Time in Sofia, Bulgaria 🇧🇬
The current local time in Sofia, Bulgaria is shown below — the city is in the Europe/Sofia time zone (UTC +03:00 · EEST).
Sofia local time
Sunday, 11 October 2026 EEST
Sofia at a glance
- Time zone
Europe/Sofia- UTC offset now
- +03:00 EEST
- Daylight saving
- Yes · UTC +02:00 / +03:00
- Coordinates
- 42.70° N, 23.32° E
- Population
- 1,248,452
- Country
- Bulgaria · ISO BG
- Dialing code
- +359
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Work week
- Monday to Friday
- Drives on the
- Right
Sofia right now
Time difference
Sofia is shown here relative to your device's time zone.
Planning a call? Compare hours side by side in the time zone converter.
Next public holiday
New Year's Day
Thu, Jan 1, 2026 · all Bulgaria holidays →
Sun today
Sunrise 07:35 · Sunset 18:53
Day length 11h 18m · twilight and monthly table →
Sofia vs. major cities
How far Sofia is from the world's main business centres right now, what time it is there when the working day starts in Sofia, 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 Sofia | Shared office hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York · United States | −7 h | 02:00 | 16:00–17:00 |
| Los Angeles · United States | −10 h | 23:00 (prev. day) | None |
| São Paulo · Brazil | −6 h | 03:00 | 15:00–17:00 |
| London · United Kingdom | −2 h | 07:00 | 11:00–17:00 |
| Paris · France | −1 h | 08:00 | 10:00–17:00 |
| Johannesburg · South Africa | −1 h | 08:00 | 10:00–17:00 |
| Dubai · United Arab Emirates | +1 h | 10:00 | 09:00–16:00 |
| Delhi · India | +2:30 h | 11:30 | 09:00–14:30 |
| Singapore · Singapore | +5 h | 14:00 | 09:00–12:00 |
| Beijing · China | +5 h | 14:00 | 09:00–12:00 |
Shared office hours are shown in Sofia 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 Sofia
Since 1970, Sofia has gone through 2 distinct time-keeping periods, observing daylight saving time in 48 of 57 years. The current pattern, in place since 1979, is UTC +02:00 with UTC +03:00 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 | 03:00 → 04:00 | UTC +03:00 |
| Sunday, 25 October 2026 | Back 1 hour | 04:00 → 03:00 | UTC +02:00 |
| Sunday, 28 March 2027 | Forward 1 hour | 03:00 → 04:00 | UTC +03:00 |
| Sunday, 31 October 2027 | Back 1 hour | 04:00 → 03:00 | UTC +02:00 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1970–1978 | UTC +02:00 all year | No daylight saving time |
| 1979–2026 | UTC +02:00, DST UTC +03:00 | 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 Sofia through the year
The longest day in Sofia is 21 June with 15h 19m of daylight; the shortest is 22 December with 9h 2m. Day length swings by 6 h 17 min over the year. The earliest sunrise is at 05:49 on 10 June and the latest sunset at 21:10 on 25 June — not on the solstice itself, because solar noon drifts through the year.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Sofia in?
Sofia uses the Europe/Sofia time zone (EET / EEST): UTC +02:00 in standard time and UTC +03:00 during daylight saving time.
Does Sofia observe daylight saving time?
Yes. In 2026 clocks in Sofia go forward on Sunday, 29 March 2026 at 03:00 and back on Sunday, 25 October 2026 at 04:00.
When is the longest day of the year in Sofia?
Around 21 June, with 15h 19m of daylight. The shortest day is around 22 December, with 9h 2m.
What is the dialing code for Sofia?
To call Sofia from abroad, dial your international access code, then Bulgaria's country code +359, then the local number without its leading trunk prefix.
What are normal working days in Sofia?
The standard work week in Bulgaria runs Monday to Friday, with the weekend on Saturday and Sunday. Keep this in mind when scheduling calls from countries with a different weekend.
Explore more for Sofia
Everything else we track for Sofia: daylight, weather, the country overview, and the exact time-zone references.