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How much daylight: computed for your city

We computed these with the standard solar-declination formula for sunrise and sunset (day length from sunrise to sunset, no cloud, flat horizon, city-centre coordinates). Real values can differ by a few minutes; check a local weather or time service for exact times.

Why the first winter is hard

1. The clocks went backIn most of Europe the clocks go back on the last Sunday of October, so the evening gets dark early and quickly. Sunset in a northern city can be before 16:00 by December.
2. Your routine is newAt home you had friends, habits and places that filled the evenings. Here you are building them from nothing, and dark afternoons make that harder.
3. Home looks far awayWinter holidays, birthdays and family dinners come up while you are still new. Feeling low then is common and not a sign that moving was a mistake.
4. Weather and daylight togetherShort days, grey sky and cold keep many people indoors. Less time outside means even less daylight.

Many people feel flat, tired or less sociable in winter; this is often called the winter blues. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is different: the NHS describes it as a type of depression that usually happens in the winter. We cannot tell you which one you have. If low mood lasts, or you lose interest in things you normally enjoy, speak to a doctor: a GP in the UK, a huisarts in the Netherlands or Belgium, a Hausarzt in Germany. If you feel unsafe, use the local emergency number (see Emergency numbers in this kit).

Daylight walks

1. Go out while it is lightThe NHS advice is to get as much natural daylight as you can and to go outside in the daytime every day.
2. Plan it around the sunCheck sunrise and sunset in the table above or on todaynearby.app. In Stockholm, Oslo or Helsinki the useful window is only a few hours, so a lunchtime walk beats an after-work walk.
3. Make it a fixed slotA 20 to 30 minute walk at the same time each day is easier to keep than a plan for the weekend. Combine it with an errand, a coffee or the school run.
4. Take someone alongAsk a colleague, a neighbour or a language-exchange partner. A walk is an easy first invitation when you are new.

Vitamin D: what official bodies say

1. UK, NHSEveryone should consider taking a daily supplement in autumn and winter, containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D. The NHS says that between October and early March we do not make enough vitamin D from sunlight.
2. Netherlands, VoedingscentrumIn the winter months the sun in the Netherlands is too low to make vitamin D. Its table recommends 10 micrograms (20 for people aged 70 and over) for groups including everyone aged 4 to 69 with darker skin, anyone aged 4 to 69 who is not outside much in the daytime or covers the face, women aged 50 to 69, and pregnant women.
3. Sweden, LivsmedelsverketThe agency lists a recommended intake of 10 micrograms a day for adults aged 18 to 74 and 20 for people with little or no sun exposure. It says supplements are especially important in the winter half of the year for those who need them.
4. Finland, RuokavirastoPeople who normally spend time outdoors in summer need about 10 micrograms a day in winter, from food or supplements. A supplement is recommended for those who do not regularly eat fortified products or fish.
5. Germany, Belgium, Denmark, NorwayWe did not verify an official page for these countries and so state no figure. Ask your Hausarzt or huisarts.

These are the figures the bodies publish for the general population, quoted as stated. We give no doses of our own. Ask a doctor or pharmacist what is right for you, especially if you are pregnant, take medicines or have a health condition.

Light therapy lamps

1. What it isThe NHS describes light therapy as using a bright light, sometimes called a SAD lamp or light box, to simulate daylight in winter.
2. What the evidence isThe NHS says it is not usually available on the NHS because there is not enough evidence to tell whether it is effective. Many people still find it helps.
3. Talk firstThe NHS says to speak to a GP before trying light therapy. It may not suit everyone, for example people with some eye conditions or on medicines that make them sensitive to light.
4. If you buy oneThe NHS advises checking that it is bright enough (10,000 lux is standard), UV-free and carries a UKCA or CE mark, and following the maker's instructions. No brands are named here.
5. It does not replaceA lamp is not a substitute for a conversation with a doctor if your mood is low for weeks.

Evenings that do not feel empty

When it is dark at 16:00, an empty evening feels twice as long. Plan the week before it arrives.

1. Two fixed slots a weekPick two evenings and give them a fixed activity: a class, a sports club, a choir, a board-game night, a language café.
2. Say yes to the first invitationIn a new city the first invitations are the ones that build the rest. Say yes, even when the sofa is easier.
3. Cook for someoneA simple dinner for two or three new acquaintances is easier to host than a party.
4. Keep a call with homeFix a weekly call with family or friends back home, and check the time difference in this kit if needed.
5. Have a plan for a bad eveningA playlist, a series, a walk to a lit square or a call to a friend, decided in advance.

If you want to meet people nearby, the Meet & Mint app is one place to find local events and others who are new, and todaynearby.app/daylight shows sunrise, sunset and light left after work in 440 cities.

Related guides

• First 30 days in a new country
• What's closed in November 2026
• Emergency numbers
• Time difference to Spain and Portugal

Questions and answers

• When is the shortest day in 2026? Monday 21 December 2026 in the northern hemisphere. After that the days get a little longer.
• How dark does it get in Helsinki, Oslo and Stockholm? Our computed day length is about 5 h 49 min in Helsinki, 5 h 54 min in Oslo and 6 h 05 min in Stockholm on 21 December, against about 7 h 41 min in Amsterdam.
• Should I take vitamin D? We do not give personal advice. The NHS says everyone should consider a daily supplement in autumn and winter; other agencies name groups. Ask a doctor or pharmacist.
• Is a light lamp worth buying? The NHS says there is not enough evidence to tell whether it works, though many people find it helps, and to speak to a GP first.

Sources opened

• NHS: Vitamin D (autumn and winter supplement, 10 micrograms)
• NHS: Seasonal affective disorder (SAD): overview, self-help, when to see a GP
• NHS: SAD treatment, light therapy and natural daylight
• Voedingscentrum (NL): Vitamine D
• Livsmedelsverket (Sweden): D-vitamin
• Ruokavirasto, Finnish Food Authority: D-vitamiini

Each health page was opened on 25 October 2026. Day lengths are our own computation, not an official figure. We state only what these pages show.