Overview: Time in France
Metropolitan France uses Central European Time. However, France is the country with the most time zones in the world when including overseas territories and departments, spanning from UTC-10 (French Polynesia) to UTC+12.
Time Zone Breakdown
| Zone Name | UTC Offset | DST |
|---|---|---|
| CET | UTC+1 | Yes (varies) |
| CEST | UTC+2 | Yes (varies) |
Daylight Saving Time in France
France follows standard EU DST, changing clocks on the last Sundays of March and October.
Major Cities and Their Time Zones
The following cities in France have dedicated time pages with live clocks, UTC offset details, and DST information:
Frequently Asked Questions
How many time zones does France have?
France has 2 primary time zone(s): CET (UTC+1) in winter, CEST (UTC+2) in summer. This can make scheduling across different regions of the country more complex.
Does France observe Daylight Saving Time?
France follows standard EU DST, changing clocks on the last Sundays of March and October.
What time zone is the capital of France in?
The capital, Paris, uses the Europe/Paris timezone. You can see the live current time for the capital and other major cities via the city pages linked on this page.