CET — Central European Time
UTC+01:00 · 1 hour ahead of UTC · DST active
Details
| Abbreviation | CET |
| Full name | Central European Time |
| UTC offset | UTC+01:00 |
| IANA identifier | Europe/Paris |
| DST status | Active |
| Standard offset | UTC+01:00 |
| DST offset | UTC+02:00 |
| Clocks forward | Sunday, March 29, 2026 |
| Clocks back | Sunday, October 25, 2026 |
Countries Using CET
Current offset differs from the label
CET is listed as UTC+01:00, but the live IANA zone Europe/Paris is currently UTC+02:00. This usually happens during daylight saving time.
Time Difference from CET
| City | Difference |
|---|---|
| New York | +6h |
| Chicago | +7h |
| Los Angeles | +9h |
| London | +1h |
| Moscow | -1h |
| Dubai | -2h |
| Mumbai | -3h 30m |
| Bangkok | -5h |
| Shanghai | -6h |
| Tokyo | -7h |
| Sydney | -8h |
| Auckland | -10h |
Using CET in practice
Planning notes for business hours, handoffs, and recurring meetings in this timezone.
Right now
It is currently afternoon in CET, which is inside a normal workday. Standard business-hour checks should use 9:00 AM-5:00 PM local time.
Best overlap
The best listed workday overlap is with London: 10:00 AM-5:00 PM CET equals 9:00 AM-4:00 PM there.
Recurring events
This zone observes daylight saving time, so recurring meetings can shift by one hour for people outside the same DST rule.
| Market | CET | Their time |
|---|---|---|
| London | 10:00 AM-5:00 PM | 9:00 AM-4:00 PM |
| Moscow | 9:00 AM-4:00 PM | 10:00 AM-5:00 PM |
| Dubai | 9:00 AM-3:00 PM | 11:00 AM-5:00 PM |
| Mumbai | 9:00 AM-2:00 PM | 12:30 PM-5:30 PM |
| Bangkok | 9:00 AM-12:00 PM | 2:00 PM-5:00 PM |
| New York | 3:00 PM-5:00 PM | 9:00 AM-11:00 AM |
About CET (Central European Time)
CET (Central European Time) is a time zone with a UTC offset of +01:00, meaning it is 1 hour ahead of UTC. The IANA timezone database identifies it as Europe/Paris. It is used in 5 countries, including Democratic Republic of the Congo, Morocco, Nigeria, Spain, and others.
This time zone observes daylight saving time. During standard time, the offset is UTC+01:00. When DST is active, clocks are advanced by one hour to UTC+02:00. In 2026, DST begins on Sunday, March 29, 2026 and ends on Sunday, October 25, 2026. DST is currently active.
Major cities in CET include Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Nice, Nantes, and 49 more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CET?
CET stands for Central European Time. It is 1 hour ahead of UTC (UTC+01:00). The IANA timezone identifier is Europe/Paris.
What is the current time in CET?
The current CET time is shown at the top of this page and updates every second. CET is UTC+01:00, which is 1 hour ahead of UTC.
Does CET observe daylight saving time?
Yes. When DST is active, the offset changes from UTC+01:00 to UTC+02:00. In 2026, clocks spring forward on Sunday, March 29, 2026 and fall back on Sunday, October 25, 2026.
What countries use CET?
Countries and regions using CET include Democratic Republic of the Congo, Morocco, Nigeria, Spain, United Kingdom.
How do I convert CET to my local time?
Use our time zone converter to convert CET to any other time zone. You can also check the time difference table on this page which shows the offset between CET and 13 major world cities.