Standard time applies in Brussels right now, at UTC+1. The next change comes on Sunday, March 28, 2027, when clocks move to UTC+2.
Brussels and your time
Brussels at a glance
| Country | Belgium |
|---|---|
| Region | Brussels Capital |
| Capital of | Belgium |
| Time zone | Europe/Brussels |
| Abbreviation now | CET |
| UTC offset now | UTC+1 |
| Daylight saving time | Starts Mar 28, 2027 |
| Next clock change | Sunday, March 28, 2027 |
| Coordinates | 50.85° N, 4.35° E |
Brussels time zone and clock changes
Under the Europe/Brussels rules, Brussels spends part of each year on UTC+1 (CET) and the rest on UTC+2 (CEST). The coming daylight saving period ends on Sunday, October 31, 2027.
Brussels is the capital, and all of Belgium keeps this time.
Clock changes in Brussels, 2026 and 2027
| Date | Change | New offset |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, March 29, 2026 | Clocks go forward 1 hour: 2:00 AM becomes 3:00 AM | UTC+2 |
| Sunday, October 25, 2026 | Clocks go back 1 hour: 3:00 AM becomes 2:00 AM | UTC+1 |
| Sunday, March 28, 2027 | Clocks go forward 1 hour: 2:00 AM becomes 3:00 AM | UTC+2 |
| Sunday, October 31, 2027 | Clocks go back 1 hour: 3:00 AM becomes 2:00 AM | UTC+1 |
Brussels time compared with major cities
When it is 9:00 AM in Brussels, it is 3:00 AM in New York, 7:00 PM in Sydney and 12:00 AM in Los Angeles.
| City | Time now | Difference now | In January | In July | Shared office hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (United States) | --:-- | 6 h behind | 6 h behind | 6 h behind | 2 h |
| Los Angeles (United States) | --:-- | 9 h behind | 9 h behind | 9 h behind | None |
| London (United Kingdom) | --:-- | 1 h behind | 1 h behind | 1 h behind | 7 h |
| Paris (France) | --:-- | Same time | Same time | Same time | 8 h |
| Dubai (United Arab Emirates) | --:-- | 3 h ahead | 3 h ahead | 2 h ahead | 5 h |
| Mumbai (India) | --:-- | 4 h 30 min ahead | 4 h 30 min ahead | 3 h 30 min ahead | 3 h 30 min |
| Singapore | --:-- | 7 h ahead | 7 h ahead | 6 h ahead | 1 h |
| Tokyo (Japan) | --:-- | 8 h ahead | 8 h ahead | 7 h ahead | None |
| Sydney (Australia) | --:-- | 10 h ahead | 10 h ahead | 8 h ahead | None |
| UTC | --:-- | 1 h behind | 1 h behind | 2 h behind | 7 h |
The difference is not fixed for every city: where the January and July columns disagree, one side moves its clocks and the other does not, or both move on different dates.
Shared office hours counts the time when the clock reads between 9 AM and 5 PM in both cities on the same day.
Sunrise and sunset in Brussels
Today
| Sunrise | --:-- |
|---|---|
| Sunset | --:-- |
| Day length | -- |
| Solar noon | --:-- |
Over the year, daylight in Brussels grows from 7 hours 56 minutes to 16 hours 31 minutes and back, a swing of 8 hours 35 minutes.
Daylight through the year in Brussels
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | March 20 | 6:46 AM | 6:56 PM | 12 h 10 min |
| June solstice | June 21 | 5:29 AM | 10:00 PM | 16 h 31 min |
| September equinox | September 23 | 7:30 AM | 7:39 PM | 12 h 9 min |
| December solstice | December 21 | 8:43 AM | 4:39 PM | 7 h 56 min |
Daylight saving time moves sunrise and sunset 1 hour later by the clock in summer, which is why the latest sunsets fall in the daylight saving months.
When the sun is highest in Brussels
Brussels sits well west of the centre of its time zone. On average the sun reaches its highest point at about 12:45 PM on standard time and 1:45 PM during daylight saving time, not at 12:00. Mornings stay dark longer and evenings stay light later than the clock suggests.
Cities near Brussels
Every city below shares Brussels’s clock.
| City | Distance | Time now | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leuven | 25 km (15 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Antwerp | 41 km (26 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Charleroi | 49 km (31 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Ghent | 50 km (31 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Namur | 56 km (35 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Breda (Netherlands) | 87 km (54 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Bruges | 88 km (55 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Liège | 89 km (55 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
Same time now, different rules
These places read the same time as Brussels today but follow different rules, so they can drift apart when clocks change.
- Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
- Lagos (Nigeria)
- Luanda (Angola)
- Algiers (Algeria)
- Brazzaville (Republic of the Congo)
- N'Djamena (Chad)
More cities in Belgium
All time zones and cities in Belgium
Tools for time in Brussels
- Convert a time to or from Brussels: pick a date and time and see it in every city on your list.
- Add Brussels to your world clock to keep it next to your own time.
- Find a meeting time that falls inside office hours in Brussels and the other cities you work with.
- Open a full-screen clock for your own time zone.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Brussels in?
Brussels uses the Europe/Brussels time zone: UTC+1 (CET) in standard time and UTC+2 (CEST) during daylight saving time.
When do the clocks change in Brussels?
The next change is on Sunday, March 28, 2027 at 2:00 AM, when clocks go forward 1 hour to UTC+2. They go back again on Sunday, October 31, 2027.
What is the time difference between Brussels and New York?
Brussels is 6 hours ahead of New York for most of the year. From March 14 to March 28 and October 31 to November 7, the gap is 5 hours, because Brussels and New York change their clocks on different dates.
How long is the longest day in Brussels?
About 16 hours 31 minutes, around the June solstice. The shortest day, around the December solstice, has about 7 hours 56 minutes of daylight.
Why is the sun not highest at noon in Brussels?
Clock time follows the time zone, not the sun. Brussels lies west of the line its offset is based on, so solar noon comes at about 12:45 PM on standard time.
Time zone rules: IANA tz database, version 2026e. Place names and coordinates: GeoNames. Sunrise and sunset are calculated from the coordinates and can differ by a minute or two from local almanacs.