When does CET apply in Europe?

CET applies during winter months, beginning on the last Sunday in October and ending on the last Sunday in March, when clocks advance to Central European Summer Time (CEST, UTC+2).

Which countries observe Central European Time?

Over 30 European nations and territories observe CET, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Poland, and Sweden.

What is the time difference between CET and London?

CET is exactly 1 hour ahead of London (GMT) during winter standard time, and 1 hour ahead of British Summer Time when Europe is in CEST.

When does CET apply in Europe?

CET applies during winter months, beginning on the last Sunday in October and ending on the last Sunday in March, when clocks advance to Central European Summer Time (CEST, UTC+2).

Which countries observe Central European Time?

Over 30 European nations and territories observe CET, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Poland, and Sweden.

What is the time difference between CET and London?

CET is exactly 1 hour ahead of London (GMT) during winter standard time, and 1 hour ahead of British Summer Time when Europe is in CEST.

UTC +1CETDST Active (Summer Time)

Central European Time (CET) Clock

What time is it in CET right now? Live Central European Time clock with seconds, UTC+1 offset, participating EU nations, and daylight saving dates.

6:23:31 PMGMT+2

Saturday, October 10, 2026

Day 283 of 2026 • Week 41

Your location vs this zone: 2 hours ahead.

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Live Central European Time (UTC+1) Display

Central European Time (CET, UTC+1) serves as the primary temporal backbone of Continental Europe. Spanning from Poland and Scandinavia across Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, CET keeps the European Single Market in unified commercial alignment throughout the winter months.

Track running seconds, review European Union daylight saving schedules, and convert CET effortlessly across world time zones using our interactive comparison tools.

The Continental Backbone: Over 30 European Nations

Observances, offset conventions, and international coordination for Central European Time (CET).

Synchronized EU Daylight Saving Directives

Observances, offset conventions, and international coordination for Central European Time (CET).

Timezone Specifications & Offset Anchors

Civil OffsetUTC +1

Primary IANA IDEurope/Paris

Daylight SavingObserves Seasonal DST

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Frequently Asked Questions: Central European Time (CET) Clock

Common queries, time calculations, and scientific explanations

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Central European Time (CET) is the standard civil time zone observed across most of Continental Europe, anchored to an offset of UTC+1 (1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time).