The forex market opens on Sunday at 5 p.m. Eastern Time, when trading begins in Wellington, New Zealand

The forex market does not have a single opening bell. Instead, it opens in waves as the business day arrives in each major financial centre around the world. On Sunday evening in North America, the first significant trading activity begins in Wellington and Sydney, which is already Monday morning in the Southern Hemisphere. This is why Sunday evening is when most retail traders in the US and Europe see forex trading resume after the weekend close.

The exact time you can start trading depends on your broker and your time zone. If you are on the US East Coast, trading typically opens at 5 p.m. Sunday. If you are on the US West Coast, that is 2 p.m. Sunday. If you are in the UK, the market opens around 10 p.m. Sunday GMT. Some brokers open a few minutes earlier or later, so check your platform's specific Sunday opening time.

Key Takeaways

  • Forex trading resumes on Sunday at 5 p.m. Eastern Time when the New Zealand and Australian markets open, not at a fixed global moment.
  • Your broker may open trading a few minutes before or after the official market open, so verify the exact time on your platform.
  • Sunday evening trading is typically thinner and more volatile than weekday trading because fewer banks and institutions are active.
  • The market closes on Friday at 5 p.m. Eastern Time and does not reopen until Sunday evening, so there is no Saturday trading.

Why Sunday evening, not Sunday morning

The forex market follows the sun around the globe. When it is Sunday evening in New York, it is already Monday morning in Asia. The first major financial centres to open on Monday are in the Asia-Pacific region — Wellington opens first, followed by Sydney, then Tokyo, then Singapore and Hong Kong. By the time London opens on Monday morning (which is Sunday evening in New York), the market has been running for several hours.

This is why you see forex activity resume on Sunday evening US time. The market never actually closes; it just moves from one region to the next. There is no Sunday morning opening in the forex market because no major financial centre is beginning its Monday business day at that time.

How volatility and liquidity change on Sunday evening

Sunday evening trading is different from the rest of the week. Fewer banks, hedge funds, and institutional traders are active because most of the world's major financial centres are still closed. This means the market is thinner — there are fewer buyers and sellers, and spreads (the difference between the bid and ask price) tend to be wider than they are during the week.

Wider spreads mean it costs you more to enter and exit a trade. Thinner liquidity also means prices can move more sharply on smaller trades. Some traders avoid Sunday evening trading for this reason. Others use it as an opportunity to position themselves before the week's major economic announcements and before London and New York fully open.

Time zones and how to find your broker's opening time

Your broker's opening time depends on where you are and how your broker sets its schedule. Most US-based brokers open at 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday. If you are on Pacific Time, that is 2 p.m. If you are in the UK, that is 10 p.m. GMT. If you are in Central European Time, that is 11 p.m. CET.

The easiest way to find your exact opening time is to log into your trading platform on a Sunday evening and look at the market status or check your broker's website. Some brokers list Sunday opening times in their FAQ or trading hours section. If your broker does not clearly state the time, contact their support team — they can tell you the exact minute trading opens on your platform.

What happens between Friday close and Sunday open

The forex market closes on Friday at 5 p.m. Eastern Time. It does not reopen until Sunday at 5 p.m. Eastern Time. This means there is a roughly 48-hour gap with no forex trading. During this time, major economic news, geopolitical events, or market-moving announcements can happen, and you cannot trade on them until Sunday evening.

This gap is called the weekend gap or gap risk. When the market reopens on Sunday, prices can open significantly higher or lower than where they closed on Friday, depending on what happened over the weekend. If you hold a position into Friday's close, you are exposed to this gap risk. Some traders close all positions before Friday's close to avoid it. Others hold positions specifically to trade the gap when the market reopens.

Why some brokers open earlier or later than others

Not all brokers open at exactly 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday. Some open at 4:55 p.m., others at 5:05 p.m., and a few may open as early as 4 p.m. or as late as 5:30 p.m. The difference comes down to how each broker sources its prices and manages its operations.

Brokers that have direct access to interbank pricing or that operate their own trading desk may open earlier. Brokers that aggregate prices from multiple sources or that have smaller operations may open later. The difference is usually only a few minutes, but if you are planning to trade the Sunday open, those minutes can matter. Check your specific broker's opening time before the weekend.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I trade forex on Saturday?

No. The forex market is closed on Saturday. Trading resumes on Sunday at 5 p.m. Eastern Time. Some brokers offer trading on cryptocurrency or other assets on Saturday, but the traditional forex market does not operate on weekends.

Does the forex market open at the same time every Sunday?

Yes, the market opens at the same time every Sunday — 5 p.m. Eastern Time for most brokers. The time does not change based on daylight saving time in the way you might expect, because the market operates on a global schedule. However, your local time for the opening will shift by one hour when daylight saving time changes in your region.

What if I want to place a trade before the market officially opens on Sunday?

Most brokers do not allow you to place live trades before the market opens. However, many platforms let you place pending orders — orders that execute automatically once the market opens and reaches your specified price. Check your broker's platform to see if pending orders are available.

Is Sunday evening trading riskier than weekday trading?

Sunday evening trading can be riskier because spreads are wider and liquidity is lower. Prices can move more sharply, and it may be harder to exit a trade at your desired price. If you are new to forex trading, many traders recommend waiting until Monday morning when London opens and liquidity increases.