How Does Daylight Saving Time Affect Central European Time?
CET (UTC+1) switches to CEST (UTC+2) during DST, affecting most of continental Europe.The Switch
| Period | Abbreviation | UTC Offset |
|---|---|---|
| Oct (last Sun) - Mar (last Sun) | CET | UTC+1 |
| Mar (last Sun) - Oct (last Sun) | CEST | UTC+2 |
- March 29, 2026: CET to CEST
- October 25, 2026: CEST to CET
Countries Affected
Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and more.
Impact on Scheduling
- CET/CEST vs New York: 6 hours apart year-round (both shift together)
- CET vs India (IST): 4.5h in winter, 3.5h in summer
- CET vs Tokyo (JST): 8h in winter, 7h in summer
Quick Answer
CET (UTC+1) switches to CEST (UTC+2) on the last Sunday of March, back on the last Sunday of October. The gap with the US stays the same; the gap with Asia shrinks by 1 hour in summer.