Time in Catalonia, Spain 🇪🇸
The current local time in Catalonia, Spain is anchored on Barcelona. The region uses the Europe/Madrid time zone (UTC +02:00).
Catalonia local time
Thursday, 22 October 2026 CEST
Region information
Catalonia
Region of Spain
Population: 7,747,709
Time zone
IANA: Europe/Madrid
UTC offset: +02:00
Daylight saving: Yes — forward 29 March, back 25 October
Country: Spain
How time works in Catalonia
Spain uses Central European Time even though most of the country lies at the longitude of Greenwich Mean Time, so sunrise and sunset in Catalonia come later by the clock than in other CET countries further east.
Public holidays in Catalonia in 2026
14 public holidays apply in Catalonia, 4 of them regional (marked below) and not observed across all of Spain.
| Date | Holiday | |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 1 Jan | New Year's Day | |
| Tue 6 Jan | Epiphany | |
| Fri 3 Apr | Good Friday | |
| Mon 6 Apr | Easter Monday | Regional |
| Fri 1 May | Labour Day | |
| Wed 24 Jun | San Juan | Regional |
| Sat 15 Aug | Assumption | |
| Fri 11 Sept | Dia de Cataluña | Regional |
| Mon 12 Oct | Fiesta Nacional de España | |
| Sun 1 Nov | All Saints' Day | |
| Sun 6 Dec | Día de la Constitución Española | |
| Tue 8 Dec | Immaculate Conception | |
| Fri 25 Dec | Christmas Day | |
| Sat 26 Dec | San Esteban | Regional |
Catalonia vs. major cities
How far Catalonia is from the world's main business centres right now, what time it is there when the working day starts in Catalonia, 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 Catalonia | 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 Catalonia 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.
Clock changes in Catalonia
Since 1970, Catalonia has gone through 2 distinct time-keeping periods, observing daylight saving time in 53 of 57 years. The current pattern, in place since 1974, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1970–1973 | UTC +01:00 all year | No daylight saving time |
| 1974–2026 | 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.
Other cities in the same time zone
Catalonia time questions
- What time zone is Catalonia in?
- Most of Catalonia uses the Europe/Madrid time zone: UTC +01:00, +02:00 during DST. Some areas differ — see the notes on this page.
- Does Catalonia observe daylight saving time?
- Yes. In 2026 clocks go forward on Sunday, 29 March 2026 at 02:00 and go back on Sunday, 25 October 2026 at 03:00.
- How many public holidays does Catalonia have in 2026?
- 14 public holidays apply in Catalonia in 2026, including 4 that are not on the national list: Easter Monday (Monday 6 April), San Juan (Wednesday 24 June), Dia de Cataluña (Friday 11 September), San Esteban (Saturday 26 December).
Explore Catalonia
More on Catalonia: the country overview, the exact IANA zone, and tools for Barcelona.