Europe DST 2026: Dates, Clock Changes & Impact on US-EU Meetings

2026 EU DST Dates

The European Union standardized DST in 1996: clocks spring forward at 1:00 AM UTC on the last Sunday of March, and fall back at 1:00 AM UTC on the last Sunday of October. This applies to all EU member states plus the UK (which retained the same schedule post-Brexit).

During EU DST (CEST), Central European Time shifts from CET (UTC+1) to CEST (UTC+2). The UK shifts from GMT (UTC±0) to BST (UTC+1) on the same date.

US vs EU: The Mismatch

The US and Europe switch clocks on different weeks, creating brief periods where the time gap between the two regions is different from the rest of the year. In 2026, the US springs forward on March 8 while Europe waits until March 29 — a 21-day gap. In autumn, Europe falls back on October 25, a week before the US falls back on November 1.

The 3-Week Spring Gap Problem

Between March 8 and March 29, 2026, the US has already sprung forward to EDT (UTC-4) but Europe is still on standard time (CET UTC+1 / GMT UTC+0). During these 21 days:

The 1-Week Fall Gap

In autumn, Europe falls back before the US. Between October 25 and November 1, 2026, Europe has already returned to standard time (CET UTC+1) while the US is still on daylight time (EDT UTC-4).

How a 2 PM ET Meeting Shifts Throughout 2026

Here is a concrete breakdown of how a standing 2:00 PM Eastern Time meeting maps to London and Berlin across the four distinct periods of 2026.

The ET-to-Berlin gap alternates between 5 hours (spring/fall gap weeks) and 6 hours (winter and both-on-summer periods). The ET-to-London gap alternates between 4 and 5 hours on the same schedule.

ET to CET Conversion Table

The table below reflects the current offset between Eastern Time and Central European Time. During the spring and fall gap periods, subtract 1 hour from the CET column (the US offset shifts before Europe in spring, and Europe shifts before the US in autumn).

Work Hours Overlap Timeline

The shaded bands below show standard 9 AM – 6 PM work hours for each zone. The overlap window for ET and CET is roughly 3 AM – 12 PM ET (9 AM – 6 PM CET). Note that this timeline uses current offsets — during the spring and fall gap weeks, EU zones will be 1 hour closer to ET than shown.

EU DST Transition Dates 2024–2027

Both the UK and continental Europe follow the same spring/fall schedule. London (GMT/BST) and Berlin (CET/CEST) always transition on the same calendar date.

London and Berlin transition on the same date every year. The 1-hour difference between CET and GMT/BST remains constant year-round.

Related Resources

• Meeting Planner — Find the best overlap window for your US-EU team with automatic DST handling.
• How US DST Affects International Team Calls — Covers US spring-forward and fall-back impact on Europe, India, and Asia-Pacific.
• What Is Daylight Saving Time? — Full background on DST history, rules, and global adoption.
• DST Transition Calendar 2024–2027 — Complete dates for every major time zone.