Standard time applies in Budapest right now, at UTC+1. The next change comes on Sunday, March 28, 2027, when clocks move to UTC+2.
Budapest and your time
Budapest at a glance
| Country | Hungary |
|---|---|
| Region | Budapest |
| Capital of | Hungary |
| Time zone | Europe/Budapest |
| Abbreviation now | CET |
| UTC offset now | UTC+1 |
| Daylight saving time | Starts Mar 28, 2027 |
| Next clock change | Sunday, March 28, 2027 |
| Coordinates | 47.50° N, 19.04° E |
Which time zone Budapest uses
The Europe/Budapest rules put Budapest on standard time (UTC+1 (CET)) since Sunday, October 25, 2026. After the change, daylight saving time runs until Sunday, October 31, 2027.
As the capital of Hungary, Budapest shares one clock with the whole country.
Clock changes in Budapest, 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 |
How far ahead or behind Budapest is
Take 9:00 AM in Budapest: the clock reads 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 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.
Daylight in Budapest
Today
| Sunrise | --:-- |
|---|---|
| Sunset | --:-- |
| Day length | -- |
| Solar noon | --:-- |
Day length in Budapest runs from 8 hours 26 minutes at the December solstice to 15 hours 58 minutes at the June solstice. The latest sunset, at 8:45 PM, comes on June 25.
Daylight through the year in Budapest
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | March 20 | 5:47 AM | 5:56 PM | 12 h 9 min |
| June solstice | June 21 | 4:47 AM | 8:45 PM | 15 h 58 min |
| September equinox | September 23 | 6:32 AM | 6:40 PM | 12 h 8 min |
| December solstice | December 21 | 7:29 AM | 3:55 PM | 8 h 26 min |
Sunrise and sunset jump by 1 hour on the days the clocks change, even though the daylight itself changes only by a minute or two.
Clock time and sun time in Budapest
Budapest lies close to the centre of its time zone, so the sun is highest at about 11:45 AM on standard time and 12:45 PM during daylight saving time, close to clock noon.
Places close to Budapest
All the places listed below keep the same time as Budapest.
| City | Distance | Time now | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Székesfehérvár | 59 km (36 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Kecskemét | 82 km (51 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Győr | 107 km (67 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Miskolc | 146 km (91 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Bratislava (Slovakia) | 161 km (100 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Szeged | 162 km (101 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Subotica (Serbia) | 163 km (101 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Pécs | 170 km (106 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
Same time now, different rules
These places read the same time as Budapest 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)
Tools for time in Budapest
- Convert a time to or from Budapest: pick a date and time and see it in every city on your list.
- Add Budapest to your world clock to keep it next to your own time.
- Find a meeting time that falls inside office hours in Budapest and the other cities you work with.
- Open a full-screen clock for your own time zone.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Budapest in?
Budapest uses the Europe/Budapest time zone: UTC+1 (CET) in standard time and UTC+2 (CEST) during daylight saving time.
When do the clocks change in Budapest?
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 Budapest and New York?
Budapest 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 Budapest and New York change their clocks on different dates.
How long is the longest day in Budapest?
About 15 hours 58 minutes, around the June solstice. The shortest day, around the December solstice, has about 8 hours 26 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.