Next change: Sun 25 Oct, clocks go back 1 hour (03:00 → 02:00)
Sunrise and sunset in The Netherlands today
Sunrise 08:01 · Sunset 18:50
Daylight 10h 49m · Solar noon 13:26
What time zone is The Netherlands in?
Clocks in The Netherlands run on Central European Time (CEST, UTC+2); software knows the zone as Europe/Amsterdam.
Does The Netherlands observe daylight saving time?
Yes. The Netherlands is on daylight saving time now. The next changes:
Sunday 25 October 2026: clocks go back at 03:00 to 02:00 (CEST → CET)
Sunday 28 March 2027: clocks go forward at 02:00 to 03:00 (CET → CEST)
Sunday 31 October 2027: clocks go back at 03:00 to 02:00 (CEST → CET)
Time in The Netherlands vs major world cities
City
Local time
Difference from The Netherlands
New York
Wed
6 hours behind
Los Angeles
Wed
9 hours behind
London
Wed
1 hour behind
Paris
Wed
same time
Dubai
Wed
2 hours ahead
Mumbai
Wed
3.5 hours ahead
Singapore
Thu
6 hours ahead
Tokyo
Thu
7 hours ahead
Sydney
Thu
9 hours ahead
Johannesburg
Wed
same time
São Paulo
Wed
5 hours behind
Chicago
Wed
7 hours behind
October 2026 calendar for The Netherlands
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
Upcoming public holidays in The Netherlands
Fri 25 Dec Christmas Day
Sat 26 Dec Second Day of Christmas
Fri 1 Jan New Year's Day
Fri 26 Mar Good Friday
Sun 28 Mar Easter Sunday
Mon 29 Mar Easter Monday
Live Clock: Current Time in the Netherlands
Amsterdam sets the time for the whole European Netherlands. The Caribbean municipalities of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba run on a different clock (see below).
CET vs CEST: Which One Is Active Now?
The Netherlands uses two offsets depending on the season.
Season
Time zone
UTC offset
Abbreviation
Winter (late October to late March)
Central European Time
UTC+1
CET
Summer (late March to late October)
Central European Summer Time
UTC+2
CEST
The next clock change is on Sunday 25 October 2026 at 03:00 CEST: clocks go back 60 minutes to 02:00 CET. After that, the next spring forward is Sunday 28 March 2027 at 02:00 CET.
If you see "CET" used in summer, it is technically wrong. The correct summer abbreviation is CEST.
The Netherlands on the European Time Zone Map
The European Netherlands shares its time zone with a large block of Western and Central Europe.
Same time as: Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Rome, Warsaw, Oslo, Stockholm, Vienna, Prague, Brussels, Copenhagen, Budapest, Belgrade, Zagreb.
6 hours ahead of: New York (winter); 6 hours ahead in summer (CEST vs EDT).
9 hours ahead of: Los Angeles (winter);9 hours ahead in summer.
The IANA time zone identifier for the European Netherlands is Europe/Amsterdam.
Caribbean Netherlands: A Separate Zone
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba use Atlantic Standard Time (AST, UTC-4) all year. They do not observe daylight saving time. That means:
When European Netherlands is on CET (winter): Caribbean Netherlands is 5 hours behind.
When European Netherlands is on CEST (summer): Caribbean Netherlands is6 hours behind.
Travellers flying between Schiphol and Bonaire lose or gain an extra hour depending on the season. See the Caribbean Netherlands time page for exact differences.
Amsterdam Time: Zone, Offsets and Daylight Hours
Fact
Detail
IANA zone
Europe/Amsterdam
UTC offset (winter)
UTC+1
UTC offset (summer)
UTC+2
DST rule
Last Sunday March forward; last Sunday October back
Same time zone
All countries using CET/CEST (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, etc.)
Neighbour difference
Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, France: always same time
UK difference
Always 1 hour behind Amsterdam
Daylight hours in Amsterdam (2026)
Date
Sunrise
Sunset
Daylight
20 March (equinox)
06:45
18:51
12 h 6 min
21 June (solstice)
05:17
22:06
16 h 49 min
22 September (equinox)
07:24
19:41
12 h 18 min
21 December (solstice)
08:47
16:28
7 h 41 min
The December solstice brings 7 h 41 min of daylight. The June solstice gives 16 h 49 min. This extreme seasonal swing affects business hours, commuting patterns and leisure schedules. See Amsterdam sunrise and sunset times for month-by-month data.
Time difference to major cities (winter CET, summer CEST)
City
CET (winter)
CEST (summer)
New York
+6 h
+6 h
London
+1 h
+1 h
Dubai
+3 h
+2 h
Singapore
+7 h
+6 h
Tokyo
+8 h
+7 h
Sydney
+10 h
+8 h
Johannesburg
+1 h
same
São Paulo
4 h behind
5 h behind
The table above uses 15 January and 15 July baselines from the 2026 fact sheet. The difference to New York stays at6 hours year-round because both cities observe DST. The difference to Dubai shrinks by one hour in summer because Dubai does not use DST.
Frequently asked questions about The Netherlands
Does the whole Netherlands use the same time?
No. The European Netherlands (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht) uses CET/CEST. The Caribbean Netherlands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, Saba) uses Atlantic Standard Time (UTC-4) and never changes clocks.
Why is the Netherlands on CET and not GMT?
The Netherlands used Amsterdam Mean Time (UTC+0:19:32) until 1909, then GMT until 1940. German occupation forces switched the country to CET to align with Berlin time. After the war the government kept CET for economic alignment with Germany, France and Belgium.
Is Amsterdam always 6 hours ahead of New York?
No. The difference is6 hours for most of the year, but it shrinks to5 hours during the weeks when one city has changed its clocks and the other has not. The US springs forward on the second Sunday in March; the EU springs forward on the last Sunday in March. The US falls back on the first Sunday in November; the EU falls back on the last Sunday in October. These gaps create scheduling errors every year.
When is the next clock change in the Netherlands?
**Sunday 25 October 2026 at 03:00 CEST**: clocks fall back to 02:00 CET. The next spring forward is **Sunday 28 March 2027 at 02:00 CET**: clocks go forward to 03:00 CEST.
What does "Europe/Amsterdam" mean?
It is the IANA time zone database identifier for the European Netherlands. Operating systems, calendars and scheduling software use it to automatically apply the correct UTC offset and DST transitions. You might see it in timezone settings on your phone, computer or in code.
Does the Netherlands plan to stop changing clocks?
The European Commission proposed ending seasonal clock changes in 2018. The European Parliament voted in favour in 2019. But EU member states have not reached an agreement on whether to stay permanently on summer or winter time. As of 2026 the directive remains in force and clock changes continue. The Dutch government has said it will not change unilaterally and wants alignment with neighbouring countries.
What time zone is The Netherlands in?
Central European Time (CEST), UTC+2; IANA zone Europe/Amsterdam.
When do the clocks change in The Netherlands?
Next on Sunday 25 October 2026, when clocks go back from 03:00 to 02:00.