Time zone converter: Europe to Asia
Europe and Asia are big neighbours. The offset between Berlin and Singapore is only 6 or 7 hours; between London and Tokyo it's 8 or 9. Most of Asia doesn't observe daylight saving, but Europe does, so the gap shifts twice a year. This page lays out the most useful Europe-to-Asia conversions for distributed work.
Quick reference: CET (Central European Time, winter) is
UTC+1. India is +4.5 hours ahead. Singapore is +7. Tokyo is +8. Add one hour
to CET in summer (CEST) and the gaps shrink by one hour in each row.
The European time zones
- WET / WEST — UTC+0 / +1. Lisbon, parts of Portugal.
- GMT / BST — UTC+0 / +1. London, Dublin.
- CET / CEST — UTC+1 / +2. Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Amsterdam, Stockholm.
- EET / EEST — UTC+2 / +3. Athens, Helsinki, Bucharest.
- MSK — UTC+3 (no DST). Moscow.
The major Asian time zones
- GST — UTC+4. Dubai, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
- IST — UTC+5:30. India (single national zone).
- BDT — UTC+6. Bangladesh.
- ICT — UTC+7. Bangkok, Hanoi, Jakarta.
- SGT / HKT / CST — UTC+8. Singapore, Hong Kong, China (Beijing, Shanghai), Taipei, Manila, Perth.
- JST / KST — UTC+9. Tokyo, Seoul.
None of the major Asian zones observe daylight saving.
CET (Berlin / Paris) to Asia
| Berlin (CET / CEST) | Dubai | India | Singapore | Tokyo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08:00 | 11:00 / 10:00 | 12:30 / 11:30 | 15:00 / 14:00 | 16:00 / 15:00 |
| 10:00 | 13:00 / 12:00 | 14:30 / 13:30 | 17:00 / 16:00 | 18:00 / 17:00 |
| 12:00 | 15:00 / 14:00 | 16:30 / 15:30 | 19:00 / 18:00 | 20:00 / 19:00 |
| 16:00 | 19:00 / 18:00 | 20:30 / 19:30 | 23:00 / 22:00 | 00:00 (next) / 23:00 |
UK (London) to Asia
| London (GMT / BST) | Dubai | India | Singapore | Tokyo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08:00 | 12:00 / 11:00 | 13:30 / 12:30 | 16:00 / 15:00 | 17:00 / 16:00 |
| 10:00 | 14:00 / 13:00 | 15:30 / 14:30 | 18:00 / 17:00 | 19:00 / 18:00 |
| 12:00 | 16:00 / 15:00 | 17:30 / 16:30 | 20:00 / 19:00 | 21:00 / 20:00 |
| 15:00 | 19:00 / 18:00 | 20:30 / 19:30 | 23:00 / 22:00 | 00:00 (next) / 23:00 |
The most useful overlaps
- Europe (CET) ↔ India: 13:00–16:00 CET is 17:30–20:30 IST — comfortable both sides.
- Europe (CET) ↔ Singapore / Hong Kong: 09:00–11:00 CET is 15:00–17:00 SGT — the best match. Beyond 12:00 CET, Singapore is wrapping up.
- Europe (CET) ↔ Tokyo / Seoul: 08:00–10:00 CET is 16:00–18:00 JST. Past 10:00 CET, Tokyo is on the way home.
- UK ↔ UAE: wide overlap; UK 09:00 = Dubai 13:00 in summer. Easiest of all the Europe-to-Asia pairings.
Things to remember
- Europe shifts in/out of DST in late March and late October. Asia almost universally does not.
- Therefore the European-Asian gap shrinks by one hour in summer and grows by one hour in winter.
- India's UTC+5:30 means many Europe-India conversions land on the half hour.
- Bangkok, Jakarta and Hanoi on UTC+7 are an underused middle ground for Europe-Asia calls.
FAQ
How many hours ahead of CET is Singapore?
7 hours in winter (CET, UTC+1; SGT UTC+8) and 6 hours in summer (CEST, UTC+2; SGT UTC+8).
Does any major Asian country observe DST?
Not currently. Iran observed DST until 2022. Most of central, southern and east Asia stay on a fixed offset year-round.
What's the best time for a London-Tokyo call?
London 08:00–09:00 (GMT or BST), which equals Tokyo 17:00 / 16:00. Comfortable for London, end-of-day for Tokyo.