Ramadan 2027 in the UK: dates, fasting hours and work

Ramadan 2027 in the UK is expected to start on Monday 8 February 2027, according to the Umm al-Qura calendar used in Saudi Arabia, with Eid al-Fitr expected on Tuesday 9 March 2027. But there is no single body that announces Ramadan for every Muslim in Britain. Some UK mosques follow the Saudi announcement, some wait for a local moon sighting, and some use astronomical calculation and publish their dates in advance. So mosques in the same city can start a day apart. In London, the fast lasts from 11 hours 28 minutes on the first day to 13 hours 13 minutes on the last.

This guide is for anyone planning Ramadan 2027 in the UK, whether it is your first Ramadan here or you simply want to sort out work, school, health and zakat early. It brings together the expected dates, fasting hours in London and Glasgow, what official bodies say about fasting at work and school, and NHS health advice. It does not give religious rulings: for those, ask your mosque or a scholar you trust.

When does Ramadan start in 2027 in the UK?

By the Umm al-Qura calendar, 1 Ramadan 1448 falls on Monday 8 February 2027. The month runs for 29 days, so the last day of fasting would be Monday 8 March and Eid al-Fitr Tuesday 9 March 2027.

These are expected dates, not an official UK announcement. Mosques here take one of three broad approaches:

Following Saudi Arabia or another country’s announcement.
Local moon sighting in the UK or a nearby country.
Astronomical calculation, with dates announced ahead of time.

No government or religious body announces Ramadan for all British Muslims. Follow your own mosque, and watch its social media and noticeboard in the last days of Sha’ban. You can see where Ramadan sits in the year on our UK Islamic calendar for 1448–1449.

The clocks do not change during Ramadan 2027. GOV.UK confirms that the clocks go forward on 28 March 2027, after Eid. Prayer times will only shift by a few minutes each day through the month.

Fasting hours in London and Glasgow

The figures below come from our London Ramadan timetable and Glasgow Ramadan timetable. Times use the Muslim World League method in local time, and fasting length is counted from Fajr to Maghrib.

City and day	Fajr	Maghrib (iftar)	Length of fast
London: 1 Ramadan (8 February)	5:34	17:02	11 hours 28 minutes
London: 29 Ramadan (8 March)	4:40	17:53	13 hours 13 minutes
Glasgow: 1 Ramadan (8 February)	5:51	17:05	11 hours 14 minutes
Glasgow: 29 Ramadan (8 March)	4:47	18:06	13 hours 19 minutes

Glasgow starts the month with a slightly shorter fast than London and ends it with a slightly longer one. Further north, daylight grows faster in late winter. In both cities, the gap between the first and last fast is close to two hours.

Our timetables put imsak ten minutes before Fajr as a precaution. That is a common custom, not a religious ruling. Your mosque’s timetable is the one to follow, because mosques calculate Fajr and Isha differently. Ramadan timetables for other cities include Birmingham, Manchester, Bradford, Leicester, Luton, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast, with the full list on the prayer times page.

Fasting at work

The law does not require your employer to change your hours because you are fasting. But Acas guidance on religion or belief discrimination says employers should consider requests from staff who are fasting. It gives examples such as a temporary change to duties or working hours, as long as this does not disadvantage colleagues who do not share the religion.

Reasonable requests you can make

Starting earlier or later so you finish closer to iftar.
A shorter lunch break in exchange for short prayer breaks, with your total hours unchanged. Acas gives this example directly.
Moving physically demanding tasks to earlier in the day where possible.
Annual leave in the last ten days or on Eid, booked early.

Put your request in writing a few weeks before Ramadan, and suggest a practical arrangement rather than asking to be excused in general. If a reasonable request is turned down without a business reason, that may be discrimination. Leave rules are explained in our holiday entitlement calculator, and our guide to working in the UK covers your wider rights.

Taking Eid off

Eid al-Fitr is not a UK bank holiday, so the day comes out of your annual leave. GOV.UK says the general notice period is at least twice the length of the leave you want, plus 1 day, so three days’ notice for one day off, unless your contract says otherwise. Because the exact day is uncertain, agree with your manager in advance on the expected day and the day after, and on how you will swap if the date moves. Our Eid 2027 UK guide covers this in more detail.

Fasting at school and university

If your child will be fasting, tell the school. Ask where they will sit at lunchtime and how PE lessons will be handled. There is no single national rule on this; each school sets its own arrangements.

Absence on Eid in England does have an official rule. The Department for Education guidance Working together to improve school attendance says schools record the absence as authorised, using code R, when the day is exclusively set apart for religious observance by the religious body to which the parents belong. If that body sets apart one day and you ask for more, the extra days are at the school’s discretion. Write to the school well before Eid. Our schools guide explains how the school system works.

University students with an exam on Eid should speak to their university early. The EHRC guide for students explains that a rule which puts a student at a disadvantage because of their religion may be indirect discrimination, unless the university can justify it.

