Europe · Northern Europe · Sovereign state
Current time in Norway
A single time zone at UTC+02:00. Currently observing daylight saving time.
Sunday, May 31, 2026
About Norway's time
A single time zone.
Norway keeps things straightforward with a single time zone, Europe/Oslo, which follows Central European Time in winter and Central European Summer Time in spring and summer. The whole country shifts clocks forward and back together, so there's no confusion about what time it is from Oslo to the North Cape.
Next clock change
2026 Sunday · clocks fall back
Clocks fall back by one hour · in 5 months.
Daylight saving schedule
Major cities
Cities of Norway.
Territories & dependencies
The Republic, around the world.
History
How Norway keeps time.
Norway adopted standard time on January 1, 1895, aligning with the Central European Time zone (CET, UTC+1) to synchronize with neighboring countries and facilitate trade and railway schedules. Before this, local mean time varied across the country based on longitude. The shift to CET was part of a broader European movement toward standardized timekeeping in the late 19th century.
Daylight saving time was first introduced in Norway in 1916 during World War I, following Germany's lead to conserve energy. After the war, DST was abandoned but reintroduced in 1940 during the German occupation. Since 1980, Norway has consistently observed DST according to EU rules, moving clocks forward one hour in spring and back in autumn.
Did you know?
Things about Norway's time.
Despite spanning a vast north-south distance—over 1,750 kilometers from southern Norway to the North Cape—the entire country uses a single time zone. This means that in summer, the sun doesn't set at all above the Arctic Circle during the 'midnight sun' period, while in winter, northern regions experience polar nights with very little daylight.
Norway's territories have different time arrangements. Svalbard and Jan Mayen follow the same time zone as mainland Norway, but Bouvet Island, an uninhabited sub-Antarctic territory, uses UTC+01:00 year-round without DST, making it one of the few places with a different time standard from the mainland.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Norway's time zone, daylight saving rules, and how to handle it in software. Can't find what you need? Email [email protected].
- What time zone is Norway in?
- Norway uses the Europe/Oslo time zone, which is Central European Time (CET, UTC+1) in winter and Central European Summer Time (CEST, UTC+2) in summer.
- Does Norway observe daylight saving time?
- Yes, Norway observes daylight saving time. Clocks move forward one hour on the last Sunday in March and back one hour on the last Sunday in October, following EU rules.
- How many time zones does Norway have?
- Mainland Norway has one time zone (Europe/Oslo). However, its territories include Svalbard and Jan Mayen (same time zone) and Bouvet Island (UTC+01:00 year-round).
- What time is it in Norway right now?
- Norway follows Central European Time (UTC+1) in winter and Central European Summer Time (UTC+2) in summer. You can check the current time on timezone.io for the exact time in Oslo.
- Is the time the same throughout Norway?
- Yes, all of mainland Norway uses the same time zone, Europe/Oslo. However, Bouvet Island, a Norwegian territory, uses UTC+01:00 year-round.
- When does Norway change its clocks for daylight saving time?
- Norway changes clocks forward one hour on the last Sunday in March and back one hour on the last Sunday in October, in line with EU regulations.
- What is the time difference between Norway and the UK?
- Norway is usually one hour ahead of the UK. During the brief transition periods when one country has changed clocks but the other hasn't, the difference can be zero or two hours.
- Does Norway use the 24-hour clock?
- Yes, Norway commonly uses the 24-hour clock in official and written contexts, though the 12-hour clock is also used in casual speech.
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