Live · calculated from the IANA time-zone database

Time difference between Madrid and Shanghai

Short answer

Shanghai is 6 hours ahead of Madrid. Right now it is 14:33 in Madrid (GMT+2, UTC+2) and 20:33 in Shanghai (GMT+8, UTC+8).

Right now

Madrid · Spain

14:33

Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Central European Summer Time · GMT+2 · UTC+2

Shanghai · China

20:33

Tuesday, September 15, 2026

China Standard Time · GMT+8 · UTC+8

Times at the moment this page was generated. Reload for a fresh reading.

Does the difference between Madrid and Shanghai change during the year?

Yes. For 210 days of 2026 the difference is 6 hours, but it moves whenever Madrid or Shanghai enters or leaves daylight saving time. Here is the full 2026 calendar (dates in UTC):

From	Until	Shanghai vs Madrid
January 1	March 29	+7 h
March 29	October 25	+6 h
October 25	December 31	+7 h

The highlighted row is the current period. Every date comes from each zone's official rules, not from a hand-typed table.

Best time to call Shanghai from Madrid (and vice versa)

The window in which both cities are inside their 9:00–17:00 working day runs from 09:00 to 11:00 in Madrid, which is 15:00 to 17:00 in Shanghai: 2 hours of overlap per day. For a call that disturbs nobody, aim for the middle of that window.

Outside that window, the practical rule: mornings in Shanghai are afternoons in Madrid. Avoid any hour that falls before 8:00 or after 21:00 in either city.

Madrid to Shanghai conversion table

Each Madrid hour and its equivalent in Shanghai today. Rows shaded green are working hours (9:00–17:00) in both cities at once.

Madrid time · Tue, Sep 15	Shanghai time
00:00	06:00
01:00	07:00
02:00	08:00
03:00	09:00
04:00	10:00
05:00	11:00
06:00	12:00
07:00	13:00
08:00	14:00
09:00	15:00
10:00	16:00
11:00	17:00
12:00	18:00
13:00	19:00
14:00	20:00
15:00	21:00
16:00	22:00
17:00	23:00
18:00	00:00next day
19:00	01:00next day
20:00	02:00next day
21:00	03:00next day
22:00	04:00next day
23:00	05:00next day

Looking for it the other way round? This page covers both directions: Shanghai to Madrid is the same difference with the sign flipped.

The two time zones

Madrid — Europe/Madrid

Madrid keeps Central European Time (UTC+1 / UTC+2 in summer) despite lying west of London, a 1940 decision that still shapes Spain's famously late working day.

Shanghai — Asia/Shanghai

Shanghai — and all of China, from Beijing to Kashgar — uses a single zone, China Standard Time (UTC+8), with no daylight saving.

Frequently asked questions

How many hours difference between Madrid and Shanghai?

Shanghai is 6 hours ahead of Madrid. For most of the year (210 days) the difference is 6 hours; it shifts during the weeks when one of the two cities enters or leaves daylight saving time.

When it is 12:00 noon in Madrid, what time is it in Shanghai?

18:00 in Shanghai (at today's difference of 6 hours).

What is the best time for a meeting between Madrid and Shanghai?

Between 09:00 and 11:00 in Madrid, which is 15:00–17:00 in Shanghai: 2 hours of overlap inside both cities' 9:00–17:00 working day.

Do Madrid and Shanghai observe daylight saving time?

Madrid: yes. Shanghai: no. Because only one of them changes its clocks, the difference moves by one hour twice a year.

What time zone is Madrid in? And Shanghai?

Madrid: Central European Summer Time (Europe/Madrid, UTC+2). Shanghai: China Standard Time (Asia/Shanghai, UTC+8).

Tools

Meeting grid — add both cities and click a slot

Time zone converter — any city, any time

Working hours overlap calculator

Daylight saving time 2027 — all dates