Time Difference in Italy: CET/CEST, Daylight Saving & Quick City Offsets

What is the time difference in Italy? The Italy time zone is CET (UTC+1) in winter and CEST (UTC+2) in summer.
This guide explains Daylight Saving, the current time in Italy, and how it compares with London, New York, Moscow, and Tokyo.

What time zone is Italy in?

Italy uses Central European Time (CET) in winter and switches to Central European Summer Time (CEST) in summer.
In short: CET = UTC+1, CEST = UTC+2.

CET vs CEST

CET: UTC+1 (winter, standard time)
CEST: UTC+2 (summer, Daylight Saving Time in Italy)

Daylight Saving Time in Italy

Starts: last Sunday in March (clocks forward 1 hour to CEST, UTC+2)
Ends: last Sunday in October (clocks back 1 hour to CET, UTC+1)

Tip: around US/EU switch dates, the time difference in Italy with some cities (e.g., New York) can shift by ±1 hour for a few days.

Italy time difference with major cities

Time Difference in Italy – Winter (CET) vs Summer (CEST)
City	Italy in Winter (CET, UTC+1)	Italy in Summer (CEST, UTC+2)	Note
London (UK)	Italy is +1 hour	Italy is +1 hour	London uses GMT/BST; offset remains +1 year-round
New York (USA)	Italy is +6 hours	Italy is +6 hours	May briefly be +5/+7 around DST changeovers
Moscow (Russia)	Italy is −2 hours behind	Italy is −1 hour behind	Moscow observes UTC+3 year-round
Tokyo (Japan)	Italy is −8 hours behind	Italy is −7 hours behind	Tokyo observes UTC+9 year-round

Practical examples

If it’s 12:00 in Italy (CET, winter)

London: 11:00
New York: 06:00
Moscow: 14:00
Tokyo: 20:00

If it’s 12:00 in Italy (CEST, summer)

London: 11:00
New York: 06:00
Moscow: 13:00
Tokyo: 19:00

FAQ – time difference in Italy
Is Italy always 1 hour ahead of London? Yes, the offset stays +1 hour year-round.
Is Italy always 6 hours ahead of New York? Generally yes (+6 hours), with short ±1h shifts around DST changes.
What is the current time in Italy? Set your clock to Europe/Rome: winter UTC+1, summer UTC+2.