Senegal is on the same time as London in UK winter and 1 hour behind during British Summer Time; it is 5 hours ahead of New York during Eastern Standard Time and 4 hours ahead during Eastern Daylight Time (UK and US daylight saving seasons; Senegal does not change its clocks).
In practice, when it is noon in London it is 12:00 in Dakar during UK winter time (GMT) and 11:00 during British Summer Time. When it is noon in New York, it is 17:00 in Dakar during Eastern Standard Time and 16:00 during Eastern Daylight Time. Once you have Dakar time in mind, our Dakar travel guide helps you plan visits to the city and Gorée.
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Live local time
Calculated by your browser from the IANA time zone database.
Time in Senegal: key facts
- Time zone: UTC+0, IANA identifier
Africa/Dakar - Difference with London: 0 h in UK winter (GMT), −1 h during British Summer Time
- Difference with New York: +5 h during Eastern Standard Time, +4 h during Eastern Daylight Time
- Daylight saving in Senegal: no, local time stays the same all year
- Next clock changes: UK on Sunday 25 October 2026 (BST to GMT) and Sunday 28 March 2027; US on Sunday 1 November 2026 (EDT to EST) and Sunday 14 March 2027
Time difference between London, New York and Senegal
| Time in London | In Dakar (UK winter, GMT) | In Dakar (UK summer, BST) |
|---|---|---|
| 08:00 | 08:00 | 07:00 |
| 12:00 | 12:00 | 11:00 |
| 18:00 | 18:00 | 17:00 |
| 22:00 | 22:00 | 21:00 |
| Time in New York | In Dakar (US winter, EST) | In Dakar (US summer, EDT) |
|---|---|---|
| 08:00 (8 am) | 13:00 | 12:00 |
| 12:00 (noon) | 17:00 | 16:00 |
| 18:00 (6 pm) | 23:00 | 22:00 |
| 22:00 (10 pm) | 03:00 (next day) | 02:00 (next day) |
| Period | Dakar vs London | Dakar vs New York |
|---|---|---|
| 25 October – 31 October 2026 | 0 h | +4 h |
| 1 November 2026 – 13 March 2027 | 0 h | +5 h |
| 14 March – 27 March 2027 | 0 h | +4 h |
| 28 March – 30 October 2027 | −1 h | +4 h |
| 31 October – 6 November 2027 | 0 h | +4 h |
| 7 November – 31 December 2027 | 0 h | +5 h |
The one-hour difference between winter and summer comes from daylight saving time in the UK and the US; local time in Senegal does not change.
Clock changes 2026–2027
Senegal does not observe daylight saving time: local time stays at UTC+0 all year round. Only clock changes in your home country alter the gap.
Clocks change on the following dates (local time):
- UK, Sunday 25 October 2026: BST (UTC+1) to GMT (UTC+0)
- US, Sunday 1 November 2026: EDT (UTC−4) to EST (UTC−5) in New York
- US, Sunday 14 March 2027: EST (UTC−5) to EDT (UTC−4)
- UK, Sunday 28 March 2027: GMT (UTC+0) to BST (UTC+1)
- UK, Sunday 31 October 2027: BST (UTC+1) to GMT (UTC+0)
- US, Sunday 7 November 2027: EDT (UTC−4) to EST (UTC−5)
When to call Senegal from the UK or the US
To reach someone between 09:00 and 20:00 Dakar time, call between 09:00 and 20:00 London time in UK winter and between 10:00 and 21:00 during British Summer Time. From New York, call between 04:00 and 15:00 during EST, and between 05:00 and 16:00 during EDT.
Time difference and jet lag: practical tips
From the UK the difference is at most 1 hour, so UK travellers will hardly notice it. From the US East Coast you travel east and the day is shortened by 4 to 5 hours: you will need to go to bed earlier than usual. A few simple rules help you adjust to local time:
- Set your watch and phone to local time as soon as you board.
- Align meals and bedtime with local time from the first day.
- Plan a light first day, with no important meetings or long drives.
- Get out in daylight when you arrive and avoid long naps.
- If you take medication at fixed times, ask your doctor how to adapt the schedule to the time difference.
Senegal time zone: IANA identifier and history
| Zone | IANA identifier | Standard time on 15 January 2027 | On 15 July 2027 | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dakar | Africa/Dakar | UTC+0 | UTC+0 | GMT |
- Dakar (
Africa/Dakar): no clock change recorded since 1 January 1970.
