Mainland Spain is always 1 hour ahead of the United Kingdom, both in summer and winter. However, when you travel to Lanzarote or one of the Canary Islands, there is no time difference – they share the same timezone as the United Kingdom. Here’s everything you need to know before your trip.
Time difference between Spain and the UK
Spain is 1 hour ahead of the United Kingdom during BST (March-October) and GMT (October-March). Lanzarote, despite being part of Spain, follows Western European Time (WET), which is the same timezone as the United Kingdom (UTC+0 in winter, UTC+1 in summer). So when it’s 12:00 noon in London, it’s 12:00 noon in Lanzarote.
Mainland Spain (Madrid, Barcelona), on the other hand, is 1 hour ahead. This often confuses travellers because Lanzarote is the only Spanish region that doesn’t run on mainland Spain’s time.
The time difference between Spain and the United Kingdom depends on the specific location in Spain and the season. Let’s go through the details below.
Mainland Spain vs. United Kingdom: Mainland Spain is one hour ahead of the United Kingdom, both in summer and winter.
Canary Islands vs. United Kingdom: In this part of Spain, the time is the same as in the United Kingdom.
Does the time difference change in summer or winter?
Both Spain and the United Kingdom change their clocks in summer and winter. In both cases, the clock is set forward one hour on the last Sunday in March and back one hour on the last Sunday in October.
Since the change happens on the same date, the time difference remains the same throughout the year.
Understanding the time zones
To better understand the time difference between both countries, it’s necessary to know the different time zones involved.
In the United Kingdom, Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is used in winter. When summer comes, clocks are set forward one hour and British Summer Time (BST) is used, which is GMT+1.
Mainland Spain uses Central European Time (CET), which is GMT+1 in winter. In summer, clocks are set forward one hour and Central European Summer Time (CEST) is used, which is GMT+2.
| Location | Winter timezone | Summer timezone | UTC Offset | vs. Lanzarote | vs. Madrid | vs. United Kingdom | Change clocks? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lanzarote | WET | WEST | UTC+0 / UTC+1 | Same time | 1 hour behind | Same time | No |
| Madrid | CET | CEST | UTC+1 / UTC+2 | 1 hour ahead | Same time | 1 hour ahead | Yes |
| United Kingdom | GMT | BST | UTC+0 / UTC+1 | Same time | 1 hour behind | Same time | No |
Why is Spain one hour ahead of the UK?
Today there is a one-hour difference between the United Kingdom and Spain. But this has not always been the case. Geographically, mainland Spain and the United Kingdom share roughly the same longitude, which means the time should be the same. And indeed, this was the case some decades ago.
The change took place during World War II, when Spain adopted CET to align with Nazi Germany. Even after the war, this timezone was maintained.
The Canary Islands: a different timezone
Although there is a time difference between the United Kingdom and mainland Spain, this does not apply to the Canary Islands. The islands have the same time as London, and it’s important to know this to avoid confusion during your trip.
Travellers to the Canary Islands can be confused because the islands are one hour behind the rest of Spain (mainland and Balearics) but have the same time as the United Kingdom, Portugal or Ireland.
Time in Lanzarote, Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura
Lanzarote, along with the other Canary Islands (Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura, among others), uses Western European Time (WET), which is GMT in winter. In summer, clocks are set forward one hour and they use Western European Summer Time (WEST), which is GMT+1.
Here you will find a complete time difference guide.
Both the United Kingdom and the Canary Islands set their clocks forward one hour in spring to adopt summer time (BST in the United Kingdom and WEST in the Canary Islands), maintaining the same time.
| Comparison | Result |
|---|---|
| Canary Islands vs. United Kingdom | Same timezone throughout the year |
| Canary Islands vs. Mainland Spain | Canary Islands are 1 hour behind |
| United Kingdom vs. Mainland Spain | United Kingdom is 1 hour behind mainland Spain |
| Lanzarote vs. Tenerife / Gran Canaria / Fuerteventura | Same time |
| Madrid vs. all Canary Islands | Madrid is 1 hour ahead |
Why the Canary Islands share the same time as the UK
The Canary Islands are closer to the African coast than to mainland Spain. Historically, they adopted the same timezone as Portugal and the United Kingdom for business and communication reasons.
Practical tips: flights, meetings and football matches
Understanding the time on the Canary Islands will help you plan your trip better. When you book a transfer service or reserve a restaurant table, you won’t need to recalculate the time.
You don’t even need to adjust the time on your phone because it’s already set correctly. And you certainly won’t have to worry about jetlag when you arrive at your destination, as you can start enjoying your trip from the beginning.
If it’s 15:00 in London, it’s 16:00 in Madrid, mainland Spain. The time difference remains the same throughout the year. You should keep this in mind if you’re interested in events in Spain, such as watching LaLiga, if you need to make a video call or catch a flight.
However, if you’re travelling from the UK to Lanzarote, you don’t need to worry about the time difference. If your flight leaves Gatwick at 07:00, you’ll land in Lanzarote at the same local time you’d expect – no mental calculations required.
Abdel Samouh is a tourism professional specialising in the Canary Islands, with a solid track record in visitor experience management on Lanzarote. His career has centred on promoting the island's landmark attractions and enhancing transfer and excursion services across this volcanic destination.
