Time in Europe: Every European Time Zone
Live local time in 60 European countries and territories, grouped by time zone. Each zone shows its winter and summer UTC offset, which countries use it and how far ahead of or behind the UK it is. Because the UK and the EU change their clocks together, the gap with most of the continent never changes.
Quick answers
- France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Scandinavia are 1 hour ahead of the UK, all year.
- Greece, Finland, Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine are 2 hours ahead of the UK, all year.
- Ireland and Portugal are on the same time as the UK, all year.
- Iceland is on GMT with no change: the same as the UK in winter, 1 hour behind in summer.
- Turkey and Moscow are 3 hours ahead of the UK in winter and 2 hours ahead in summer.
European time zones compared
| Zone | Winter | Summer | Gap to UK (winter / summer) | Clock changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azores Time AZOT / AZOST | UTC-1 | UTC+0 | 1 hour behind the UK | Yes |
| Greenwich Mean Time, no change GMT | UTC+0 | UTC+0 | Same time as the UK / 1 hour behind the UK | No |
| Western European Time (and the UK) WET / WEST (GMT / BST in the UK) | UTC+0 | UTC+1 | Same time as the UK | Yes |
| Central European Time CET / CEST | UTC+1 | UTC+2 | 1 hour ahead of the UK | Yes |
| Eastern European Time EET / EEST | UTC+2 | UTC+3 | 2 hours ahead of the UK | Yes |
| Kaliningrad Time EET (no change) | UTC+2 | UTC+2 | 2 hours ahead of the UK / 1 hour ahead of the UK | No |
| Turkey, Moscow and Belarus Time TRT / MSK (no change) | UTC+3 | UTC+3 | 3 hours ahead of the UK / 2 hours ahead of the UK | No |
| Samara and the Caucasus SAMT / GET / AMT / AZT (no change) | UTC+4 | UTC+4 | 4 hours ahead of the UK / 3 hours ahead of the UK | No |
Azores Time (UTC-1 / UTC+0)
AZOT / AZOST. Changes clocks with the EU and the UK.
The Azores are a Portuguese archipelago in the mid-Atlantic and the westernmost part of Europe. They sit one hour behind mainland Portugal and the UK all year, and change their clocks on the same dates as the rest of the EU.
| Country | Capital | Time now | UTC offset | Gap to the UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal (Azores) | Ponta Delgada | --:-- |
Greenwich Mean Time, no change (UTC+0)
GMT. Does not change its clocks.
Iceland stays on GMT all year and never moves its clocks, so it matches the UK in winter and is one hour behind from the last Sunday of March to the last Sunday of October.
| Country | Capital | Time now | UTC offset | Gap to the UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iceland | Reykjavik | --:-- |
Western European Time (and the UK) (UTC+0 / UTC+1)
WET / WEST (GMT / BST in the UK). Changes clocks with the EU and the UK.
The UK, Ireland and Portugal show exactly the same clock time all year. The names differ: Britain calls it GMT and BST, Ireland uses GMT and Irish Standard Time, and Portugal, the Canary Islands and the Faroe Islands call it WET and WEST. The Crown Dependencies follow London.
| Country | Capital | Time now | UTC offset | Gap to the UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | London | --:-- | ||
| Ireland | Dublin | --:-- | ||
| Portugal (mainland) | Lisbon | --:-- | ||
| Portugal (Madeira) | Funchal | --:-- | ||
| Spain (Canary Islands) | Las Palmas | --:-- | ||
| Faroe Islands (Denmark) | Torshavn | --:-- | ||
| Jersey | St Helier | --:-- | ||
| Guernsey | St Peter Port | --:-- | ||
| Isle of Man | Douglas | --:-- |
Central European Time (UTC+1 / UTC+2)
CET / CEST. Changes clocks with the EU and the UK.
