Daylight saving time and clock changes in the Netherlands (2026)

Table of contents

The Dutch time zone in one glance

CET and CEST

• • The Netherlands uses Central European Time (CET) in winter and Central European Summer Time (CEST) in summer, like most EU countries.
• • CET is UTC+1 (one hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time). CEST is UTC+2, two hours ahead.
• • Daylight saving time (DST) means we shift one hour forward in late March and one hour back in late October each year.

Your phone and laptop adjust automatically if they are set to "time zone: Amsterdam" or "set time automatically", but oven clocks, wall clocks and some wearables still need manual changes.

Upcoming clock changes (2025-2031)

Authoritative DST tables for the Netherlands (covering all provinces) show the following schedule:

On the spring dates, you "lose" an hour's sleep (02:00-03:00 disappears). On the autumn dates, the 02:00-03:00 hour repeats, so you gain an hour.

Why we still change the clocks (and the EU debate)

The EU vote to end seasonal clock changes

• • In March 2019, the European Parliament voted in favour of ending seasonal clock changes and allowing member states to choose permanent standard time or summer time.
• • Implementation stalled because member states could not agree on whether to stay on permanent winter time (CET) or summer time (CEST).
• • As of 2026, the directive has not been implemented, so the Netherlands continues to change clocks twice a year alongside other EU countries.

Dutch and EU expert groups continue to lobby for ending bi-annual changes, often favouring permanent standard time for health and circadian-rhythm reasons, but no final decision has been made.

What the time change means for daily life

Commuting, trains and flights

• • The Dutch rail network runs on an integrated clock-face timetable, with trains arriving and departing in coordinated pulses at hubs. See our public transport & OV-chipkaart guide for how the network is structured.
• • On the actual night of the time change, NS adjusts its timetable: some late-night trains are skipped in spring (because the 02:00-03:00 hour disappears) or duplicated in autumn (because the hour repeats).
• • Flight times are always printed in local time, so airlines build DST shifts into their schedules. Your ticket remains valid without manual adjustment.

For early-morning flights on switch nights, double-check that your alarm clock follows system time correctly, especially on older or analogue devices.

Meetings & remote teams

• • For most of the year, the Netherlands is one hour ahead of the UK (year-round) and aligned with most of continental Western Europe (Germany, France, Spain, Italy) via CET/CEST.
• • Around the clock-change dates there can be temporary offsets with non-EU countries that change on different dates (e.g. US, UK on different Sundays in some years), so recurring calls can shift by an hour for a few weeks.

Tools like Google Calendar and Outlook handle this automatically as long as you set the right time zones for each participant.

Daylight, wellness and SAD

Light patterns and mood

• • Moving the clock does not change total daylight, but it shifts when you get light relative to your daily schedule.
• • At the Netherlands' latitude, summer evenings can stay light until after 22:00, which many people enjoy for terraces, cycling and social life. See our spring & cherry blossom guide for the best of long Dutch evenings.
• • In winter, even with CET, mornings are dark and afternoons short. Some experts argue that permanent standard time would be better for sleep and winter mood, especially for people with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Practical coping tips for expats

• • In March, expect a short sleep and darker mornings for a week or two after the switch.
• • In October, enjoy brighter mornings but earlier dark evenings; plan outdoor activities for lunchtime.
• • Use a daylight (SAD) lamp at 10,000 lux for 20-30 minutes in the morning to keep your circadian rhythm on track. See our SAD lamp guide for model picks and how to use them.
• • For broader daily-routine advice, see our wellness routines guide.

Clock-change checklist for expats

1. 1

   A few days before

   Note the next switch date in your calendar (29 March or 25 October in 2026). Move your bedtime earlier by 15 minutes per night before the spring change.

2. 2

   The night before

   Confirm your phone is set to 'Amsterdam' time zone with 'Set time automatically' enabled. Manually adjust oven, microwave and any analogue clocks you rely on.

3. 3

   Switch night

   If you have a night train or early-morning flight, check NS or your airline's specific schedule for that weekend.

4. 4

   The day after

   In spring: get bright daylight or use a SAD lamp in the morning. Avoid caffeine after noon and limit screens in the evening.

5. 5

   The week after

   Watch for temporary US/UK offset issues on recurring video calls if your team is global. Update calendar invites if needed.

Frequently asked questions