What Time Does the Forex Market Open on Sunday? Complete Guide 2025

The Straight Answer

　　Let's get straight to the point. The retail forex market opens for the week on Sunday at 5:00 PM Eastern Time (ET), which is 22:00 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC/GMT).

　　The start marks the beginning of Monday morning business in the Asia-Pacific region. Financial centers like Sydney and Wellington kick off the global trading week with their first activities.

　　This leads many to ask, "is forex open on weekends？" For most retail traders, the answer is no. The market doesn't have an official closing bell since it's decentralized, but brokers and liquidity providers stop their services from Friday evening (around 5:00 PM ET) until Sunday evening.

　　We'll go beyond this basic fact in this article. You'll learn what this opening means for your trading strategy. We'll look at special market conditions, risks like weekend gaps, and how you can prepare for the week ahead to gain an edge.

The Global Forex Clock

　　To understand the Sunday open, we need to know how the forex market is structured. Unlike stock exchanges with fixed hours and central locations, the forex market works as an "over-the-counter" (OTC) or decentralized market.

　　This means trading happens through a global network of banks, financial institutions, and brokers instead of one physical place. This structure lets the market run 24 hours a day, five days a week.

　　The trading activity follows the sun around the world. As one financial center ends its day, another begins, passing trading activity across the globe.

　　The pattern generally flows like this:

• Asia (Sydney, then Tokyo)
• Europe (London)
• North America (New York)

　　So, are forex markets closed on weekends？ Yes, for practical purposes. The cycle stops on Friday evening when New York closes and all major financial centers take a weekend break. The market stays quiet until the Asia-Pacific region starts again on Sunday evening in the Western Hemisphere. The forex market is open 24 hours a day on weekdays, creating a continuous but limited trading week.

Pinpointing Global Open Times

　　We've established what time the forex market opens on Sunday, but 5:00 PM ET means different things depending on where you live. Understanding your local opening time is essential for planning if you trade globally.

　　Here's a breakdown of the forex market opening time across major time zones. This table gives you a clear reference for when your trading week officially begins.

　　Disclaimer: These times are standard. Always check for Daylight Saving Time changes, which can shift these times by an hour. We cover this more later in the guide.

　　The start of the Sydney session on Monday morning local time is widely accepted as when the forex market opens for the week.

Beyond the Opening Bell

　　Knowing the opening time is just data. Understanding what happens in those first few hours is knowledge. The Sunday open, or early Sydney session, has a unique character that every trader must respect.

　　The conditions are not typical. Here is what we usually see in the first few hours of the new trading week:

• 　　Lower Liquidity: This is the most defining feature. With only Asia-Pacific markets officially open, there are fewer active traders. Fewer buyers and sellers mean less volume compared to the busy London/New York overlap.

• 　　Wider Spreads: Lower liquidity has a direct effect: bid-ask spreads widen. The gap between buying and selling prices increases, making your transaction costs higher. This can reduce profits for short-term strategies.

• 　　Potential for Gaps: This is the biggest risk and opportunity. A "weekend gap" is a difference, sometimes very large, between Friday's closing price and Sunday's opening price.

　　A weekend gap happens because the market stops trading, but the world doesn't. Major economic news, political events, or breaking stories can happen during the 48-hour weekend break, changing how much a currency is worth. When the market reopens, the price "gaps" up or down to reflect this new information.

　　Imagine EUR/USD closing at 1.0850 on Friday. Over the weekend, a major positive economic announcement comes from the Eurozone. On Sunday, the market might open at 1.0920. That 70-pip jump is a weekend gap, happening instantly at the open.

　　We remember the weekend of the French presidential election in 2017. The market was nervous about who would win. When the pro-Euro candidate won the first round, EUR/USD gapped up over 200 pips at the Sunday open. Traders who bet against the euro faced big losses right away. Those who expected a positive outcome and positioned themselves correctly found a huge opportunity. This shows the two-sided nature of weekend risk and why you must beware of weekend gap risk!

A Strategic Approach

　　Given the unique and risky conditions of the Sunday open, should you trade it？ The answer depends on your experience level and risk tolerance. There's no one-size-fits-all strategy.

　　For the Risk-Averse Trader (or Beginner):

　　We strongly advise you to watch, not trade, for the first few hours. Use this time to see how the market processes the weekend's news. Watch how prices move around key levels.