Your health while fasting: what the NHS advises

Before Ramadan 2026, NHS North East London published advice for people who fast. It remains useful for planning Ramadan 2027:

Diabetes: talk to your GP or diabetes nurse before Ramadan about the safest way to fast, and keep checking your blood sugar if you already do.
Prescribed medicines: do not stop them on your own. Ask your GP or pharmacist whether the dose or timing needs to change.
Appointments and vaccinations: keep them, and ask to change the time if needed. NHS North East London notes that most scholars agree injected vaccines do not break the fast.
If you become unwell while fasting: consider breaking the fast to avoid harm. Start with a pharmacy, your GP practice website, or NHS 111 ↗, or call 111.
People who are exempt: the advice reminds readers that many groups are exempt from fasting to protect their health, including people who are ill or very frail, and pregnant or breastfeeding women who are worried about their baby. It suggests asking an imam about alternatives.
Daily habits: drink plenty of water between iftar and suhoor, cut down on sugary, fatty and processed food, avoid caffeinated drinks, and stay gently active, for example by walking.

This is general information, not medical advice. If you are not registered with a GP, register before Ramadan using our healthcare guide.

Zakat al-Fitr and giving in Ramadan

The government does not set an amount in pounds for zakat al-Fitr. Mosques and Muslim charities announce a figure each year based on food prices, and the figures can differ. Ask your mosque for the amount and the deadline, and ask a scholar about the detailed rules.

If you pay your zakat on wealth in Ramadan, use our zakat calculator and check today’s gold price in pounds to work out the nisab.

Check a charity before you give

During Ramadan 2025, the Charity Commission, the Fundraising Regulator and the Muslim Charities Forum urged donors to watch out for fake charities and copycat donation websites. Their advice included:

Look up the charity’s name and registration number on the charity register ↗. Most charities with an annual income of £5,000 or more must be registered.
Make sure a charity is genuine before giving any financial details.
Be careful with links in texts and emails; go to the charity’s website yourself.
Street collectors should have a licence from the local council, or from the Metropolitan Police in Greater London.

If you pay Income Tax, ask the charity about Gift Aid. GOV.UK says charities can claim an extra 25p for every £1 you give, at no cost to you, as long as you have paid enough tax.

Mosques, taraweeh and community iftars

Many mosques hold taraweeh prayers and some host community iftars, but arrangements vary. Ask your mosque about:

Taraweeh times, and whether there is space for women.
Whether you need to register in advance for iftar.
Parking: many mosques ask worshippers to respect neighbours and not block roads.
Children’s activities and Quran classes during the month.

Find a mosque near you in our mosques and Islamic centres directory. For suhoor and iftar shopping, see halal grocers and halal restaurants.

Common mistakes

Treating 8 February as confirmed. It is the expected Umm al-Qura date; your mosque may start a day earlier or later.
Asking for Eid off at the last minute. The general legal notice is at least twice the length of the leave plus 1 day, and your employer can refuse the timing with proper notice.
Stopping medication without advice. The NHS advises asking your GP or pharmacist first.
Cancelling medical appointments because you are fasting. You can ask to change the time instead.
Donating through a link sent by message. Check the charity register first.
Relying on a general timetable instead of your mosque’s. Mosques calculate times differently.

Frequently asked questions

When does Ramadan start in 2027 in the UK?

By the Umm al-Qura calendar, on Monday 8 February 2027. UK mosques announce the start according to their own approach to moon sighting, so it may differ by a day.

When is Eid al-Fitr 2027?

Expected on Tuesday 9 March 2027 by Umm al-Qura. Check your mosque’s announcement on the night before.

How long is the fast in London in Ramadan 2027?

From 11 hours 28 minutes on the first day to 13 hours 13 minutes on the last, counted from Fajr to Maghrib.

Is the fast longer in Scotland?

In Glasgow the month starts with a slightly shorter fast than London (11 hours 14 minutes) and ends with a slightly longer one (13 hours 19 minutes).

Do the clocks change during Ramadan 2027?

No. The clocks go forward on 28 March 2027, after Ramadan and Eid.

Does my employer have to reduce my hours in Ramadan?

There is no legal duty to do so. But Acas advises employers to consider requests from fasting staff, such as a temporary change to hours or duties, and an unreasonable refusal may be discrimination.

Is my child’s absence on Eid authorised?

In England, it is recorded as authorised under code R if the day is set apart for religious observance by the religious body the parents belong to. Tell the school in advance.

How much is zakat al-Fitr in the UK?

No government body sets it. Mosques and charities announce an amount each year, so ask your mosque.

Sources

Next step

Save your city’s timetable, such as the London Ramadan timetable, and compare it with your mosque’s. Then send your work request early, book Eid using the holiday entitlement calculator, and work out your zakat with the zakat calculator.

Reviewed 18 October 2026.