Forex Market Trading Hours

The forex market runs 24 hours a day, from 10:00 pm GMT on Sunday until 10:00 pm GMT on Friday. For more, read about Oil Trading Hours.

When does the forex market open? Anyone thinking about getting into trading needs the answer to this question, and active traders should know it too. Forex market hours differ across the global markets that drive currency trading. There are four of them, all operating 5 days a week. The currency market closes on Saturday and Sunday, which means the forex market is open from Monday through Friday. The working hours of the Forex market vary between the four sessions, and they meet and overlap at certain times. In this article we set out the opening and closing times of the global exchanges in detail, along with some points traders should know, such as when the sessions overlap.

Key points:

• Forex market hours follow the normal working hours of four different parts of the world, each in its own time zone.
• The overlap between the US and London sessions (from 8 am until noon, US Eastern Time) carries the largest trading volume and is considered the best window for trading opportunities.
• The overlap between the Sydney and Tokyo sessions (from 2 am to 4 am) is not as volatile as the US–London overlap, but it still offers some opportunities.

When the forex market opens and closes in GMT

If you are wondering when the Forex currency market opens at the start of the first trading day and when it closes at the end of the fifth day, here are the opening and closing times in detail, in GMT:

• The currency market opens on Sunday at 22:05 GMT.
• It closes on Friday at 21:50 GMT.
• These are the official opening and closing times, while each of the four sessions has its own schedule, covered in detail below.

Foreign exchange market hours (the four main trading sessions)

The trading hours of the global exchanges and the four sessions (the Australian, Asian, European, and American sessions) run on the following schedule:

Australian forex session hours (Sydney session).

• Currency trading in the Australian session runs from 10:00 pm until 7:00 am GMT. This period tends to be relatively steady, with little volatility.

London forex session hours (the European session).

• The European forex session in London runs from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm GMT. Along with the American session, the European session is the most active, given how widely the euro and the US dollar are traded — they are the most traded currencies worldwide.

New York forex session hours (the American session).

• For the American session — and for anyone asking when the US market opens — trading officially starts at 1:00 pm and runs until 10:00 pm GMT. The American session overlaps with the European session and other sessions at specific times explained below. The US–Europe overlap is the busiest trading window of all, with close to 70% of global trading value taking place during it.

Asian forex session hours (Tokyo session).

• Although the Asian session is the smallest in forex, it is still worth knowing when the forex market opens in the Tokyo session. It is often seen as a comparatively calm period, though signals can fail and outcomes vary in any session. The Tokyo session runs from 12:00 am until 9:00 am GMT.

Forex opening and closing times, session overlaps, and why they matter

The overlap between forex trading sessions matters a great deal to traders. Among the main reasons: the world’s central banks share in trading around the clock, and whenever one market closes another has already opened, giving investors continuous opportunities and deeper trading. The overlap windows are as follows:

• The London session overlaps with the New York session from 1:00 pm until 5:00 pm GMT.
• The Sydney session overlaps with the Asian session (Tokyo) from 12:00 am until 7:00 am GMT.
• The Tokyo session overlaps with the European session (London) from 8:00 am until 9:00 am GMT.
• So knowing the overlap windows is no less important than knowing when the forex market opens — it is one of the key things to understand about the currency market.

Currency trading hours in Egypt time

For anyone looking for forex market opening times in Egypt: Egypt time is two hours ahead of GMT. That means trading in the forex market in Egypt starts two hours after each of the four global sessions opens in GMT.

Forex market opening hours in Saudi Arabia time

Saudi Arabia time is 3 hours ahead of GMT. That means currency trading in Saudi Arabia becomes available 3 hours after the GMT times listed above for each forex session.

In the end, we hope you found the answer to your question about when the forex market opens. Keep in mind that the forex market is not centralized: trading is available across many hours thanks to the electronic communication networks (ECNs) that link markets together, and to the overlap windows where sessions meet, opening up multiple options for trading and for entering positions.

