Live clock
Time in Malta Now
Malta is one hour ahead of the UK, all year round, and is on Central European Time (CET, UTC+1) now. The clocks next go forward one hour on Sunday, 28 March 2027, the same night as in the UK.
Time in Malta now
02:23:18
Monday, 9 November 2026
Central European Time (CET)
Time in the UK now
01:23:18
Monday, 9 November 2026
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
Malta time at a glance
Time zone
Central European Time
UTC+1 until the last Sunday in March.
Difference from the UK
1 hour ahead
All year round, in summer and in winter.
Next clock change
Forward 1 hour
Sunday, 28 March 2027, the same night as the UK.
Flight from London
About 3h 20m
Direct from Heathrow and Gatwick. Land 4h 20m later by the clock.
UK time and Malta time side by side
The rule is simple: add one hour to the UK time. It works on every day of the year, because Malta and the UK move their clocks forward and back at exactly the same moment.
| When it is this in the UK | It is this in Malta |
|---|---|
| 7am | 8am |
| 9am | 10am |
| 12 noon | 1pm |
| 3pm | 4pm |
| 6pm | 7pm |
| 9pm | 10pm |
| 11pm | Midnight |
So a 10am video call with the office in London is 11am on your sun lounger, and the 6pm news at home is on at 7pm in Malta. The same hour applies on Gozo and Comino: there is only one time zone on the islands.
When the clocks change in Malta
Malta follows the EU summer time rule. Summer time starts at 01:00 GMT on the last Sunday in March and ends at 01:00 GMT on the last Sunday in October. The UK uses the same dates and the same moment, which is why the one-hour gap never changes. In Malta the change happens at 2am local time in March and at 3am in October.
Sunday, 28 March 2027
Clocks go forward one hour, from 2am to 3am Malta time. Malta moves to CEST (UTC+2).
Sunday, 31 October 2027
Clocks go back one hour, from 3am to 2am Malta time. Malta moves to CET (UTC+1).
Sunday, 26 March 2028
Clocks go forward one hour, from 2am to 3am Malta time. Malta moves to CEST (UTC+2).
Sunday, 29 October 2028
Clocks go back one hour, from 3am to 2am Malta time. Malta moves to CET (UTC+1).
If you fly out on a change weekend, check the departure time on your booking against the local time. An early Sunday flight home on the last weekend of October gives you an extra hour in bed; the last weekend of March takes one away.
Flight times and the time difference
Direct flights to Malta from Heathrow to Malta and Gatwick to Malta take about 3 hours 20 minutes. Going out, the clock jumps forward an hour while you are in the air, so the journey looks like 4 hours 20 minutes on paper. Coming home it looks like 2 hours 20 minutes.
Going out: leave London at 10:00 UK time, land at Malta airport at about 14:20 Malta time.
Coming home: leave Malta at 15:00 Malta time, land in London at about 17:20 UK time.
These are worked examples of the time difference, not timetables. Your booking shows the real times, always in the local time of each airport.
Sunrise and sunset in Malta, month by month
Malta sits much further south than the UK, so winter days are noticeably longer: in December the sun sets in Valletta at about 16:49, compared with before 4pm in London. Summer evenings are bright until after 8pm. Times are for the middle of each month, in Malta time.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 07:11 | 17:09 | 10 hours |
| February | 06:50 | 17:42 | 10.9 hours |
| March | 06:14 | 18:08 | 11.9 hours |
| April | 06:30 | 19:34 | 13.1 hours |
| May | 05:56 | 19:59 | 14 hours |
| June | 05:44 | 20:19 | 14.6 hours |
| July | 05:56 | 20:19 | 14.4 hours |
| August | 06:19 | 19:53 | 13.6 hours |
| September | 06:43 | 19:11 | 12.5 hours |
| October | 07:07 | 18:27 | 11.3 hours |
| November | 06:37 | 16:55 | 10.3 hours |
| December | 07:04 | 16:49 | 9.7 hours |
Each month links to its own page with the usual temperatures, sea and rain, for example weather in Malta in December. For the week ahead, see the Malta weather forecast, and for the whole year the weather in Malta guide.
Practical information
- Time zone
- Central European Time (CET, UTC+1); summer time CEST (UTC+2)
- Difference from the UK
- Malta is 1 hour ahead, all year
- Clocks go forward
- Last Sunday in March, 2am to 3am Malta time
- Clocks go back
- Last Sunday in October, 3am to 2am Malta time
- Same time as
- Italy, France, Germany and mainland Spain
- Gozo and Comino
- Same time as Malta
- Dialling code
- +356 for Malta; +44 for the UK
- Currency
- Euro: see Malta currency
More quick answers before you travel: where is Malta, the language in Malta (English is an official language) and the best time to visit Malta.
One hour ahead, a world away
An hour's difference and a flight of about three and a half hours: Malta is one of the easiest sunny breaks from the UK. Browse holidays to Malta or Malta package holidays with flights and hotel together.
Questions about the time in Malta
What time zone is Malta in?
Malta is on Central European Time (CET), which is UTC+1, from late October to late March. In summer it is on Central European Summer Time (CEST), which is UTC+2. Gozo and Comino are on the same time as Malta, because the islands are one country.
Is Malta ahead of or behind the UK?
Malta is one hour ahead of the UK all year round. When it is 12 noon in London it is 1pm in Valletta. The gap never changes, because both countries change their clocks at the same moment.
Do the clocks change in Malta?
Yes. Malta follows the EU summer time rule: the clocks go forward one hour on the last Sunday in March and back one hour on the last Sunday in October, at 01:00 GMT. That is the same moment the UK clocks change, so in Malta it happens at 2am in March and 3am in October local time.
When do the clocks next change in Malta?
The clocks next go forward one hour on Sunday, 28 March 2027, the same night as in the UK. After that: back on Sunday, 31 October 2027, forward on Sunday, 26 March 2028, back on Sunday, 29 October 2028.
How long is the flight to Malta, and what time will I land?
Direct flights from Heathrow and Gatwick take about 3 hours 20 minutes. Add one hour for the time difference: leave London at 10am UK time and you land at about 2:20pm Malta time. Coming home you get the hour back. See flights to Malta and the flight time to Malta.
Will I get jet lag in Malta?
No. One hour is too small a change to cause jet lag for most people. The only thing to watch is the first morning: set an alarm by the local time if you have an early boat trip or tour booked.
Will my phone change to Malta time by itself?
Most phones set to update the time automatically switch to Malta time once they connect to a Maltese mobile network. A watch or a travel alarm clock needs changing by hand: put it forward one hour.
What time does it get dark in Malta?
It depends on the month. In mid-December the sun sets at about 16:49 Malta time, and in mid-June at about 20:19. Malta is further south than the UK, so winter days are longer and summer evenings a little shorter than at home. The table above gives every month.
Is Malta on the same time as Italy, France and Spain?
Yes. Malta shares Central European Time with Italy, France, Germany and mainland Spain, so it is the same time in Valletta as in Rome, Paris, Berlin and Madrid.
What is the dialling code for Malta?
Malta is +356. To call a Maltese number from the UK, dial 00 356 and the eight-digit number. To call the UK from Malta, dial 00 44 and drop the first 0 of the UK number. Remember the hour: 9am in Malta is 8am at home.
Checked 8 November 2026.
Sources
Summer time: Directive 2000/84/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on summer-time arrangements, which applies in Malta; the UK keeps the same dates. Live clocks: the official time zone database (Europe/Malta, Europe/London) on your device. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar position equations for Valletta, mid-month. Flight time: KM Malta Airlines.