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BlogHow it works

CET to EST Converter

Enter a time in Paris, Berlin, Madrid or Rome and a date to get the time in New York. Europe and the US change their clocks on different Sundays, and the converter follows both calendars.

Central European Time

CETCentral European Time

ESTEastern Time

––:––

What is the time difference between CET and EST?

Central Europe is 6 hours ahead of US Eastern Time for most of the year. For a few weeks in March and around the end of October it is 5 hours ahead.

CET / CEST
UTC+1 / UTC+2
EST / EDT
UTC−5 / UTC−4
Usual gap
6 h

The short five-hour weeks

Both regions use summer time, but on different calendars. The US goes forward on the second Sunday in March, two or three weeks before the EU does on the last Sunday in March. In autumn the EU goes back on the last Sunday in October, a week before the US returns to standard time on the first Sunday in November.

During those stretches only one side has moved, so the six-hour gap drops to five. The EU switch happens at 01:00 UTC everywhere under Directive 2000/84/EC, while US zones switch at 2:00 AM local time, as the US Department of Transportation explains.

  1. Jan 1, 2026 – Mar 8, 2026CET UTC+1 · EST UTC−5Difference: −6 h
  2. Mar 8, 2026 – Mar 29, 2026CET UTC+1 · EDT UTC−4Difference: −5 h
  3. Mar 29, 2026 – Oct 25, 2026CEST UTC+2 · EDT UTC−4Difference: −6 h
  4. Oct 25, 2026 – Nov 1, 2026CET UTC+1 · EDT UTC−4Difference: −5 h
  5. Nov 1, 2026 – Mar 14, 2027CET UTC+1 · EST UTC−5Difference: −6 h
  6. Mar 14, 2027 – Mar 28, 2027CET UTC+1 · EDT UTC−4Difference: −5 h
  7. Mar 28, 2027 – Oct 31, 2027CEST UTC+2 · EDT UTC−4Difference: −6 h
  8. Oct 31, 2027 – Nov 7, 2027CET UTC+1 · EDT UTC−4Difference: −5 h
  9. Nov 7, 2027 – Jan 1, 2028CET UTC+1 · EST UTC−5Difference: −6 h

Offsets in 2026 – 2027, from the IANA time zone data in your browser's engine

Central European hours in New York time

CET timeCET · EST / CEST · EDTCET · EDT
12:00 AM6:00 PM−1 previous day7:00 PM−1 previous day
1:00 AM7:00 PM−1 previous day8:00 PM−1 previous day
2:00 AM8:00 PM−1 previous day9:00 PM−1 previous day
3:00 AM9:00 PM−1 previous day10:00 PM−1 previous day
4:00 AM10:00 PM−1 previous day11:00 PM−1 previous day
5:00 AM11:00 PM−1 previous day12:00 AM
6:00 AM12:00 AM1:00 AM
7:00 AM1:00 AM2:00 AM
8:00 AM2:00 AM3:00 AM
9:00 AM3:00 AM4:00 AM
10:00 AM4:00 AM5:00 AM
11:00 AM5:00 AM6:00 AM
12:00 PM6:00 AM7:00 AM
1:00 PM7:00 AM8:00 AM
2:00 PM8:00 AM9:00 AM
3:00 PM9:00 AM10:00 AM
4:00 PM10:00 AM11:00 AM
5:00 PM11:00 AM12:00 PM
6:00 PM12:00 PM1:00 PM
7:00 PM1:00 PM2:00 PM
8:00 PM2:00 PM3:00 PM
9:00 PM3:00 PM4:00 PM
10:00 PM4:00 PM5:00 PM
11:00 PM5:00 PM6:00 PM
Each hour in Paris or Berlin with the New York time for every clock combination this year.

Fitting a day into the overlap

Do

  • Book transatlantic calls between 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM in Europe, which is 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM in New York.
  • Move recurring meetings for the weeks in March and late October when the gap is five hours.

Avoid

  • Writing CET in July. Europe is on CEST then, and a careful reader will add an hour.
  • Late-afternoon US requests that land after 11:00 PM in Europe.

The UK is not on CET: London is one hour behind Paris all year, so a GMT to EST conversion gives a five-hour gap in winter. Live clocks for Paris and Berlin show the current local time in Europe.

CET to EST questions

How many hours ahead is Central Europe of New York?

Six hours for most of the year. For about three weeks from mid-March and one week from late October the gap is five hours, because the US and the EU change clocks on different dates.

What is 6:00 PM in Berlin in New York?

12:00 PM (noon) in New York at the usual six-hour gap, or 1:00 PM during the five-hour weeks.

Why do the US and Europe change clocks on different days?

Each sets its own rule. The US moves on the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November; the EU moves on the last Sundays of March and October.

Is CEST the same as CET?

CEST is the summer version of CET. CET is UTC+1, CEST is UTC+2, and the switch happens on the last Sunday of March and of October.

Which countries are on CET?

Among others France, Germany, Spain (mainland), Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Sweden and Norway.