EST to CET converter
Convert Eastern Time to Central European Time. Paris and Berlin are 6 hours ahead of New York for most of the year.
Paris is 6 hours ahead of New York (EST vs CET).
Working between New York and Europe
New York and the continental European capitals are six hours apart, which leaves a long morning overlap for transatlantic business. When New York opens at 9 AM, Paris is already at 3 PM, and Berlin, Rome and Madrid are on the same clock.
The gap drops to five hours for about two to three weeks each spring and for a week in autumn, because the US and the EU change their clocks on different dates. Outside those periods it is a dependable six hours.
The six-hour gap makes the New York morning the main meeting window for European colleagues.
Meetings with European offices
European offices run from 9 AM to 5 PM CET, which is 3 AM to 11 AM in New York.
- 9:00 AM EST is 3:00 PM CET
- 11:00 AM EST is 5:00 PM CET
- 8:00 AM EST is 2:00 PM CET
The shared 9-to-5 window is only 9 to 11 AM in New York, the last two hours of the European day.
Exchanges
European exchanges close while New York is mid-morning.
- Euronext and Xetra open at 3:00 AM EST
- The 5:30 PM close in Paris is 11:30 AM EST
- The NYSE opening bell at 9:30 AM EST is 3:30 PM CET
The two markets overlap for about two hours a day.
Travel
Flights from New York to Paris leave in the evening and arrive in the morning.
- Depart JFK at 7:00 PM EST, arrive about 8:30 AM CET
- Depart CDG at 11:00 AM CET, arrive in New York about 1:00 PM EST
- A match at 9:00 PM CET starts at 3:00 PM EST
Eastbound red-eye flights cost a day of sleep rather than a night.
Deadlines set in Central European Time
A submission due at 5:00 PM CET closes at 11:00 AM EST, so a New York employee must send it before lunch. A midnight CET deadline is 6:00 PM EST the previous day.
In the other direction, a New York deadline of 5:00 PM EST is 11:00 PM CET, outside office hours in Europe. Send European colleagues the material the day before.
When the gap is five hours instead of six
The US moves its clocks on the second Sunday of March, three weeks before the EU does, and back on the first Sunday of November, a week after. During those windows, the gap is five hours. The EU and the US both revert to the usual six hours afterward.
- Mar 14, 2027: New York moves to EDT (UTC−4); the gap becomes 5 hours
- Mar 28, 2027: Paris moves to CEST (UTC+2); the gap becomes 6 hours
- Oct 31, 2027: Paris moves to CET (UTC+1); the gap becomes 5 hours
- Nov 7, 2027: New York moves to EST (UTC−5); the gap becomes 6 hours
This is why a recurring Monday morning meeting suddenly seems an hour off in mid-March. If your meeting is set in New York time, European participants will see it move; if it is in Paris time, New Yorkers will.
New York to Paris, every hour
Times are for Nov 6, 2026, when Paris is 6 hours ahead of New York. The gap changes on the dates listed above. Green rows are the hours when both places are inside a 9-to-5 day.
| New York (EST) | ParisCET, +6 hrs |
|---|---|
| 12:00 AM (midnight) | 6:00 AM |
| 1:00 AM | 7:00 AM |
| 2:00 AM | 8:00 AM |
| 3:00 AM | 9:00 AM |
| 4:00 AM | 10:00 AM |
| 5:00 AM | 11:00 AM |
| 6:00 AM | 12:00 PM |
| 7:00 AM | 1:00 PM |
| 8:00 AM | 2:00 PM |
| 9:00 AM | 3:00 PM |
| 10:00 AM | 4:00 PM |
| 11:00 AM | 5:00 PM |
| 12:00 PM (noon) | 6:00 PM |
| 1:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
| 2:00 PM | 8:00 PM |
| 3:00 PM | 9:00 PM |
| 4:00 PM | 10:00 PM |
| 5:00 PM | 11:00 PM |
| 6:00 PM | 12:00 AM next day |
| 7:00 PM | 1:00 AM next day |
| 8:00 PM | 2:00 AM next day |
| 9:00 PM | 3:00 AM next day |
| 10:00 PM | 4:00 AM next day |
| 11:00 PM | 5:00 AM next day |
“next day” and “previous day” mean Paris is on a different calendar date from New York.
Quick answers
What time is 9 AM EST in CET?
3:00 PM CET. Europe is six hours ahead of New York most of the year.
Is Paris 6 hours ahead of New York?
Yes for most of the year; 5 hours for a few weeks in March and late October/early November.
What is 5 PM EST in Berlin?
11:00 PM CET.
What are the overlapping hours?
9 AM to 11 AM in New York, 3 PM to 5 PM in Paris and Berlin.
Is CET the same as CEST?
No. CEST is the summer version, one hour ahead of CET. The converter handles both.