Current Time in Iceland Time Zone
IANA Name: Iceland
Standard Offset: UTC +00:00
Daylight Saving: No
Currently Observing DST: No ❌
Iceland (Atlantic/Reykjavik) – Time Zone Guide
Iceland uses the IANA time zone Atlantic/Reykjavik, which is fixed at UTC+00:00 all year round. Unlike most of Europe, Iceland does not observe daylight saving time, so the offset remains constant. This page explains how the zone works, who uses it, and how to schedule across time zones.
Overview and Coverage
The Atlantic/Reykjavik zone covers the entire country of Iceland, including the capital Reykjavik and all inhabited regions. It is the sole IANA zone for Iceland. The standard offset is UTC+00:00, which is identical to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). The abbreviation used is GMT (or UTC) – Icelanders commonly refer to their time as GMT.
No Daylight Saving Time
Iceland has not observed daylight saving time since 1968. The offset is UTC+00:00 throughout the year. This means that Iceland’s clocks never change: sunrise and sunset times shift naturally with the seasons, but the time zone remains constant. In summer, Iceland enjoys long daylight hours (including the midnight sun north of the Arctic Circle), while winter brings short days – but the clock stays on GMT.
Main Cities and Usage
The zone applies to all of Iceland. Key cities include Reykjavik (capital), Kópavogur, Hafnarfjörður, Akureyri, and Reykjanesbær. The entire country follows the same time, so there are no internal time differences.
Business Hours and Scheduling
Iceland’s standard business hours are roughly 09:00–17:00 local time (GMT). Because Iceland does not shift clocks, its offset relative to other zones changes when those zones observe DST. For example:
- New York (Eastern Time): Iceland is 4 hours ahead during EST (UTC-5) and 5 hours ahead during EDT (UTC-4).
- London (GMT/BST): Iceland is the same as GMT in winter (UTC+0) and 1 hour behind BST in summer (UTC+1).
- Central Europe (CET/CEST): Iceland is 1 hour behind CET (UTC+1) and 2 hours behind CEST (UTC+2).
- Tokyo (JST): Iceland is 9 hours behind Japan (UTC+9) all year.
To schedule a call with Iceland, check the current offset of your location relative to UTC. Since Iceland is always UTC+0, you can use UTC as a reference. For instance, 10:00 UTC is 10:00 in Reykjavik. During summer, many European countries are one or two hours ahead, so Iceland is effectively earlier. For North America, the time difference widens when the US/Canada shift to DST.
Other Zones at the Same Offset
Several other IANA zones share the same standard offset (UTC+00:00), but they may observe DST. These include Africa/Abidjan, Africa/Accra, Africa/Bamako, Africa/Banjul, Africa/Bissau, Africa/Conakry, Africa/Dakar, Africa/Freetown, Africa/Lome, Africa/Monrovia, Africa/Nouakchott, Africa/Ouagadougou. However, most of these African zones also do not observe DST, so they are effectively the same as Iceland year-round. The key difference is that Iceland is a European nation with a distinct geographic location, affecting sunrise/sunset times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Iceland have daylight saving time?
No, Iceland does not observe daylight saving time. The time zone is fixed at UTC+00:00 (GMT) all year.
What is the time zone in Reykjavik?
Reykjavik is in the Atlantic/Reykjavik time zone, which is UTC+00:00 (GMT) year-round.
Is Iceland on the same time as the UK?
In winter (when the UK is on GMT), Iceland and the UK are the same. In summer, the UK shifts to BST (UTC+1), so Iceland is one hour behind the UK.
What is the time difference between Iceland and New York?
When New York is on EST (UTC-5), Iceland is 5 hours ahead. When New York is on EDT (UTC-4), Iceland is 4 hours ahead.
Why doesn't Iceland use daylight saving time?
Iceland abolished DST in 1968. The country’s high latitude means daylight hours vary greatly with seasons, and the government decided to keep a constant offset for simplicity.
What is the IANA time zone name for Iceland?
The IANA time zone is Atlantic/Reykjavik.