22 March 2026 · Spain
Spain will switch to Central European Summer Time (CEST) on the night of Saturday 28 March, when clocks move forward from 2:00am to 3:00am. Residents in the Canary Islands, which follow Western European Time, will see clocks advance from 1:00am to 2:00am.
The change means one fewer hour of sleep on Saturday night — and one more hour of evening daylight from Sunday onwards. Sunrise and sunset times will shift by roughly one hour across the country.
Spain follows the EU’s harmonised daylight saving schedule, which has been in place since Directive 2000/84/EC. Despite a 2019 European Parliament vote in favour of abolishing clock changes, the proposal has stalled at the Council level and no implementation date has been set. For now, the twice-yearly switch continues.
Practical Tips for Expats
Most smartphones and computers update automatically, but wall clocks, car dashboards, and kitchen appliances will need a manual adjustment. If you have a cita previa (appointment) booked at a government office on Monday morning, double-check you’ve accounted for the lost hour — arriving late to an immigration appointment can mean losing your slot entirely.
The clocks will return to standard time on Sunday 25 October 2026, when they move back one hour.
Sources: EU Directive 2000/84/EC · Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE)