European Capital Cities by Time Zone
Lisbon sits on WET. Madrid, a short drive east, runs on CET. That one-hour gap across the Iberian Peninsula is a legacy of Franco aligning Spain with Nazi Germany in 1940. Portugal tried CET twice, from 1966 to 1976 and again from 1992 to 1996. Each time it reverted to WET.
Reykjavik is the only WET-region seat of government that skips DST entirely. Iceland dropped seasonal clock changes in 1968 and stays on UTC+0 all year.
WET/UTC+0 (Western European Time)
| Capital | Country | Standard Time (Winter) | Summer Time (DST) | IANA Time Zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lisbon | Portugal | WET (UTC+0) | WEST (UTC+1) | Europe/Lisbon |
| London | United Kingdom | GMT (UTC+0) | BST (UTC+1) | Europe/London |
| Dublin | Ireland | GMT (UTC+0) | IST (UTC+1) | Europe/Dublin |
| Reykjavik | Iceland | GMT (UTC+0) | No DST | Africa/Abidjan |
CET/UTC+1 (Central European Time)
CET is the most common standard offset on the continent. Twenty-four seats of government use it.
| Capital | Country | Standard Time (Winter) | Summer Time (DST) | IANA Time Zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin | Germany | CET (UTC+1) | CEST (UTC+2) | Europe/Berlin |
| Paris | France | CET (UTC+1) | CEST (UTC+2) | Europe/Paris |
| Madrid | Spain | CET (UTC+1) | CEST (UTC+2) | Europe/Madrid |
| Rome | Italy | CET (UTC+1) | CEST (UTC+2) | Europe/Rome |
| Vienna | Austria | CET (UTC+1) | CEST (UTC+2) | Europe/Vienna |
| Warsaw | Poland | CET (UTC+1) | CEST (UTC+2) | Europe/Warsaw |
| Prague | Czechia | CET (UTC+1) | CEST (UTC+2) | Europe/Prague |
| Budapest | Hungary | CET (UTC+1) | CEST (UTC+2) | Europe/Budapest |
| Brussels | Belgium | CET (UTC+1) | CEST (UTC+2) | Europe/Brussels |
| Amsterdam | Netherlands | CET (UTC+1) | CEST (UTC+2) | Europe/Amsterdam |
| Copenhagen | Denmark | CET (UTC+1) | CEST (UTC+2) | Europe/Berlin |
| Stockholm | Sweden | CET (UTC+1) | CEST (UTC+2) | Europe/Berlin |
| Oslo | Norway | CET (UTC+1) | CEST (UTC+2) | Europe/Berlin |
| Bern | Switzerland | CET (UTC+1) | CEST (UTC+2) | Europe/Zurich |
| Ljubljana | Slovenia | CET (UTC+1) | CEST (UTC+2) | Europe/Belgrade |
| Zagreb | Croatia | CET (UTC+1) | CEST (UTC+2) | Europe/Belgrade |
| Belgrade | Serbia | CET (UTC+1) | CEST (UTC+2) | Europe/Belgrade |
| Sarajevo | Bosnia and Herzegovina | CET (UTC+1) | CEST (UTC+2) | Europe/Belgrade |
| Skopje | North Macedonia | CET (UTC+1) | CEST (UTC+2) | Europe/Belgrade |
| Podgorica | Montenegro | CET (UTC+1) | CEST (UTC+2) | Europe/Belgrade |
| Tirana | Albania | CET (UTC+1) | CEST (UTC+2) | Europe/Tirane |
| Vaduz | Liechtenstein | CET (UTC+1) | CEST (UTC+2) | Europe/Vaduz |
| Luxembourg | Luxembourg | CET (UTC+1) | CEST (UTC+2) | Europe/Brussels |
EET/UTC+2 (Eastern European Time)
| Capital | Country | Standard Time (Winter) | Summer Time (DST) | IANA Time Zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helsinki | Finland | EET (UTC+2) | EEST (UTC+3) | Europe/Helsinki |
| Tallinn | Estonia | EET (UTC+2) | EEST (UTC+3) | Europe/Tallinn |
| Riga | Latvia | EET (UTC+2) | EEST (UTC+3) | Europe/Riga |
| Vilnius | Lithuania | EET (UTC+2) | EEST (UTC+3) | Europe/Vilnius |
| Kyiv | Ukraine | EET (UTC+2) | EEST (UTC+3) | Europe/Kyiv |
| Chisinau | Moldova | EET (UTC+2) | EEST (UTC+3) | Europe/Chisinau |
| Bucharest | Romania | EET (UTC+2) | EEST (UTC+3) | Europe/Bucharest |
| Sofia | Bulgaria | EET (UTC+2) | EEST (UTC+3) | Europe/Sofia |
| Athens | Greece | EET (UTC+2) | EEST (UTC+3) | Europe/Athens |
| Nicosia | Cyprus | EET (UTC+2) | EEST (UTC+3) | Asia/Famagusta |
UTC+3 Year-Round (No DST)
Three seats of government sit permanently on UTC+3. None shift clocks.
| Capital | Country | Standard Time | IANA Time Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moscow | Russia | MSK (UTC+3) | Europe/Moscow |
| Minsk | Belarus | MSK (UTC+3) | Europe/Minsk |
| Ankara | Turkey | TRT (UTC+3) | Europe/Istanbul |
Russia locked Moscow to UTC+3 in 2014. Belarus stopped changing clocks after 2011. Turkey abandoned DST in 2016.
Special Cases: Capitals with Unusual Offsets
- Andorra la Vella (Andorra): CET/CEST, IANA zone Europe/Andorra. Same time as Paris and Madrid.
- Valletta (Malta): CET/CEST, IANA zone Europe/Malta.
- San Marino (San Marino): CET/CEST, IANA zone Europe/Rome.
- Vatican City (Vatican): CET/CEST, IANA zone Europe/Rome.
- Monaco (Monaco): CET/CEST, IANA zone Europe/Monaco.
- Gibraltar (Gibraltar, UK overseas territory): CET/CEST, IANA zone Europe/Gibraltar.
How Many Time Zones in Europe?
Europe uses four standard time zones: WET (UTC+0), CET (UTC+1), EET (UTC+2), and UTC+3 (year-round). The Azores (Portugal) use UTC-1 in winter, but the Azores are not a seat of government.
For a full map of European time zones, see the European Time Zones Map.
What Time Is It in Each Capital Right Now?
You can check the current time for any European city on the Cities page.
Which Countries Use CET?
Most of continental Europe uses Central European Time. See the full list at Which Countries Use Central European Time?.
When Do Clocks Change Next?
The next clock change for most of Europe (including CET, EET, and WET zones) is:
- Sunday 28 March 2027 at 02:00 local (CET): clocks go forward 60 minutes to 03:00. CET (UTC+1) becomes CEST (UTC+2).
- Sunday 31 October 2027 at 03:00 local (CEST): clocks go back 60 minutes to 02:00. CEST (UTC+2) becomes CET (UTC+1).
If you are in a CET, EET, or WET seat of government, your clocks will change on those dates. If you are in Moscow, Minsk, or Ankara, your clocks will not change.