# Italy's time zone: CET, CEST and the dates

> Italy runs on UTC+1 in winter and UTC+2 in summer. The 2026 and 2027 changeover dates, why the EU never abolished them, and how to read a 24-hour sign.

URL: https://myitalia.it/plan/time-zone-and-daylight-saving
Last updated: 2026-09-02

Italy keeps Central European Time, UTC+1, from the last Sunday of October to the last Sunday of March, and Central European Summer Time, UTC+2, in between.

## The changeover dates for 2026, 2027 and 2028

Summer time runs March 29 to October 25 in 2026, March 28 to October 31 in 2027, and March 26 to October 29 in 2028. In spring the clock moves at 01:00 UTC, when 02:00 becomes 03:00 in Italy; in autumn it moves back at 01:00 UTC, when 03:00 becomes 02:00.

Those dates are calculated from the rule, the last Sunday of March and the last Sunday of October, and not read from an official calendar: the Commission's ten-year table was not retrievable. The arithmetic is deterministic, and it is still worth confirming for a date you are booking against.

## Why this matters for a timed ticket

A slot at 8:30 am in Rome is 08:30 in Rome, and the moment a batch of tickets goes on sale 30 days earlier is on Italian clocks too. Convert from your own UTC offset for that specific date, not from the difference you remember from last summer.

The trap is real, because Italy and North America do not change clocks on the same weekend. For a few weeks in spring and autumn the usual gap between Rome and New York is one hour different from what you expect, which is enough to miss a release. See the [Colosseum release mechanics](/plan/colosseum-ticket-release) for what that costs.

## The rule, and the reform that never happened

Directive 2000/84/EC, in force since 2001, fixes summer time across the EU from the last Sunday of March to the last Sunday of October. The Commission proposed ending the twice-yearly change on September 12, 2018, and the European Parliament supported it on March 26, 2019, but the Council never took a final position.

So the rule stands. If that ever changes, this page changes with it; the fact underneath carries a validity to March 31, 2027 for exactly that reason.

## 17 states on CET, and the two neighbors that differ

17 EU member states keep CET, which is why crossing from Italy into France, Austria or Slovenia does not move your watch. Ireland and Portugal use WET, one hour behind; Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania use EET, one hour ahead.

That count of 17 comes from a single Commission page. It should be rechecked if any member state changes its zone.

## Reading Italian clocks on the ground

Timetables, tickets and museum signs in Italy use the 24-hour clock: 18:15 is 6:15 pm, 21:00 is 9:00 pm, 00:30 is half past midnight. Station boards do the same, and so does the small print on a museum door.

The one place it bites is the evening cutoff. A last entry of 17:30 is 5:30 pm, not 7:30 pm, and it is the most expensive misreading a traveler makes in an afternoon.

## FAQ

### What time zone is Italy in?

Central European Time, UTC+1, in winter, and Central European Summer Time, UTC+2, in summer. CET is the zone of 17 EU member states, so most of the continent keeps the same clock as Rome.

### When do the clocks change in Italy in 2026?

Summer time runs from March 29 to October 25, 2026. In 2027 it runs from March 28 to October 31. The change happens at 01:00 UTC in both directions, which is 02:00 to 03:00 local in spring and 03:00 to 02:00 local in autumn.

### Did the EU abolish the twice-yearly clock change?

No. The Commission proposed it on September 12, 2018 and the European Parliament backed it on March 26, 2019, but the Council never reached a final position. Directive 2000/84/EC still applies, so the clocks still move.

### How do I read Italian opening hours?

On the 24-hour clock. A sign showing 18:15 means 6:15 pm, and a ticket printed 21:00 means 9:00 pm. Timetables, tickets and museum doors all use it, so subtract 12 from any hour above 12.

### Which countries share Italy's time zone?

17 EU member states use CET. Ireland and Portugal run on WET, one hour behind, and Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania run on EET, one hour ahead.

## Sources

| Fact | Source | Confidence | Valid until |
|---|---|---|---|
| L'Italia usa l'ora dell'Europa centrale (CET, UTC+1) in inverno e l'ora legale dell'Europa centrale (CEST, UTC+2) in estate; il CET e' il fuso di 17 Stati membri dell'UE. | [Commissione europea - DG MOVE](https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/summertime_en) | medium | 2028-12-31 |
| In Italia, come in tutta l'UE, l'ora legale inizia l'ultima domenica di marzo e finisce l'ultima domenica di ottobre, in entrambi i casi alle 01:00 UTC (direttiva 2000/84/CE, in vigore dal 2001); la proposta della Commissione del settembre 2018 di abolire il cambio d'ora non e' stata adottata e la regola resta in vigore. | [Commissione europea - DG MOVE](https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/summertime_en) | medium | 2027-03-31 |
| Applicando la regola UE, in Italia l'ora legale 2026 va dal 29 marzo al 25 ottobre 2026 e l'ora legale 2027 dal 28 marzo al 31 ottobre 2027. | [Commissione europea - DG MOVE](https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/summertime_en) | medium | 2027-03-31 |

## Other languages

- it: https://myitalia.it/it/organizza/time-zone-and-daylight-saving.md
- es: https://myitalia.it/es/planifica/time-zone-and-daylight-saving.md
- fr: https://myitalia.it/fr/preparer/time-zone-and-daylight-saving.md
- de: https://myitalia.it/de/planen/time-zone-and-daylight-saving.md