Current Time in Zurich
This is the time in Zurich now, with seconds. Switzerland is not in the EU, but its clocks show CET and CEST on exactly the same dates as its neighbors.
Current time in Zurich
- IANA zone
- Current time in Zurich
- IANA zone
- Europe/Zurich
- Standard time
- CET · UTC+1
- Daylight saving time
- CEST · UTC+2
- Clocks go forward
- Sun, March 29, 2026 at 2:00 AM local time
- Clocks go back
- Sun, October 25, 2026 at 3:00 AM local time
- Clocks go forward
- Sun, March 28, 2027 at 2:00 AM local time
- Clocks go back
- Sun, October 31, 2027 at 3:00 AM local time
Zurich uses Central European Time, UTC+1, and moves to Central European Summer Time, UTC+2, on the last Sunday of March. The clocks go back on the last Sunday of October. The dates above come straight from the IANA rule for Europe/Zurich.
Switzerland has one time zone for all four language regions, from Geneva to St. Moritz.
Switzerland's late start with summer time
In 1978 Swiss voters rejected summer time in a referendum, and in 1980 Switzerland was an island an hour behind its neighbors every summer. Trains, flights and border trade made that awkward, and Parliament adopted summer time from 1981. Since then the country has followed the European dates without exception.
Pros
- Same hour as Germany, France, Italy and Austria all year
- Rail and flight timetables line up across borders
- Long summer evenings in the Alps
Cons
- Dark winter mornings in the west of the country
- Two clock changes a year
- Any EU decision to end the change would also force a Swiss decision
Zurich compared with world cities
| City | In January | In July |
|---|---|---|
| Honolulu | −11 | −12 |
| Anchorage | −10 | −10 |
| Seattle | −9 | −9 |
| Denver | −8 | −8 |
| Vancouver | −8 | −9 |
| Houston | −7 | −7 |
| Lima | −6 | −7 |
| Toronto | −6 | −6 |
| Washington, D.C. | −6 | −6 |
| Buenos Aires | −4 | −5 |
| São Paulo | −4 | −5 |
| London | −1 | −1 |
| Amsterdam | 0 | 0 |
| Berlin | 0 | 0 |
| Madrid | 0 | 0 |
| Paris | 0 | 0 |
| Athens | +1 | +1 |
| Cairo | +1 | +1 |
| Johannesburg | +1 | 0 |
| Doha | +2 | +1 |
| Nairobi | +2 | +1 |
| Riyadh | +2 | +1 |
| Dubai | +3 | +2 |
| Delhi | +4:30 | +3:30 |
| Dhaka | +5 | +4 |
| Ho Chi Minh City | +6 | +5 |
| Kuala Lumpur | +7 | +6 |
| Manila | +7 | +6 |
| Perth | +7 | +6 |
| Shanghai | +7 | +6 |
| Taipei | +7 | +6 |
| Seoul | +8 | +7 |
| Brisbane | +9 | +8 |
| Melbourne | +10 | +8 |
| Sydney | +10 | +8 |
Hours to add to the time in Zurich; a minus sign means the other city is behind
Banking and trading hours explain why many people check Zurich time: the Swiss market opens at 9:00 AM local time, which is 8:00 AM in London and 3:00 AM in New York for most of the year. For an Eastern Time grid, use the CET to EST converter; for the Gulf, see the live clock for Dubai.
The Swiss national time comes from the Federal Institute of Metrology, METAS, which runs atomic clocks near Bern and a public time service that radio-controlled clocks and networks can use. Swiss railways famously run to the second, and their station clocks pause briefly at the top of each minute to wait for a signal from the master clock.
Zurich time questions
Is Switzerland on the same time as Germany?
Yes. Zurich, Geneva and Bern keep the same clock as Berlin, Paris and Milan all year.
Does Switzerland have daylight saving time?
Yes, since 1981. Summer time runs from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October, matching the EU.
How far ahead of New York is Zurich?
Six hours most of the year, five hours in the few weeks when the US has changed its clocks and Europe has not.
Who keeps the official time in Switzerland?
The Federal Institute of Metrology, METAS, near Bern, maintains Swiss legal time with atomic clocks.
What is the time difference between Zurich and Singapore?
Seven hours in winter and six in summer, with Singapore ahead.