The table below summarizes forex market times and shows the days the market is open:

Please note that these times are based on GMT and may vary between platforms and brokers. There are also specific trading windows with higher activity, usually coinciding with the opening of the major markets such as London and New York.

Global stock exchange opening times in GMT

The table below summarizes the opening times of some of the major global stock exchanges in GMT:

Please note that these times can differ slightly between platforms and brokers, and they can be affected by public holidays. If you plan to trade on a specific exchange, check its exact opening and closing times.

Forex session times and global exchange opening hours in GMT

Sydney session (Australian): from 10:00 pm until 7:00 am GMT.

Tokyo session (Asian): from 12:00 am until 9:00 am GMT.

London session (European): opens from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm GMT.

New York session (American): from 1:00 pm to 10:00 pm GMT.

Session overlap hours:

Sydney and Tokyo: from 12:00 am to 5:00 am GMT.

Tokyo and London: from 8:00 am until 9:00 am GMT.

London and New York: from 1:00 pm until 3:00 pm GMT.

Why session overlaps matter in forex market hours:

As one market closes, another opens. This lets traders and brokers around the world — alongside central banks from every continent — trade online 24 hours a day.

The most active time to trade is during the overlap between open markets: overlaps mean wider price ranges, which creates more opportunities. Here is a closer look at the three overlaps that occur every day in forex market hours:

• United States with London (from 8 am until noon): the largest overlap happens between the US and London markets. More than 70% of all trades occur while these markets overlap, because the US dollar and the euro are the two most commonly traded currencies. Volatility and price activity are at their highest in this window.
• Sydney with Tokyo (from 2 am to 4 am): this window is not as volatile as the US–London overlap, but it offers a chance to trade the price swings of the EUR/JPY pair, which is the pair to watch in this overlap since both of these major currencies are affected.
• London with Tokyo (from 3 am to 4 am): this overlap sees the least movement of the three because of the timing — most US-based traders will not be awake at this hour, and a one-hour overlap leaves little room for large price moves to develop.

During these overlapping trading hours you will find the highest number of trades and, with them, more opportunities to enter positions in the foreign exchange market.

The most active trading windows in forex market hours:

One thing to watch is the release times of government reports and official economic news. Governments publish schedules showing exactly when these releases go out.

It is therefore worth knowing the economic indicators published in the major economies, as they coincide with the most active moments in forex trading. This higher activity means bigger moves in currency prices, and orders are sometimes filled at prices different from what you expect.

Currency trading is unique because of forex market hours: the week begins at 5 pm US Eastern Time on Sunday and continues until 5 pm on Friday.

Not every hour of the day is equally suited to trading. The most active time to trade is when the market is busiest: when more than one of the four sessions is open at the same time, trading activity picks up, which means larger swings in currency pairs.

When only one market is open, currency pairs tend to stay locked in a tight range of about 30 pips of movement. When two markets are open at once, moves of around 70 pips are easily seen, especially when major news is released.

As a trader, you have two main options: either include news release windows in your forex trading hours, or deliberately pause trading during them because of the high volatility. Whichever you prefer, be prepared to act when prices move suddenly during a news release.

While the forex market operates 24 hours a day, some currencies in several emerging markets are not traded around the clock. The seven most traded currencies in the world are the US dollar, the euro, the Japanese yen, the British pound, the Australian dollar, the Canadian dollar, and the New Zealand dollar — all of which trade continuously and actively.

Here is a brief overview of the active pairs during each trading session:

• The Sydney session (Australian) is well suited to trading the Australian dollar.
• The Tokyo session (Asian) is not well suited to day trading.
• In the London session (European), the euro, the British pound, and the US dollar are the most active currencies.
• In the New York session (American), the US dollar, the euro, the pound, the Australian dollar, and the Japanese yen are the most active currencies.

Finally, it is important to make use of market overlaps and to follow forex market hours and news releases closely when setting up a trading schedule. Traders who want the most active conditions generally focus on the more volatile windows while watching for new economic data releases — keeping in mind that results vary and no window guarantees an outcome. This balance lets both part-time and full-time traders set a schedule that gives them peace of mind, knowing that opportunities do not disappear when they look away from the markets or need a few hours of sleep.

