Bern is on standard time, UTC+1 (CET). On Sunday, March 28, 2027, clocks go forward 1 hour to UTC+2.
Bern and your time
Bern at a glance
| Country | Switzerland |
|---|---|
| Region | Bern |
| Capital of | Switzerland |
| Time zone | Europe/Zurich |
| Abbreviation now | CET |
| UTC offset now | UTC+1 |
| Daylight saving time | Starts Mar 28, 2027 |
| Next clock change | Sunday, March 28, 2027 |
| Coordinates | 46.95° N, 7.45° E |
Time zone in Bern
Bern follows the Europe/Zurich time zone. Standard time began on Sunday, October 25, 2026. Once the clocks go forward at 2:00 AM, daylight saving time (UTC+2 (CEST)) lasts until Sunday, October 31, 2027.
Bern is the capital, and all of Switzerland keeps this time.
Clock changes in Bern, 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 Bern is
A 9:00 AM start in Bern 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 Bern
Today
| Sunrise | --:-- |
|---|---|
| Sunset | --:-- |
| Day length | -- |
| Solar noon | --:-- |
Over the year, daylight in Bern grows from 8 hours 31 minutes to 15 hours 53 minutes and back, a swing of 7 hours 22 minutes.
Daylight through the year in Bern
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | March 20 | 6:33 AM | 6:43 PM | 12 h 9 min |
| June solstice | June 21 | 5:35 AM | 9:29 PM | 15 h 53 min |
| September equinox | September 23 | 7:18 AM | 7:26 PM | 12 h 8 min |
| December solstice | December 21 | 8:13 AM | 4:44 PM | 8 h 31 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 Bern
Bern lies close to the centre of its time zone, so the sun is highest at about 12:30 PM on standard time and 1:30 PM during daylight saving time, close to clock noon.
Cities near Bern
Every city below shares Bern’s clock.
| City | Distance | Time now | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basel | 69 km (43 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Lausanne | 79 km (49 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Mulhouse (France) | 90 km (56 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Zurich | 95 km (59 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Besançon (France) | 113 km (70 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Winterthur | 115 km (71 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany) | 120 km (75 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Geneva | 130 km (80 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
Same time now, different rules
These places read the same time as Bern 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 Switzerland
All time zones and cities in Switzerland
Plan around the time in Bern
- Convert a time to or from Bern: pick a date and time and see it in every city on your list.
- Add Bern to your world clock to keep it next to your own time.
- Find a meeting time that falls inside office hours in Bern and the other cities you work with.
- Open a full-screen clock for your own time zone.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Bern in?
Bern uses the Europe/Zurich time zone: UTC+1 (CET) in standard time and UTC+2 (CEST) during daylight saving time.
When do the clocks change in Bern?
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 Bern and New York?
Bern 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 Bern and New York change their clocks on different dates.
How long is the longest day in Bern?
About 15 hours 53 minutes, around the June solstice. The shortest day, around the December solstice, has about 8 hours 31 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.