minutes, meaning 2 a.m. will become 1 a.m. Morocco will then move from GMT+1 to GMT.
Decree No. 2.26.530, setting out the return to GMT, was published in Morocco’s Official Bulletin dated June 29, giving the decision its legal framework and establishing the precise date and time of the switch.
What time zone is Morocco in now?
As of August 2026, Morocco is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, or GMT+1.
That means Morocco currently shares the same clock time as several parts of Western and Central Europe during the European summer period.
After the Sept. 20 change, Morocco will be on GMT, equivalent to UTC+0.
When exactly do clocks change in Morocco?
The switch will take place in the early hours of Sunday, Sept. 20.
At 2 a.m., clocks should be moved back one hour to 1 a.m.
In practical terms, people in Morocco will gain an extra hour that night.
The change also means that anyone with flights, trains, appointments or other time-sensitive plans around the transition should check that schedules and electronic devices reflect the new official time.
Most smartphones and internet-connected devices normally adjust their clocks automatically when their time-zone databases are up to date, although manually configured devices may need to be changed.
Why is Morocco changing its time?
The decision reverses a system that has been in place for nearly eight years.
In October 2018, Morocco adopted GMT+1 as its permanent official time, rather than moving its clocks forward and backward seasonally. The principal exception came during Ramadan, when the country temporarily returned to GMT before restoring the additional hour.
That arrangement will end in September.
Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch announced the change after a Government Council meeting on June 25, saying it responded to public expectations and concerns surrounding the additional hour.
Is Morocco returning to GMT permanently?
Yes. This is what distinguishes the September change from the clock adjustments Moroccans have become accustomed to during Ramadan.
The return to GMT closes a chapter that began in 2018 and had remained controversial domestically, with critics arguing that permanent GMT+1 was poorly aligned with everyday schedules, particularly during the darker winter months.
The government said when announcing the reversal in June that the decision followed discussions within the governing majority and was intended to address concerns raised by citizens over the additional hour.
For now, however, anyone checking Morocco time should remember that the change has not happened yet. The country remains on GMT+1 until the early hours of Sept. 20.
