What Time Is It in Greece? Time Zone, Clock Changes and How to Tell the Time in Greek

Greece runs on Eastern European Time: UTC+2 in winter and UTC+3 in summer. Here is the current time in Greece, when the clocks change, the time difference with Australia, the UK and North America, and how to ask and tell the time in Greek.

What time zone is Greece in?

The whole of Greece, including Crete, Rhodes, Corfu and all the other islands, is in one time zone:

• Winter: Eastern European Time (EET), UTC+2
• Summer: Eastern European Summer Time (EEST), UTC+3

Its official time zone name, used by phones and computers, is Europe/Athens. Cyprus keeps the same time as Greece all year round.

When do the clocks change in Greece?

Greece follows the European Union’s daylight saving rules. The clocks go forward one hour on the last Sunday in March (at 3:00 am, which becomes 4:00 am) and back one hour on the last Sunday in October (at 4:00 am, which becomes 3:00 am).

The EU proposed ending the twice-yearly clock change in 2018, but member states have not agreed on how to do it, so Greece still changes its clocks every spring and autumn. Read our latest update: Clocks go back on 25 October as Greece returns to winter time.

Time difference between Greece and your city

Because Greece, Australia and North America change their clocks on different dates, the difference shifts by an hour for a few weeks each spring and autumn.

Watch the changeover weeks: the gap with eastern Australia is 8 hours from late March to early April and again from early to late October. The gap with North America is one hour smaller (for example, 6 hours with New York) for about three weeks in March and one week around late October and early November, because the United States and Canada change their clocks on different Sundays.

How to ask “What time is it?” in Greek

If you want to ask the time in Greek, say Τι ώρα είναι; (ti óra íne?). Note that Greek uses a semicolon (;) as its question mark.

Three rules for telling the time in Greek

1. Use the feminine numbers, because ώρα (hour) is feminine: μία (one), τρεις (three) and τέσσερις (four), not ένα, τρία or τέσσερα.
2. “Past” is και (ke, “and”) and “to” is παρά (pará): δύο και είκοσι is 2:20 and δύο παρά είκοσι is 1:40.
3. Add the part of the day instead of a.m. and p.m. in conversation: το πρωί (in the morning), το απόγευμα (in the afternoon) and το βράδυ (in the evening), as in οκτώ το βράδυ, 8 pm.

Timetables, ferry schedules, flights and shop hours in Greece use the 24-hour clock, so a ferry leaving at 17:30 departs at half past five in the afternoon.

Did you know? Mount Athos keeps Byzantine time

Most monasteries on Mount Athos still keep Byzantine time, in which the day begins at sunset rather than midnight. Visitors are often surprised to find that the monastery clock and their phone show completely different times.

FAQ

Is Greece GMT+2 or GMT+3?

Both, depending on the season. Greece is GMT+2 in winter and GMT+3 from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October.

Does Crete have a different time zone?

No. Crete and every other Greek island use the same time as Athens.

Is Greece ahead of the UK?

Yes. Greece is always 2 hours ahead of the UK, because both change their clocks on the same days.

How many hours behind Australia is Greece?

Greece is 7 to 9 hours behind Sydney and Melbourne, depending on the time of year: 7 hours in the Australian winter and 9 hours in the Australian summer.

Is Greece the same time as Cyprus?

Yes. Cyprus and Greece keep the same time all year.

READ MORE: Greek Hand Gestures: The Moutza and 5 Others to Avoid.

First published on Greek City Times.