Europe · Northern Europe · Dependency
Current time in Svalbard and Jan Mayen
A single time zone at UTC+02:00. Currently observing daylight saving time.
Thursday, October 15, 2026
About Svalbard and Jan Mayen's time
A single time zone.
Svalbard and Jan Mayen share a single time zone, UTC+1:00 in winter and UTC+2:00 in summer, observing daylight saving time like mainland Norway. The combined territory follows Central European Time and Central European Summer Time (CEST) during summer months.
Next clock change
2026 Sunday · clocks fall back
Clocks fall back by one hour · next week.
Daylight saving schedule
Major cities
Cities of Svalbard and Jan Mayen.
History
How Svalbard and Jan Mayen keeps time.
Svalbard and Jan Mayen have been tied to Norway's timekeeping system since Norway gained sovereignty over Svalbard under the Svalbard Treaty (signed 1920, in force 1925), and Jan Mayen has been under Norwegian administration since 1929. The islands follow the same time as mainland Norway, which has used Central European Time (UTC+1) since 1895.
Norway has observed summer time (CEST, UTC+2) every year since 1980, after earlier periods of summer time during both world wars and from 1959 to 1965. Svalbard and Jan Mayen followed this shift, as Norwegian law applies directly to both territories. There have been no notable independent timezone changes specific to either territory — they have always mirrored the mainland in lockstep.
Did you know?
Things about Svalbard and Jan Mayen's time.
During summer months under Central European Summer Time (UTC+2:00), the midnight sun experience in Svalbard takes on an extra surreal dimension. Locals function on CEST while the sun circles the horizon 24 hours a day from roughly April through August, making conventional meal and sleep schedules more about social convention than daylight cues.
In winter the pendulum swings to near-total darkness (October through February). Meanwhile, distant relatives or friends on mainland Norway are at the same clock time. Longyearbyen, the largest settlement, keeps the same time regardless of the polar extremes — a deliberate alignment with Norwegian mainland life that makes remote work from Svalbard far simpler than one might expect.
Convert
Svalbard and Jan Mayen to the world's clocks.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Svalbard and Jan Mayen's time zone, daylight saving rules, and how to handle it in software. Can't find what you need? Email [email protected].
- What timezone is Svalbard and Jan Mayen in?
- The combined territory uses Central European Time, at UTC+1:00 during winter (CET) and UTC+2:00 during summer (CEST), following mainland Norway's daylight-saving schedule.
- Does Svalbard observe daylight saving time?
- Yes — Svalbard shifts from CET (UTC+1) in winter to CEST (UTC+2) in summer, same as mainland Norway. Clocks change in the last Sunday of March (forward) and last Sunday of October (back).
- Can I call someone in Longyearbyen at the same time in Oslo year-round?
- Yes. Since both observe identical clock changes, Oslo and Longyearbyen are synchronized at all times — no time difference at any point during the year.
- Does the midnight sun affect daily schedules in Longyearbyen?
- Not the clock, but routine. The town runs on CEST during the midnight-sun months (April–August). Many residents use blackout curtains and follow work hours anchored to clock time rather than daylight.
- What time is it in Svalbard when it's noon in London and New York?
- Longyearbyen is always one hour ahead of London: when it's noon in London, it's 13:00 in Longyearbyen. It is usually six hours ahead of New York, so noon in New York is 18:00 in Longyearbyen (five hours for a few weeks in March and for about a week from late October to early November, when US and European clock changes fall on different dates).
- Is Jan Mayen on the same time as Svalbard?
- Yes. The whole territory uses a single time zone. Jan Mayen's few rotating station personnel keep the same clock as Longyearbyen and the Norwegian mainland.
- How do I schedule a meeting with someone in Svalbard from Europe?
- Treat Svalbard as the same timezone as Norway — CET/CEST. Svalbard is on UTC+01:00 in winter and UTC+02:00 in summer. Both sides shift together in March and October, so the offset difference to other EU countries stays constant year-round.
Source: IANA tzdb2026d · Reviewed
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