The biggest block in Europe, covering the largest economies on the continent. Central European Time is one hour ahead of the UK all year, because the UK and the EU change their clocks at the same moment. This is the zone behind the plus-one-hour rule.
| Country | Capital | Time now | UTC offset | Gap to the UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | Tirana | --:-- | ||
| Andorra | Andorra la Vella | --:-- | ||
| Austria | Vienna | --:-- | ||
| Belgium | Brussels | --:-- | ||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Sarajevo | --:-- | ||
| Croatia | Zagreb | --:-- | ||
| Czechia | Prague | --:-- | ||
| Denmark | Copenhagen | --:-- | ||
| France | Paris | --:-- | ||
| Germany | Berlin | --:-- | ||
| Gibraltar (UK) | Gibraltar | --:-- | ||
| Hungary | Budapest | --:-- | ||
| Italy | Rome | --:-- | ||
| Kosovo | Pristina | --:-- | ||
| Liechtenstein | Vaduz | --:-- | ||
| Luxembourg | Luxembourg | --:-- | ||
| Malta | Valletta | --:-- | ||
| Monaco | Monaco | --:-- | ||
| Montenegro | Podgorica | --:-- | ||
| Netherlands | Amsterdam | --:-- | ||
| North Macedonia | Skopje | --:-- | ||
| Norway | Oslo | --:-- | ||
| Poland | Warsaw | --:-- | ||
| San Marino | San Marino | --:-- | ||
| Serbia | Belgrade | --:-- | ||
| Slovakia | Bratislava | --:-- | ||
| Slovenia | Ljubljana | --:-- | ||
| Spain (mainland) | Madrid | --:-- | ||
| Sweden | Stockholm | --:-- | ||
| Switzerland | Bern | --:-- | ||
| Vatican City | Vatican City | --:-- |
Eastern European Time (UTC+2 / UTC+3)
EET / EEST. Changes clocks with the EU and the UK.
Eastern European Time covers the Baltic and Balkan states, the Black Sea coast and Finland. It is two hours ahead of the UK all year, and the countries here change their clocks on the same dates as the UK and the EU.
| Country | Capital | Time now | UTC offset | Gap to the UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulgaria | Sofia | --:-- | ||
| Cyprus | Nicosia | --:-- | ||
| Estonia | Tallinn | --:-- | ||
| Finland | Helsinki | --:-- | ||
| Greece | Athens | --:-- | ||
| Latvia | Riga | --:-- | ||
| Lithuania | Vilnius | --:-- | ||
| Moldova | Chisinau | --:-- | ||
| Romania | Bucharest | --:-- | ||
| Ukraine | Kyiv | --:-- |
Kaliningrad Time (UTC+2)
EET (no change). Does not change its clocks.
Kaliningrad is a Russian exclave on the Baltic coast, between Poland and Lithuania. It uses UTC+2 all year and does not change its clocks, so its gap with the UK shrinks to one hour in summer.
| Country | Capital | Time now | UTC offset | Gap to the UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russia (Kaliningrad) | Kaliningrad | --:-- |
Turkey, Moscow and Belarus Time (UTC+3)
TRT / MSK (no change). Does not change its clocks.
Turkey, Moscow and Belarus use UTC+3 all year. Moscow Time (MSK) also covers St Petersburg and most of European Russia. Because none of them change their clocks, the UK gap is three hours in winter and two hours in summer.
| Country | Capital | Time now | UTC offset | Gap to the UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | Istanbul | --:-- | ||
| Russia (Moscow) | Moscow | --:-- | ||
| Belarus | Minsk | --:-- |
Samara and the Caucasus (UTC+4)
SAMT / GET / AMT / AZT (no change). Does not change its clocks.
The far east of European Russia and the three Caucasus republics use UTC+4 with no clock changes. The Caucasus countries straddle the border of Europe and Asia and are often listed with both continents.
| Country | Capital | Time now | UTC offset | Gap to the UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russia (Samara) | Samara | --:-- | ||
| Georgia | Tbilisi | --:-- | ||
| Armenia | Yerevan | --:-- | ||
| Azerbaijan | Baku | --:-- |
When do the clocks change in Europe?
The EU, the UK and most of the countries that follow them move their clocks at one instant: 01:00 UTC on the last Sunday of March (forward) and the last Sunday of October (back). The same moment is a different wall-clock time in each zone.
| Year | Clocks go forward | Clocks go back |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday, 29 March 2026 | Sunday, 25 October 2026 |
| 2027 | Sunday, 28 March 2027 | Sunday, 31 October 2027 |
| 2028 | Sunday, 26 March 2028 | Sunday, 29 October 2028 |
| 2029 | Sunday, 25 March 2029 | Sunday, 28 October 2029 |
| Zone | Going forward, local clocks jump | Going back, local clocks fall |
|---|---|---|
| UK, Ireland, Portugal | 01:00 to 02:00 | 02:00 to 01:00 |
| Central Europe | 02:00 to 03:00 | 03:00 to 02:00 |
| Eastern Europe | 03:00 to 04:00 | 04:00 to 03:00 |
Countries that never change their clocks, including Iceland, Russia, Belarus and Turkey, drift an hour against the UK twice a year. Anyone arranging calls or travel across the changeover weekend should check the converters below.
