Time Zone History

Greece time zone history

Clocks have been changed 104 times since 1970, tied for the most among the 23 zones on UTC+2 standard time. On standard time, clocks in Athens run 25 minutes ahead of local mean solar time.

UTC+2

Standard time is UTC+2 (EEST/EET); clocks go forward to UTC+3 on the last Sunday in March and back on the last Sunday in October.

tz database name Europe/Athens

Convert a time from Greece

Summer time in 52 of 57 years since 1970

UTC+1: 1 hour behind today’s standard timeUTC+1:34:52: 25 minutes behind today’s standard timeUTC+2: today’s standard timeUTC+3: 1 hour ahead of today’s standard timeUTC+1: 1 hour behind today’sstandard timeUTC+1:34:52: 25 minutes behindtoday’s standard timeUTC+2: today’s standard timeUTC+3: 1 hour ahead of today’sstandard time

How to read this chart

Before 1970

18901910193019501970189019301970
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec1970198019902000201020202028JFMAMJJASOND1970198019902000201020202028

Standard time changes

DateChangeNew standard timeClock label
Before 1970
September 14, 1895Local mean time (UTC+1:34:52) replacedUTC+1:34:52AMT
July 28, 1916Standard time forward 25 minutesUTC+2EET
April 30, 1941Standard time back 1 hourUTC+1CET
April 4, 1944Standard time forward 1 hourUTC+2EET

Daylight saving periods

YearsClocks go forwardClocks go backShift and labels
Before 1970
1932July 7September 11 hour, EET to EEST
1941April 7not that year1 hour, EET to EEST
1942not that yearNovember 21 hour, EET to EEST
1943March 30October 41 hour, CET to CEST
1952July 1November 21 hour, EET to EEST
Since 1970
1975April 12November 261 hour, EET to EEST
1976April 11October 101 hour, EET to EEST
1977April 3September 261 hour, EET to EEST
1978April 2September 241 hour, EET to EEST
1979April 1September 291 hour, EET to EEST
1980April 1September 281 hour, EET to EEST
1981–1995last Sunday in March, 03:00last Sunday in September, 04:001 hour, EET to EEST
1996–2037last Sunday in March, 03:00last Sunday in October, 04:001 hour, EET to EEST

Clock changes in 2026, 2027 and 2028

The clocks go forward 1 hour (EET to EEST) on March 29, 2026, March 28, 2027 and March 26, 2028 at 03:00 and back 1 hour (EEST to EET) on October 25, 2026, October 31, 2027 and October 29, 2028 at 04:00, local time.

Also on UTC+2

Bulgaria, Romania, Nicosia (Cyprus), Famagusta (Cyprus), Moldova, Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, Gaza (Palestine) and Israel (nearest first; 12 more on the list of offsets).

Clocks next door since 1970

  • Albania (501 km): usually 1 hour behind; different on 512 days in 1974–1984.
  • Bulgaria (526 km): same time except 786 days in 1975–1996.
  • Turkey (564 km): same time except 3,296 days in 1973–2006, 2011 and 2014–2026; 1 hour ahead today.
  • Romania (746 km): same time except 825 days in 1975–1996.
  • Serbia (809 km): usually 1 hour behind; different on 1,486 days in 1975–1982.

How it compares

Standard time has stayed at UTC+2 since 1944.