Time in Bern, Switzerland 🇨🇭
The current local time in Bern, Switzerland is shown below — the city is in the Europe/Zurich time zone (UTC +02:00 · CEST).
Bern local time
Thursday, 22 October 2026 CEST
Bern at a glance
- Time zone
Europe/Zurich· Central European Summer Time- UTC offset now
- +02:00 CEST
- Daylight saving
- Yes · UTC +01:00 / +02:00
- Coordinates
- 46.95° N, 7.45° E
- Population
- 134,591
- Country
- Switzerland · ISO CH
- Dialing code
- +41
- Currency
- Swiss Franc (CHF)
- Work week
- Monday to Friday
- Drives on the
- Right
Bern right now
Time difference
Bern is shown here relative to your device's time zone.
Planning a call? Compare hours side by side in the time zone converter.
Upcoming public holidays
- Christmas Day Fri, Dec 25, 2026
- Boxing Day Sat, Dec 26, 2026
- New Year's Day Fri, Jan 1, 2027
- Good Friday Fri, Mar 26, 2027
Sun today
Sunrise 07:58 · Sunset 18:32
Day length 10h 34m · twilight and monthly table →
Bern time vs. UTC
A 09:00–17:00 working day in Bern overlaps with 09:00–17:00 UTC from 11:00 to 17:00 Bern time. Open this page in your browser and the second row switches to your own time zone.
| Bern | 00:00 | 01:00 | 02:00 | 03:00 | 04:00 | 05:00 | 06:00 | 07:00 | 08:00 | 09:00 | 10:00 | 11:00 | 12:00 | 13:00 | 14:00 | 15:00 | 16:00 | 17:00 | 18:00 | 19:00 | 20:00 | 21:00 | 22:00 | 23:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UTC | 22:00 | 23:00 | 00:00 | 01:00 | 02:00 | 03:00 | 04:00 | 05:00 | 06:00 | 07:00 | 08:00 | 09:00 | 10:00 | 11:00 | 12:00 | 13:00 | 14:00 | 15:00 | 16:00 | 17:00 | 18:00 | 19:00 | 20:00 | 21:00 |
- Office hours 09–17
- Awake, off work
- Night 22–07
Bern vs. major cities
How far Bern is from the world's main business centres right now, what time it is there when the working day starts in Bern, and which hours of a 09:00–17:00 day the two places share. Daylight saving changes are applied automatically.
| City | Difference | At 09:00 in Bern | Shared office hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York · United States | −6 h | 03:00 | 15:00–17:00 |
| Los Angeles · United States | −9 h | 00:00 | None |
| São Paulo · Brazil | −5 h | 04:00 | 14:00–17:00 |
| London · United Kingdom | −1 h | 08:00 | 10:00–17:00 |
| Paris · France | Same time | 09:00 | 09:00–17:00 |
| Johannesburg · South Africa | Same time | 09:00 | 09:00–17:00 |
| Dubai · United Arab Emirates | +2 h | 11:00 | 09:00–15:00 |
| Delhi · India | +3:30 h | 12:30 | 09:00–13:30 |
| Singapore · Singapore | +6 h | 15:00 | 09:00–11:00 |
| Beijing · China | +6 h | 15:00 | 09:00–11:00 |
Shared office hours are shown in Bern time. Compare any set of cities hour by hour in the time zone converter, or pick a slot that suits everyone with the event planner.
Cities near Bern
The closest places to Bern among the cities we track, measured in a straight line from the city centre. All of them keep the same clock as Bern.
| City | Distance | Time difference |
|---|---|---|
| Zürich | 95 km (59 mi) northeast | Same time |
| Geneva | 130 km (80 mi) southwest | Same time |
| Milan · Italy | 210 km (130 mi) southeast | Same time |
| Lyon · France | 240 km (150 mi) southwest | Same time |
| Munich · Germany | 340 km (210 mi) northeast | Same time |
| Frankfurt · Germany | 360 km (230 mi) north | Same time |
| Paris · France | 430 km (270 mi) northwest | Same time |
| Marseille · France | 440 km (270 mi) southwest | Same time |
Distances are great-circle distances. A plus sign means the other city is ahead of Bern.
