DST Starts in Europe Sunday, March 25, 2018
By Anne Buckle. Published 7-Mar-2018
Most of Europe set the clocks forward 1 hour on Sunday, March 25, 2018, when Daylight Saving Time (DST) starts.
DST is also known as Summer Time.
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Most countries in Europe spring forward 1 hour at 01:00 UTC. Local time for the change is different in each time zone; see the table below for more details.
USA & Canada start DST March 11, 2018
More Light in the Evening
In local time, sunrise and sunset will be about 1 hour later on Sunday, March 25, 2018 than the day before, resulting in more daylight in the evening.
Changes at the Same Time
European countries synchronize their DST, which starts on the last Sunday of March and ends on the last Sunday of October. Participating countries are:
- The European Union (EU), including Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
- Most other European countries, including Norway and Switzerland.
The EU to Re-Evaluate DST
In February, the European Parliament voted to re-evaluate DST in Europe urging the EU Commission to consider putting an end to adjusting the clocks back and forward 1 hour.
The Parliament put pressure on the Union's regulatory body, the European Commission, to consider removing DST. In the past, the Commission has been reluctant to touch the DST regulation in the European Union.
European Countries Without DST
Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Iceland, Russia, and Turkey don't use DST but remain on standard time all year.
In 2016, Turkey decided to end DST permanently. The Turkish occupied territory of Northern Cyprus still follows the rest of Cyprus and will set the clocks forward 1 hour on March 25.
Local Times in Europe for DST Start
| Time Zone During DST | DST Starts | Standard Time Zone (no DST) |
|---|---|---|
British Summer Time (BST), used in the UK during summer. UTC offset: +1 hour | DST starts at 01:00 (1 am) local time. | UTC offset: None |
Irish Standard Time (IST), used in Ireland during the summer. UTC offset: +1 hour | DST starts at 01:00 (1 am) local time. | UTC offset: None |
Western European Summer Time (WEST), used in the Canary Islands, the Faroe Islands, and Portugal. UTC offset: +1 hour | DST starts at 01:00 (1 am) local time. Clocks are set ahead 1 hour to 02:00 (2 am). | UTC offset: None |
Central European Summer Time (CEST), used in countries including Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Spain, and Switzerland. UTC offset: +2 hours | DST starts at 02:00 (2 am) local time, when clocks are set ahead 1 hour to 03:00 (3 am). | UTC offset: +1 hour |
Eastern European Summer Time (EEST), used in countries including Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, and Romania. UTC offset: +3 hours | DST starts at 03:00 (3 am) local time, when clocks are set ahead 1 hour to 04:00 (4 am). | UTC offset: +2 hours |