What Time is it in Sweden?
Sweden is so far north, it has four time zones, which makes it difficult to keep track of what time it is in Sweden. To help you out, here’s a guide to when to set your clocks, what time it is currently in the various cities, and other time-related tidbits.
What is the Official Time Zone in Sweden?
Most of Sweden is officially in the Central European Time Zone (CET), which is one hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). This is the same as Central European Summer Time (CEST) during daylight saving time. In Northern European Russia and the Republic of Karelia, the eastern borderline of the country, it’s two hours ahead of UTC, which is known as Moscow Standard Time (MSK).
Does Sweden Use Daylight Saving Time?
Yes, Sweden employs daylight saving time (DST), where the clocks are moved one hour forward in the spring, and one hour back in the fall. This means Sweden is usually two hours ahead of UTC during the summer. The movement of the clocks is determined by a law passed by the Swedish parliament (Riksdagen).
Considering Daylight Saving Time, What Time is it in Sweden Right Now?
It depends which timezone you’re referring to. As mentioned above, most of Sweden is in the Central European Time (CET) Zone. Therefore, the current time in Stockholm, Sweden’s largest city and capital is 9:30 PM (CET) as of September 15, 2020, or GMT +2. The Eastern borderline of the country, by contrast, is in the Moscow Standard Time (MSK) Zone, so the current time there would be 11:30 PM (MSK) or GMT +3.
Additional Time Information
The time change or “spring forward” in Sweden usually happens at 02:00 am CET (right after midnight) on the last Sunday in March, with the time reverting back to normal (“fall back”) at 3:00 am CEST (right before midnight) on the last Sunday in October.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 daylight saving period has been canceled in the European Union, but not in Sweden, which normally observes CET and CEST according to the traditional times outlined above.
Conclusion
So, there you have it, a quick guide to what time it is in Sweden. With the different timezones in the country, make sure to know what area you’re in and when to set your clocks to coordinate with local Swedish time.