Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 4, 2021)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
When Farol uses the shortcut Ctrl+Shift+; Excel enters the local time in the cell. He wonders if there is any way to have it, instead, enter GMT (+7 or +8 hours) into the cell.
There is no way to configure Excel to do this, but it is a very easy task to create a macro that will enter the adjusted time. If you know that your local time is 8 hours behind GMT, then you can use a macro such as the following:
Sub EnterGMT()
ActiveCell = Time + (8 / 24)
End Sub
You can then assign the macro to a shortcut key and use it to enter the time in any cell. If your local time is actually 7 hours behind GMT, then simply change the 8 to a 7 in the formula.
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (13084) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021.
Excel Smarts for Beginners! Featuring the friendly and trusted For Dummies style, this popular guide shows beginners how to get up and running with Excel while also helping more experienced users get comfortable with the newest features. Check out Excel 2013 For Dummies today!
Work with times in a worksheet and you will eventually want to start working with elapsed times. Here's an explanation of ...
Discover MoreWhen you use a formula to come up with a result that you want displayed as a time, it can be tricky figuring out how to ...
Discover MoreYou know what time it is, right? (Quick; look at your watch!) What if you want to know what time it is in Greenwich, ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2021-09-04 16:03:19
Mike
A more general solution, which would appear to work in any time zone, at any time of the year, can be found here.
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1600875/how-to-get-the-current-datetime-in-utc-from-an-excel-vba-macro/23968601
The code is written as a UDF but to run it as a sub, the code in the tip could then be:
Sub EnterGMT()
ActiveCell = Format(UtcTime(Time), "hh:mm")
End Sub
2021-09-04 11:04:33
Tomek
You have to remember to change this macro when there is a change from summer to standard time. Is there a function that can tell whether the current time is standard or daylight savings time?
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments