Asia · South-Eastern Asia · Sovereign state
Current time in Timor-Leste
A single time zone at UTC+09:00.
Sunday, May 31, 2026
About Timor-Leste's time
A single time zone.
Timor-Leste operates on a single timezone: UTC+9, which it shares with places like Japan and South Korea. The country doesn't observe daylight saving time, so the offset stays constant year-round.
Major cities
Cities of Timor-Leste.
History
How Timor-Leste keeps time.
Timor-Leste's timezone has shifted significantly through its turbulent colonial and post-independence history.
During Portuguese colonial rule (Portuguese Timor), the territory followed UTC+8, aligning with Macau and Portuguese interests in the region. When Indonesia occupied East Timor from 1975 to 1999, the territory was switched to UTC+9 to align with Indonesian Eastern Time (Waktu Indonesia Timur), unifying it with the neighboring parts of the Indonesian archipelago.
After gaining independence in 2002, Timor-Leste retained UTC+9 rather than reverting to its Portuguese-era offset. While UTC+8 might have seemed more geographically appropriate given its longitude, keeping UTC+9 maintained continuity with the period that shaped modern administration and kept the country aligned with key regional neighbors for trade and communication.
Did you know?
Things about Timor-Leste's time.
Timor-Leste's UTC+9 timezone places it in the same hour as Japan, South Korea, and Indonesian Eastern Time — making coordination relatively straightforward for regional partners.
Geographically, Timor-Leste sits near 125°E longitude, which means solar noon occurs around 11:45 AM local time — meaning the sun rises and sets a bit 'early' by the clock compared to many other countries. This isn't unusual for Southeast Asian nations in this offset range.
The country's small size (roughly 15,000 km²) means there's no internal timezone variation, and the single-zone setup keeps things simple for residents and visitors alike.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Timor-Leste's time zone, daylight saving rules, and how to handle it in software. Can't find what you need? Email [email protected].
- Does Timor-Leste observe daylight saving time?
- No, Timor-Leste does not observe daylight saving time. The offset remains UTC+9 throughout the year.
- What countries share the same timezone as Timor-Leste?
- Timel-Leste shares UTC+9 with Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Palau, and the eastern Indonesian provinces (Maluku, Papua, West Papua).
- What is the capital of Timor-Leste and its timezone?
- The capital is Dili, which follows the Asia/Dili timezone at UTC+9.
- What are the business hours in Timor-Leste?
- Typical business hours are 9 AM to 5 PM local time. Being at UTC+9, Timor-Leste is one hour ahead of Western Indonesian time (Jakarta UTC+7), which is useful to know when coordinating across the land border.
- How did Timor-Leste end up at UTC+9 instead of UTC+8?
- Timor-Leste kept UTC+9 after independence because it had used this offset during the Indonesian occupation (1975–1999), and switching back wasn't seen as a priority. Indonesia's eastern regions also use UTC+9, which helps with cross-border relations.
- Is there any part of Timor-Leste in a different timezone?
- No, the entire country including the exclave of Oecusse and Atauro Island all follow the same UTC+9 timezone.
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