The plus-one-hour rule
Add one hour to UK time to get Central European Time, which covers France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria and Scandinavia. Subtract one hour going the other way. In winter the UK is on GMT and Central Europe is on CET, UTC+1. In summer the UK is on BST and Central Europe is on CEST, UTC+2. Both sides move on the same day, so the rule holds all year.
Check the clock when you cross a border by train or flight: a 14:00 departure from London that takes two hours arrives at 17:00 in Paris by the local clock. Eastern Europe, including Greece, Finland and Romania, is two hours ahead of the UK, and Turkey and Russia, which do not change clocks, are two or three hours ahead depending on the season.
Europe, the UK and the US
The US and Canada change their clocks on different dates from Europe: the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November. For a few weeks each spring and autumn the gap between Europe and New York is one hour smaller than usual. For example, Paris is normally six hours ahead of New York, but only five hours ahead between the US spring change and the European one, and again between the European autumn change and the US one. Plan transatlantic calls during those weeks with care.
Converters for Europe
Guides to European time and clock changes
- European Time Zones Explained: WET, CET, EET and Moscow TimeEvery European time zone explained: WET and GMT, CET, EET, Turkey and Moscow time, who changes their clocks, and how each compares with UK time.
- What Is Daylight Saving Time (DST)? A Plain-English GuideWhat daylight saving time is, how it works in the UK, Europe and the US, why it exists, its history, who uses it and the argument over scrapping it.
- UK vs Europe vs US Clock Change DatesThe UK and EU change clocks together, but the US changes earlier in spring and later in autumn. See the dates and the effect on time gaps.
- UK and Ireland Time: Same Clocks, Different NamesThe UK and the Republic of Ireland always show the same time, but name their summer time differently.
- Why Do the Clocks Go Back in October? The Real ReasonThe clocks go back in autumn to return the UK to GMT, so winter mornings are lighter. The history, the rule, what time it happens and what changes for you.
- When Do the Clocks Go Forward Again After Going Back?When the UK clocks go forward again after the autumn change, how long the UK stays on GMT, when evenings get lighter and how to remember to reset your clocks.
Frequently asked questions
How many time zones are there in Europe?
Europe has five standard time zones from west to east: UTC-1 (Azores), UTC+0 (UK, Ireland, Portugal, Iceland), UTC+1 (Central European Time), UTC+2 (Eastern European Time) and UTC+3 (Turkey, Moscow, Belarus). The far east of European Russia and the Caucasus add UTC+4.
Is Europe one hour ahead of the UK?
Most of western and central Europe, including France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands, is one hour ahead of the UK all year, because the UK and the EU change their clocks at the same moment. Eastern European countries such as Greece, Finland and Romania are two hours ahead.
Which European countries use the same time as the UK?
Ireland and Portugal keep the same clock time as the UK all year. Iceland uses GMT with no clock changes, so it matches the UK in winter and is one hour behind in summer.
What is the difference between CET and EET?
Central European Time (CET) is UTC+1 in winter and UTC+2 in summer. Eastern European Time (EET) is UTC+2 in winter and UTC+3 in summer. EET is always one hour ahead of CET.
When do the clocks change in Europe?
On the last Sunday of March and the last Sunday of October, at 01:00 UTC, the same moment as the UK. That is why the gap between London and Paris never changes.
Which European countries do not change their clocks?
Iceland, Russia, Belarus, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan do not change clocks, so their gap with the UK moves by an hour when the UK changes.
Why is Spain on Central European Time?
Spain lies in the same longitudes as the UK and Portugal, but moved its clocks to German time in 1940 and has stayed on them. The Canary Islands, further west, use the same time as the UK.
What time is it in Europe right now?
Use the live tables on this page. Add one hour to UK time for most of continental Europe, two hours for Greece, Finland and Romania, and three hours for Moscow and Turkey in winter or two hours in summer.
Does the whole of the EU use one time zone?
No. The EU spans three main time zones (WET, CET and EET), plus the Azores and the Canary Islands, but all members change their clocks at the same instant.
Is Turkey in Europe for time purposes?
Turkey straddles Europe and Asia. It uses UTC+3 all year, so it is three hours ahead of the UK in winter and two hours ahead in summer.