Convert UTC to CET
CET = UTC +1 h
CET is 1 hour ahead of UTC. CET is always UTC+1, so this gap is the same on every date.
UTC · Coordinated Universal Time · UTC+0
1:07PM
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
CET · Central European Time · UTC+1
2:07PM
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Berlin is on CET (UTC+1) right now.
- Next clock change: March 28, 2027. Berlin moves to CEST (UTC+2), so Berlin is then 2 hours ahead of UTC.
- Next clock change: October 31, 2027. Berlin moves to CET (UTC+1), so Berlin is then 1 hour ahead of UTC.
UTC to CET for every hour
Each CET column holds for part of the year (dates in the header for 2027). The first uses the fixed offset (CET UTC+1); the others give local clock time when daylight saving time changes the gap. From 11:00 PM UTC, CET is already on the next calendar day. The dot marks the current UTC hour.
| UTC | CET +1 hfixed offsets | CET +2 hMar 28 – Oct 31 | 24-hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 1:00 AM | 2:00 AM | 00:00 → 01:00 |
| 1:00 AM | 2:00 AM | 3:00 AM | 01:00 → 02:00 |
| 2:00 AM | 3:00 AM | 4:00 AM | 02:00 → 03:00 |
| 3:00 AM | 4:00 AM | 5:00 AM | 03:00 → 04:00 |
| 4:00 AM | 5:00 AM | 6:00 AM | 04:00 → 05:00 |
| 5:00 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:00 AM | 05:00 → 06:00 |
| 6:00 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:00 AM | 06:00 → 07:00 |
| 7:00 AM | 8:00 AM | 9:00 AM | 07:00 → 08:00 |
| 8:00 AM | 9:00 AM | 10:00 AM | 08:00 → 09:00 |
| 9:00 AM | 10:00 AM | 11:00 AM | 09:00 → 10:00 |
| 10:00 AM | 11:00 AM | 12:00 PM | 10:00 → 11:00 |
| 11:00 AM | 12:00 PM | 1:00 PM | 11:00 → 12:00 |
| 12:00 PM | 1:00 PM | 2:00 PM | 12:00 → 13:00 |
| 1:00 PM | 2:00 PM | 3:00 PM | 13:00 → 14:00 |
| 2:00 PM | 3:00 PM | 4:00 PM | 14:00 → 15:00 |
| 3:00 PM | 4:00 PM | 5:00 PM | 15:00 → 16:00 |
| 4:00 PM | 5:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 16:00 → 17:00 |
| 5:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 7:00 PM | 17:00 → 18:00 |
| 6:00 PM | 7:00 PM | 8:00 PM | 18:00 → 19:00 |
| 7:00 PM | 8:00 PM | 9:00 PM | 19:00 → 20:00 |
| 8:00 PM | 9:00 PM | 10:00 PM | 20:00 → 21:00 |
| 9:00 PM | 10:00 PM | 11:00 PM | 21:00 → 22:00 |
| 10:00 PM | 11:00 PM | 12:00 AM +1 day | 22:00 → 23:00 |
| 11:00 PM | 12:00 AM +1 day | 1:00 AM +1 day | 23:00 → 00:00 |
The UTC times people look up most
| UTC | CET +1 h | CET +2 h |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00 AM | 11:00 AM | 12:00 PM |
| 3:00 PM | 4:00 PM | 5:00 PM |
| 1:00 AM | 2:00 AM | 3:00 AM |
| 1:00 PM | 2:00 PM | 3:00 PM |
| 9:00 AM | 10:00 AM | 11:00 AM |
| 1:31 PM | 2:31 PM | 3:31 PM |
| 7:00 AM | 8:00 AM | 9:00 AM |
| 7:00 PM | 8:00 PM | 9:00 PM |
Does the difference change during the year?
As written, no: CET is always UTC+1, so the gap is 1 hour on every date. But Berlin uses CET only in winter, and people often keep writing “CET” when they mean the local time. Between UTC and the local clock in Berlin, the gap is 1 hour or 2 hours:
| From | What changes | UTC | Berlin | CET vs UTC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Start of the year | UTC (UTC+0) | CET (UTC+1) | +1 h |
| March 29 | Berlin moves to CEST (UTC+2) | UTC (UTC+0) | CEST (UTC+2) | +2 h |
| October 25 | Berlin moves to CET (UTC+1) | UTC (UTC+0) | CET (UTC+1) | +1 h |
| From | What changes | UTC | Berlin | CET vs UTC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Start of the year | UTC (UTC+0) | CET (UTC+1) | +1 h |
| March 28 | Berlin moves to CEST (UTC+2) | UTC (UTC+0) | CEST (UTC+2) | +2 h |
| October 31 | Berlin moves to CET (UTC+1) | UTC (UTC+0) | CET (UTC+1) | +1 h |
Converting UTC to CET by hand
With the fixed offsets, add 1 hour: 3:30 PM UTC is 4:30 PM CET.
With the +2 h gap (Mar 28 – Oct 31), add 2 hours: 3:30 PM UTC is 5:30 PM CET.
Going back from CET to UTC, do the opposite: the CET to UTC page has its own table.
Reading a UTC timestamp as CET time
Logs, APIs and flight plans usually carry UTC. A timestamp ending in Z is UTC, and one ending in an offset already says how far from UTC it is. These two name the same moment:
2027-01-15T20:00:00Z2027-01-15T21:00:00+01:00
The offset in the second form is the one in force on that date (January 15, 2027). A program should store the UTC form and apply the right offset when it displays the time, rather than storing a local time and hoping the offset is still the same.
What UTC and CET mean
Coordinated Universal Time
UTC is the world’s reference time. It has no daylight saving time and no seasons: every UTC offset you see (UTC−5, UTC+5:30) is measured from it.
Central European Time
CET is UTC+1: winter time in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland and most of the EU. From 01:00 UTC on the last Sunday of March to 01:00 UTC on the last Sunday of October those countries are on CEST, UTC+2 (Directive 2000/84/EC). Algeria and Tunisia use CET all year.