Standard time applies in Sofia right now, at UTC+2. The next change comes on Sunday, March 28, 2027, when clocks move to UTC+3.
Sofia and your time
Sofia at a glance
| Country | Bulgaria |
|---|---|
| Region | Sofia-Capital |
| Capital of | Bulgaria |
| Time zone | Europe/Sofia |
| Abbreviation now | EET |
| UTC offset now | UTC+2 |
| Daylight saving time | Starts Mar 28, 2027 |
| Next clock change | Sunday, March 28, 2027 |
| Coordinates | 42.70° N, 23.32° E |
Which time zone Sofia uses
The Europe/Sofia rules put Sofia on standard time (UTC+2 (EET)) since Sunday, October 25, 2026. After the change, daylight saving time runs until Sunday, October 31, 2027.
As the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia shares one clock with the whole country.
Clock changes in Sofia, 2026 and 2027
| Date | Change | New offset |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, March 29, 2026 | Clocks go forward 1 hour: 3:00 AM becomes 4:00 AM | UTC+3 |
| Sunday, October 25, 2026 | Clocks go back 1 hour: 4:00 AM becomes 3:00 AM | UTC+2 |
| Sunday, March 28, 2027 | Clocks go forward 1 hour: 3:00 AM becomes 4:00 AM | UTC+3 |
| Sunday, October 31, 2027 | Clocks go back 1 hour: 4:00 AM becomes 3:00 AM | UTC+2 |
Time difference between Sofia and other cities
A 9:00 AM start in Sofia is 2:00 AM in New York, 6:00 PM in Sydney and 11:00 PM (previous day) in Los Angeles.
| City | Time now | Difference now | In January | In July | Shared office hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (United States) | --:-- | 7 h behind | 7 h behind | 7 h behind | 1 h |
| Los Angeles (United States) | --:-- | 10 h behind | 10 h behind | 10 h behind | None |
| London (United Kingdom) | --:-- | 2 h behind | 2 h behind | 2 h behind | 6 h |
| Paris (France) | --:-- | 1 h behind | 1 h behind | 1 h behind | 7 h |
| Dubai (United Arab Emirates) | --:-- | 2 h ahead | 2 h ahead | 1 h ahead | 6 h |
| Mumbai (India) | --:-- | 3 h 30 min ahead | 3 h 30 min ahead | 2 h 30 min ahead | 4 h 30 min |
| Singapore | --:-- | 6 h ahead | 6 h ahead | 5 h ahead | 2 h |
| Tokyo (Japan) | --:-- | 7 h ahead | 7 h ahead | 6 h ahead | 1 h |
| Sydney (Australia) | --:-- | 9 h ahead | 9 h ahead | 7 h ahead | None |
| UTC | --:-- | 2 h behind | 2 h behind | 3 h behind | 6 h |
Some gaps change during the year because Sofia and the other city change clocks on different dates, or only one of them changes at all. The January and July columns show both versions.
Shared office hours is the part of a 9 AM to 5 PM local working day that both cities have in common. Weekends are not taken into account.
Sunrise, sunset and day length in Sofia
Today
| Sunrise | --:-- |
|---|---|
| Sunset | --:-- |
| Day length | -- |
| Solar noon | --:-- |
The earliest sunrise in Sofia is at 5:48 AM on June 14, and the latest sunset at 9:09 PM on June 27.
Daylight through the year in Sofia
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | March 20 | 6:30 AM | 6:39 PM | 12 h 8 min |
| June solstice | June 21 | 5:49 AM | 9:08 PM | 15 h 20 min |
| September equinox | September 23 | 7:15 AM | 7:23 PM | 12 h 8 min |
| December solstice | December 21 | 7:54 AM | 4:56 PM | 9 h 2 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.
Clock time and sun time in Sofia
Clock time and sun time line up fairly well in Sofia: solar noon falls at about 12:25 PM on standard time and 1:25 PM during daylight saving time.
Cities near Sofia
Only 135 km (84 mi) away, Niš in Serbia is 1 hour behind Sofia. Crossing between the two means resetting your watch.
| City | Distance | Time now | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plovdiv | 132 km (82 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Niš (Serbia) | 135 km (84 mi) | --:-- | 1 h behind |
| Skopje (North Macedonia) | 174 km (108 mi) | --:-- | 1 h behind |
| Pristina (Kosovo) | 176 km (110 mi) | --:-- | 1 h behind |
| Craiova (Romania) | 184 km (114 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Stara Zagora | 192 km (119 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Mitrovica (Kosovo) | 202 km (125 mi) | --:-- | 1 h behind |
| Prizren (Kosovo) | 219 km (136 mi) | --:-- | 1 h behind |
Same time now, different rules
These places read the same time as Sofia today but follow different rules, so they can drift apart when clocks change.
- Johannesburg (South Africa)
- Lubumbashi (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
- Lusaka (Zambia)
- Khartoum (Sudan)
- Harare (Zimbabwe)
- Tripoli (Libya)
Plan around the time in Sofia
- Convert a time to or from Sofia: pick a date and time and see it in every city on your list.
- Add Sofia to your world clock to keep it next to your own time.
- Find a meeting time that falls inside office hours in Sofia and the other cities you work with.
- Open a full-screen clock for your own time zone.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Sofia in?
Sofia uses the Europe/Sofia time zone: UTC+2 (EET) in standard time and UTC+3 (EEST) during daylight saving time.
When do the clocks change in Sofia?
The next change is on Sunday, March 28, 2027 at 3:00 AM, when clocks go forward 1 hour to UTC+3. They go back again on Sunday, October 31, 2027.
What is the time difference between Sofia and New York?
Sofia is 7 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 6 hours, because Sofia and New York change their clocks on different dates.
How long is the longest day in Sofia?
About 15 hours 20 minutes, around the June solstice. The shortest day, around the December solstice, has about 9 hours 2 minutes of daylight.
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.