　　Consider waiting for more liquidity to enter the market. This typically happens when the Tokyo session begins, about two hours after Sydney opens. Spreads will start to narrow, and price movements may become more reliable.

　　An even safer approach is to wait for the London session to start. This is when the market truly becomes active with deep liquidity. For new traders, protecting your money is much more important than chasing a volatile, unpredictable opening move.

　　For the Experienced or Aggressive Trader:

　　For those with higher risk tolerance and solid market understanding, the Sunday open can offer unique chances. "Gap trading" is a common strategy.

　　Some traders try to trade the "fill," based on the theory that many gaps tend to close back toward Friday's closing price. Others may trade in the gap's direction, assuming it shows a powerful new trend.

　　If you choose to trade during this time, strict risk management is essential. Use stop-loss orders to set your maximum risk from the start. Consider using smaller positions than normal to account for wider spreads and possible sharp, unexpected moves. Knowing when the forex markets open on Sunday is the first step in creating a high-risk, high-reward plan for this session.

Your Pre-Market Checklist

　　Professional traders don't just show up when the market opens; they come prepared. Developing a weekend routine is one of the best habits you can form. Here is a 5-step checklist to ensure you're ready for the Sunday forex open.

• 　　Review the Weekend News Cycle: What happened while markets were closed？ Check major financial news sources like Reuters, Bloomberg, and The Wall Street Journal. Pay close attention to G7 political developments, central bank statements, or unexpected economic events. This gives you the first clue to potential gaps.

• 　　Check the Economic Calendar: Look ahead. Are there any major data releases scheduled for early Monday in Australia, New Zealand, or Japan？ An early morning interest rate decision from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), for example, will guarantee volatility in AUD pairs right from the start.

• 　　Analyze Your Key Pairs: Open your charts. Mark Friday's exact closing price on your most-watched currency pairs. Find the nearest key support and resistance levels. Based on weekend news, form a theory: will the price likely gap up, gap down, or open flat？

• 　　Define Your "First Move" Plan: This is crucial. Before the market opens and emotions take over, decide on your plan. Will you trade the open？ If so, what are your exact entry, stop-loss, and take-profit levels？ If not, when or under what conditions will you consider entering the market？ Write it down to hold yourself accountable.

• 　　Confirm Your Broker's Hours: Don't assume your broker's server opens for trading at exactly 5:00 PM ET. Log into your trading platform and check their specific server time. Some brokers may have a brief maintenance window or start quoting prices a few minutes before or after the generally accepted time. A few minutes can make a big difference.

  　　

　　

The Fine Print

　　While 5:00 PM ET on Sunday is standard, certain factors can change forex opening times and, more importantly, trading conditions. Being aware of these details can prevent confusion and costly mistakes.

　　

The Daylight Saving Time Puzzle

　　Daylight Saving Time (DST) often confuses global traders. The United States, Europe, and Australia all start and end DST on different dates. This means that for several weeks each year, the time gaps between sessions shift. The London open might be four hours before New York instead of five, for example. To avoid mistakes, we strongly suggest traders use UTC/GMT or a real-time market clock tool that automatically adjusts for these changes. Understanding the impact of Daylight Saving Time is critical for precise timing.

　　

Major Bank Holidays

　　Even if the global forex market is technically open, liquidity can disappear if a major financial center has a holiday. During US Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year's Day, market volume drops sharply. While you might still be able to place a trade, spreads will be extremely wide, and price movements can be erratic and unreliable. It's often best to stay out of the market during these major global holidays.

　　

Your Broker's Specific Server Time

　　It's worth repeating: your broker is your gateway to the market. Their server time controls your chart's "daily" open and close. They may also have specific rules about trading during the first few minutes of the Sunday open or may perform server maintenance that slightly changes their availability. Always check with your specific provider for their official hours and policies.

　　

Preparation, Not Prediction

　　We have now thoroughly answered what time does forex market open on Sunday. The market comes to life at 5:00 PM ET as the financial world in Asia-Pacific begins its week.

　　But as we've seen, the time itself is just the beginning of the story. The real key for traders is to understand the unique environment of those opening hours: the thin liquidity, the wider spreads, and the ever-present potential for weekend gaps.

　　Knowing the opening time is step one. Knowing how to act in that environment is what separates a prepared trader from a gambler.

　　Success in the first hours of the trading week doesn't come from trying to predict every market move. It comes from being thoroughly prepared for its unique conditions and being able to customize trading strategies based on the liquidity levels at hand. Trade safe, and be prepared.