What about your forex broker?

Your broker will provide a trading platform with a set time frame (the time frame depends on the country where the broker operates).

When focusing on forex market hours, set aside your broker’s own time frame, rely on the market hours listed above, and watch the market clock to pin down the trading sessions.

If you have not chosen a forex broker yet, we recommend comparing the leading forex brokers to help with your research.

[AFF-CTA: pending]

Understanding forex market hours:

The international currency markets are made up of banks, commercial companies, central banks, investment management firms, and hedge funds, as well as forex brokers and investors around the world. Because this market operates across multiple time zones, it can be accessed at any time except the weekend. To understand forex market hours, here is a brief overview of the four sessions (in US Eastern Time):

The New York forex session

Open from 8 am to 5 pm, New York is the second-largest forex center in the world. Foreign investors watch it closely because the US dollar is involved in 90% of all trades. Moves on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) can have an immediate, strong effect on the dollar: when companies merge or acquisitions are completed, the dollar can gain or lose value instantly.

The Tokyo forex session

Japan is open from 7 pm until 4 am and is the first Asian trading center to open, handling the largest share of Asian trading ahead of Hong Kong and Singapore. The pairs that usually see a reasonable amount of trading are USD/JPY (the US dollar against the Japanese yen), GBP/CHF (the British pound against the Swiss franc), and GBP/JPY (the British pound against the Japanese yen). USD/JPY in particular is worth watching when the Tokyo market is the only one open, because of the strong influence of the Bank of Japan on the market.

The Sydney forex session

Australia is open from 5 pm until 2 am and is where the trading day officially begins. Although it is the smallest of the major markets, it sees plenty of initial activity when markets reopen on Sunday afternoon, as individual traders and financial institutions regroup after the long pause since Friday afternoon.

The London forex session

Great Britain is open from 3 am until noon. During this part of forex market hours, the United Kingdom dominates currency markets worldwide, with London as its main component. London is the central trading capital of the world, accounting for roughly 43% of global trading according to a report by the Bank for International Settlements. This session also has a strong influence on currency volatility, because the UK’s central bank — the Bank of England, which sets interest rates and controls monetary policy for the pound sterling — is based in London. Forex trends also often originate in London, which technical traders should keep in mind: technical trading uses analysis to identify opportunities from statistical trends, momentum, and price movement.

From all of the above, note that the forex market is the largest financial market in the world. Forex trading does not take place in a single central location; it happens between participants by phone and through electronic communication networks (ECNs) across markets around the world.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most active time to trade?

The busiest time to trade is when market liquidity is high. The most liquid hours are usually the overlap between the European session and the American session, which runs from 1:00 pm until 5:00 pm GMT.

What are the busiest trading days?

Friday and Thursday are considered the days when the market sees the heaviest liquidity, making them the most active trading days.

When does the dollar index open?

The US market opens at 1:00 pm GMT and stays open until 10:00 pm GMT.

When does the forex market open on Monday?

The forex market opens on the night before Monday — that is, on Sunday at 10:00 pm GMT.

When does the forex market open and close?

The forex market starts on Sunday at 10:00 pm GMT and runs until Friday at 10:00 pm GMT. The market is closed on Saturday and Sunday.

When does the forex market open in the UAE?

The forex market opens at 2:00 am on Monday, Dubai time, and closes at 1:00 am on Friday, Dubai time.

When does the currency market close?

The currency market closes at 10 pm GMT on Friday each week and reopens at 10 pm on Sunday.

When does the global gold market open?

Gold trades 24 hours a day from Sunday to Friday each week, with a 60-minute break per day.

Is forex available for trading in every country?

The forex market is a global market available worldwide, where currencies from all countries can be traded.

Related articles

• Best forex brokers compared
• Forex Trading in Egypt
• Forex Hedging
• Forex Demo Account
• Currency Market Trading
• Forex Brokers With the Lowest