Time zone
CET / CEST — the standard and daylight abbreviations for Madrid.
Current local time
Current Time in Madrid
View the current time in Madrid, Spain. Madrid keeps Central European Time (CET, UTC+1) in winter and Central European Summer Time (CEST, UTC+2) in summer.
08:13:14
Saturday, June 20, 2026
Central European Summer Time — UTC+2
Madrid time zone at a glance
The key facts for Madrid, Spain, and how its clock relates to UTC.
About time in Madrid
Madrid runs on Central European Time even though Spain sits at roughly the same longitude as the United Kingdom and Portugal, which use GMT. The country aligned with CET in the 1940s, and the geographic mismatch is often blamed for Spain's famously late meal and work schedules. In winter Madrid is at UTC+1, advancing to UTC+2 (CEST) from late March to late October. There have been periodic proposals to move Spain back to GMT, but the country still shares the clock with Paris, Berlin, and Rome.
Madrid changes its clocks for daylight saving time, so its exact UTC offset depends on the season (UTC+1 (UTC+2 in summer)). The live clock above reads Madrid's local time directly from the IANA time zone database in your browser, so it stays accurate through daylight-saving transitions without any manual adjustment. To plan a call or convert a specific moment, use the timezone converter or meeting planner linked below.
Frequently asked questions about Madrid time
Why is Madrid on CET when it lines up with London?
Geographically Spain fits GMT, but it adopted Central European Time in the 1940s to match continental neighbors and has kept it ever since.
What is the current time zone in Madrid?
Madrid uses Central European Time (CET, UTC+1) in winter and Central European Summer Time (CEST, UTC+2) in summer.
Does Madrid observe daylight saving time?
Yes. Spain moves clocks forward on the last Sunday of March and back on the last Sunday of October.
Current time in other cities
Compare Madrid with other major world clocks.
Paris Current local time in Paris, France (UTC+1 (UTC+2 in summer)). Berlin Current local time in Berlin, Germany (UTC+1 (UTC+2 in summer)). Rome Current local time in Rome, Italy (UTC+1 (UTC+2 in summer)). Amsterdam Current local time in Amsterdam, Netherlands (UTC+1 (UTC+2 in summer)). Moscow Current local time in Moscow, Russia (UTC+3 (no DST since 2014)). Lisbon Current local time in Lisbon, Portugal (UTC+0 (UTC+1 in summer)).
Time tools for Madrid
Learn about time zones
Background guides that explain how Madrid's clock relates to the rest of the world.