Time differences

Greenland got a new time zone in 2023.

In 2023, Inatsisartut, the Parliament of Greenland, passed a new act on new time regulations in Greenland. When Denmark and most of Europe switched to winter time during the night before Sunday 28 October 2023, Greenland remained on what corresponds to summer time.

This means that the time difference between West Greenland and Denmark/Europe is three hours, and not four hours as we are used to.

The new time zone means that from now on there is a 3-hour difference between the east coast of North America (ET) and Greenland, and between Europe (CET) and Greenland.

Until now, we have been used to a four-hour time difference between Greenland and Europe (CET) and a two-hour time difference between Greenland and the North American east coast.

How will it affect your travel after 28 October 2023?

Please note that flight times from Denmark, and domestic flights to and from Nerlerit Inaat/Constable Pynt, Ittoqqortoormiit and Pituffik Space Base/Thule, are not affected by the change, as they remain in the same time zones as before.

• In northern Greenland at Pituffik Space Base, Eastern (US) Time is used
• In East Greenland, in Ittoqqortoormiit, there is a three-hour time difference between Denmark and Greenland.

Flight time between Denmark and Greenland

The flight time between Copenhagen and Kangerlussuaq is approx. 4 hours and 40 minutes. If you take off in the morning in Denmark, you will also land in the morning in Greenland.

It is the other way round on the journey home. Here you typically fly from Greenland around midday, but do not land in Copenhagen until the evening. Some evening flights to Denmark land early the next morning in Denmark because of the time difference.

You can expect to get a little tired early on your first day in Greenland, as some people experience a little jet lag on their journey to Greenland. You might go to bed early on the first evening if you feel tired. Then you can be fresh and rested the next day.

Most people, however, do not feel affected by the time difference between the two time zones.

What time is it in Greenland?

If it is 15:00 in Denmark, it will be 12:00 in most of Greenland. Since the new act on new time regulations was introduced in 2023, we now subtract three hours from the time in Denmark, instead of subtracting four hours as we are otherwise used to.

So if you should stop and think “What time is it in Nuuk?”, just look at your own watch and subtract three hours – and you have the time!