Time Zones in Europe: WET, CET, EET and the Exceptions

Last updated October 2, 2026

Europe is covered by three main time zones that each differ by one hour. Most of the continent also changes its clocks on the same day, which makes planning within Europe easier than in many other regions.

The three main zones

Central European Time covers a large share of the continent, including Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the Nordic countries Sweden and Norway. This is why meetings between those capitals rarely need a conversion.

When the clocks change

The European Union changes clocks on the last Sunday in March and the last Sunday in October, always at 01:00 UTC. That means every country switches at the same moment, not at the same local hour. The United Kingdom follows the same dates. Several non-EU countries, such as Ukraine, follow a similar pattern.

Proposals to end the twice-yearly change have been discussed for years. Rules can change, so check the current situation in a country before you plan an important event.

Exceptions worth knowing

• Iceland uses UTC+0 all year and does not change its clocks. In summer it matches London's winter time, not London's summer time.
• Turkey uses UTC+3 all year, so Istanbul is two hours ahead of Paris in winter and one hour ahead in summer.
• Russia and Belarus do not change their clocks. Moscow is on UTC+3 all year (Moscow), and the exclave of Kaliningrad is on UTC+2.
• Spain uses Central European Time on the mainland even though much of the country lies at the same longitudes as the UK and Portugal. The Canary Islands use Western European Time.
• The Azores, which belong to Portugal, are one hour behind mainland Portugal: see Ponta Delgada.

Europe and the rest of the world

Because the United States changes its clocks earlier in March and later in November, the gap between Europe and North America is temporarily one hour smaller for a few weeks each year. The gap between Europe and countries that never change their clocks, such as Japan, China and India, also shifts by one hour twice a year.

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