Oct 27, 2024, 3:00 am
| Country: | Netherlands |
|---|---|
| Long Name: | Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| Abbreviations: | NL, NLD |
| Capital: | Amsterdam |
| Administrative Capital: | The Hague |
| Judicial Capital: | The Hague |
| Legislative Capital: | The Hague |
| Time Zones: | 2 (Main Country) |
| Total Time Zones: | 3 (with dependencies) |
| Dial Code: | +31 |
Daylight Saving Time (DST) Not Observed in Year 1976
Netherlands observed Central European Time (CET) all year.
DST was not in use in 1976.
The previous DST change in Netherlands was on September 16, 1945.
Try selecting a different year below.
When Does DST Start and End in the Netherlands?
The European mainland of the Netherlands uses Daylight Saving Time (DST) during part of the year. The DST period starts on the last Sunday of March and ends on the last Sunday of October, together with most other European countries.
Central European Time (CET) is used as standard time, while Central European Summer Time (CEST) is observed when DST is in force.
Daylight Saving Time in Dependencies of Netherlands
| Dependency | Type | Daylight Saving Time Period |
|---|---|---|
| Aruba | Constituent country | No Daylight Saving Time |
| Caribbean Netherlands | Constituent country | No Daylight Saving Time |
| Curaçao | Constituent country | No Daylight Saving Time |
| Sint Maarten | Constituent country | No Daylight Saving Time |
Daylight Saving Time History in Netherlands
- Netherlands first observed Daylight Saving Time in 1916.
- Netherlands has observed DST for 78 years between 1916 and 2024.
- Previous time with no Daylight Saving Time was 1976.
- See Worldwide DST Statistics
One of the First Countries to Use DST
On April 30, 1916, Germany became the first country to observe Daylight Saving Time (DST). On the very next day, on May 1, 1916, the Netherlands followed suit.
Until 1940, the Netherlands' standard time was based on solar time at the meridian running through its capital, Amsterdam, instead of GMT, then the world's time standard. From 1916 to 1936, Dutch standard time was 19 minutes and 32 seconds ahead of GMT. When DST was in force, the GMT offset increased to 1 hour, 19 minutes, and 32 seconds.
During World War II, German forces ordered an all-year DST period, which lasted from 1940 to 1942. From 1942 to 1945, Dutch clocks followed Germany's DST schedule. After the country's liberation in 1945, DST was abolished. However, the Netherlands did not revert to Dutch Time but kept Central European Time (CET) as its standard time. Daylight Saving Time was re-introduced in 1977, and DST clock changes are still observed in the Netherlands to the present day.