No daylight saving time in Senegal in 2027
The tz database lists no clock change in 2027 for Africa/Dakar: standard time remains UTC+0 all year. Only the UK clock changes (Sunday 28 March and Sunday 31 October 2027) and the US clock changes (Sunday 14 March and Sunday 7 November 2027) alter the gap.
| 2027 period | Dakar vs London | Dakar vs New York |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January – 13 March | 0 h | +5 h |
| 14 March – 27 March | 0 h | +4 h |
| 28 March – 30 October | −1 h | +4 h |
| 31 October – 6 November | 0 h | +4 h |
| 7 November – 31 December | 0 h | +5 h |
Sunrise and sunset in Dakar in 2027
Local sunrise and sunset times on the 15th of each month in Dakar (14.72° N, 17.48° W). They help you time your exposure to daylight, the main lever for resetting your body clock on arrival.
| 15th of the month | Sunrise | Solar noon | Sunset | Day length | Sunrise / sunset in London time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 07:39 | 13:19 | 19:00 | 11 h 21 | 07:39 / 19:00 |
| February | 07:34 | 13:24 | 19:14 | 11 h 40 | 07:34 / 19:14 |
| March | 07:18 | 13:19 | 19:20 | 12 h 02 | 07:18 / 19:20 |
| April | 06:56 | 13:10 | 19:24 | 12 h 28 | 07:56 / 20:24 |
| May | 06:42 | 13:06 | 19:31 | 12 h 49 | 07:42 / 20:31 |
| June | 06:41 | 13:10 | 19:40 | 13 h 00 | 07:41 / 20:40 |
| July | 06:48 | 13:16 | 19:43 | 12 h 55 | 07:48 / 20:43 |
| August | 06:56 | 13:14 | 19:33 | 12 h 37 | 07:56 / 20:33 |
| September | 06:59 | 13:05 | 19:12 | 12 h 13 | 07:59 / 20:12 |
| October | 07:01 | 12:56 | 18:50 | 11 h 49 | 08:01 / 19:50 |
| November | 07:11 | 12:54 | 18:38 | 11 h 27 | 07:11 / 18:38 |
| December | 07:27 | 13:05 | 18:43 | 11 h 16 | 07:27 / 18:43 |
The longest day in the table is 15 June (13 h 00 between 06:41 and 19:40), the shortest 15 December (11 h 16).
Jet lag: how flight direction affects you in Senegal
- From the UK: the gap does not exceed 1 hour, so there is no jet lag as such. Any tiredness comes from the journey, not from the change of time zone.
- Outbound from New York (flying east): you « lose » 5 hours during EST and 4 hours during EDT; your arrival day is shortened and you need to go to bed earlier than your body clock expects.
- Your usual night at home (23:00 – 07:00) corresponds to 23:00 – 07:00 in Dakar from London in UK winter (22:00 – 06:00 during British Summer Time), and to 04:00 – 12:00 from New York during EST (03:00 – 11:00 during EDT): this is when your body will want to sleep for the first few days.
- Daylight on arrival: in Dakar, the sun rises around 07:39 and sets around 19:00 in mid-January, and around 06:48 and 19:43 in mid-July (table above). After flying east, seek morning light and avoid it late in the day; this is the standard advice for shifting your body clock.
Plan your trip to Senegal
- Our complete Senegal travel guide: highlights, itineraries and budget
- Best time to visit Senegal: month-by-month weather and the best season
- Time differences around the world: every country in our guides
Frequently asked questions
What is the time difference between Senegal and the UK or the US?
Senegal is on the same time as London in UK winter and 1 hour behind during British Summer Time. It is 5 hours ahead of New York during Eastern Standard Time and 4 hours ahead during Eastern Daylight Time.
What time is it in Senegal when it is noon in London or New York?
Noon in London is 12:00 in Dakar in UK winter and 11:00 in summer. Noon in New York is 17:00 in Dakar during EST and 16:00 during EDT.
Does Senegal have daylight saving time?
No, local time stays at UTC+0 all year. Only clock changes in the UK or the US alter the gap.
When should I call Senegal from the UK or the US?
To reach someone between 09:00 and 20:00 local time, call between 09:00 and 20:00 London time in UK winter (10:00 and 21:00 during British Summer Time), or between 04:00 and 15:00 New York time during EST (05:00 and 16:00 during EDT).
What is the IANA time zone for Senegal?
Dakar: Africa/Dakar.
What time does the sun rise in Dakar?
Around 07:39 on 15 January 2027 and around 06:48 on 15 July 2027 (local time); sunset around 19:00 and 19:43. Destination de Voyage calculation (NOAA algorithm).
Our sources
- Sunrise and sunset: algorithm from the NOAA Solar Calculator (Global Monitoring Laboratory), applied to the capital’s coordinates (Natural Earth, Wikidata or Wikipedia): Destination de Voyage calculation.
- IANA Time Zone Database (tz database), version 2026b, consulted on 13 October 2026: time zones, rules and clock-change dates. Future dates may be changed by local authorities.
- UK clock changes: GOV.UK, « When do the clocks change? » (last Sunday of March to last Sunday of October).
- US clock changes: NIST, « Daylight Saving Time » (second Sunday of March to first Sunday of November).
- Live time: calculated by your browser (Intl API), which relies on the same IANA database.
- Our methodology
Updated October 2026.