Clock time vs. sun time in Bern
Bern's standard offset, UTC +01:00, is based on the 15° E meridian; the city itself lies at 7.45° E, 7.6° west of it. In standard time its clocks run about 30 min ahead of the sun, and 1 h 30 min ahead during daylight saving time. Solar noon — when the sun is highest — falls between 12:15 (around 29 October) and 13:37 (around 16 July) on the clock. Mornings stay dark later and evenings stay light longer than the clock suggests.
How dates and times are written in Bern
- Short date
- 22.10.2026 · DD.MM.YYYY
- Long date
- 22. Oktober 2026
- Time
- 15:30 · 24-hour clock
- Week starts on
- Monday
Examples show 22 October 2026 at 15:30 using the Unicode CLDR conventions for de-CH, Switzerland's most common locale. Businesses and English-language sources may use other formats.
Clock changes in Bern
Since 1970, Bern has gone through 2 distinct time-keeping periods, observing daylight saving time in 46 of 57 years. The current pattern, in place since 1981, is UTC +01:00 with UTC +02:00 in daylight saving time. Clocks currently go forward on the last Sunday in March and back on the last Sunday in October, a rule in place since 1996.
| Date | Change | Local clock | New offset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday, 29 March 2026 | Forward 1 hour | 02:00 → 03:00 | UTC +02:00 |
| Sunday, 25 October 2026 | Back 1 hour | 03:00 → 02:00 | UTC +01:00 |
| Sunday, 28 March 2027 | Forward 1 hour | 02:00 → 03:00 | UTC +02:00 |
| Sunday, 31 October 2027 | Back 1 hour | 03:00 → 02:00 | UTC +01:00 |
When clocks go forward, sunrise and sunset both happen an hour later by the clock — darker mornings, lighter evenings — and the night of the change is an hour shorter. When they go back, the reverse applies.
Time zone history since 1970 (2 periods)
| Years | Offset | Daylight saving |
|---|---|---|
| 1970–1980 | UTC +01:00 all year | No daylight saving time |
| 1981–2026 | UTC +01:00, DST UTC +02:00 | Forward on the last Sunday in March, back on the last Sunday in October (since 1996) |
Source: IANA tz database, as shipped with the Unicode ICU library.
Daylight in Bern through the year
The longest day in Bern is 21 June with 15h 53m of daylight; the shortest is 22 December with 8h 31m. Day length swings by 7 h 23 min over the year. The earliest sunrise is at 05:36 on 10 June and the latest sunset at 21:30 on 22 June — not on the solstice itself, because solar noon drifts through the year.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Bern in?
Bern uses the Europe/Zurich time zone (CET / CEST): UTC +01:00 in standard time and UTC +02:00 during daylight saving time.
Does Bern observe daylight saving time?
Yes. In 2026 clocks in Bern go forward on Sunday, 29 March 2026 at 02:00 and back on Sunday, 25 October 2026 at 03:00.
When is the longest day of the year in Bern?
Around 21 June, with 15h 53m of daylight. The shortest day is around 22 December, with 8h 31m.
What is the dialing code for Bern?
To call Bern from abroad, dial your international access code, then Switzerland's country code +41, then the local number without its leading trunk prefix.
What are normal working days in Bern?
The standard work week in Switzerland runs Monday to Friday, with the weekend on Saturday and Sunday. Keep this in mind when scheduling calls from countries with a different weekend.
Why is sunset so late in Bern?
Bern lies at 7.45° E, 7.6° west of the 15° E meridian its UTC +01:00 offset is based on, so its clocks run about 30 min ahead of the sun in standard time and 1 h 30 min ahead in daylight saving time. Solar noon falls between 12:15 and 13:37 through the year instead of around 12:00, and the latest sunset is at 21:30 on 22 June.
What is the nearest city to Bern on a different time?
Of the 189 cities we track, the closest one keeping a different clock is London, United Kingdom, about 750 km (460 mi) to the northwest. It is 1 h behind Bern.
How are dates and times written in Bern?
Following the de-CH conventions in the Unicode CLDR, a short date is written DD.MM.YYYY (22.10.2026) and times usually use the 24-hour clock (15:30). Calendars start the week on Monday.
Explore more for Bern
Everything else we track for Bern: daylight, weather, the country overview, and the exact time-zone references.