DST Starts in Europe Sunday, March 31, 2019
By Anne Buckle. Published 5-Feb-2019. Changed 27-Mar-2019
Most of Europe sets the clocks forward one hour on Sunday, March 31, 2019, when Daylight Saving Time (DST) starts.
Update: European Union Ready to Scrap DST
On March 26, 2019, the European Parliament voted in favor of removing Daylight Saving Time (DST) permanently.
DST is also known as Summer Time.
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Most countries in Europe spring forward one 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 10, 2019
The EU Pushes to Scrap DST
In September 2018, the European Commission issued a draft directive to permanently scrap DST in the EU.
In a public survey, more than 80% of 4.6 million respondents voted to put an end to seasonal clock changes altogether, but the EU Member States called for more time before putting an end to the practice.
More Light in the Evening
In local time, sunrise and sunset will be about one hour later on Sunday, March 31, 2019 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.
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 one hour on March 31.
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 |