Asia · Southern Asia · Sovereign state
Current time in Nepal
A single time zone at UTC+05:45.
Thursday, October 15, 2026
About Nepal's time
A single time zone.
Nepal uses a single timezone—UTC+05:45—one of the few places in the world with an offset 45 minutes off the hour, sitting exactly between India's UTC+05:30 and Bhutan's UTC+06:00.
Major cities
Cities of Nepal.
History
How Nepal keeps time.
Nepal adopted its current time standard, Nepal Standard Time (UTC+05:45), on January 1, 1986. Before that, Nepal used Indian Standard Time (UTC+05:30) since 1920 and earlier followed a local solar time based on Kathmandu's longitude.
The switch to the unique offset was a deliberate national choice to differentiate from India and align clock time more closely with astronomical reality—Kathmandu's local mean time is UTC+05:41, so under UTC+05:45 solar noon falls on average about 4 minutes after 12:00, compared with about 11 minutes before 12:00 under UTC+05:30. The move was also seen as a way to assert national identity distinct from neighboring India.
Nepal never observes Daylight Saving Time, maintaining consistent UTC+05:45 year-round. The only other official time zone with a 45-minute offset is New Zealand's Chatham Islands (UTC+12:45).
Did you know?
Things about Nepal's time.
Nepal's UTC+05:45 offset means the country is exactly 5 hours and 45 minutes ahead of UTC—a quirky choice that makes it stand out in international meetings and travel planning. This unusual offset actually serves Nepal well geographically: Kathmandu's longitude (85.3°E) roughly corresponds to UTC+05:41, so UTC+05:45 is a closer fit to solar time than the standard UTC+05:30 India uses.
Nepal is always exactly 15 minutes ahead of India, since neither country observes daylight saving time. The unique offset is abbreviated as NPT (+05:45) and can cause confusion for international software systems that assume hourly timezones only.
Convert
Nepal to the world's clocks.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Nepal's time zone, daylight saving rules, and how to handle it in software. Can't find what you need? Email [email protected].
- Why is Nepal's timezone UTC+05:45?
- Nepal adopted UTC+05:45 in 1986 to better align clock time with solar reality (Kathmandu's noon is closer to 12:00 locally than under UTC+05:30) and to assert a distinct national identity separate from India's UTC+05:30 standard.
- Does Nepal observe Daylight Saving Time?
- No, Nepal has never observed DST. Nepal stays on UTC+05:45 all year.
- How does Nepal's time compare to India?
- Nepal is 15 minutes ahead of Indian Standard Time (IST). When it's 9:00 AM in New Delhi, it's 9:15 AM in Kathmandu. This small difference can cause confusion for cross-border travel and scheduling.
- Are there any technical issues with Nepal's unusual offset?
- Yes, software and databases sometimes struggle with non-hourly offsets. NPT is abbreviated as +05:45, but some systems may round to UTC+05:30 or UTC+06:00 incorrectly. Developers should use 'Asia/Kathmandu' rather than hardcoding offsets.
- What time zone is Kathmandu in?
- Kathmandu and all of Nepal use Nepal Time, which is UTC+05:45. There are no regional time variations—the entire country uses the same timezone.
- When did Nepal change to UTC+05:45?
- The switch happened on January 1, 1986. Before that date, Nepal followed Indian Standard Time at UTC+05:30.
Source: IANA tzdb2026d · Reviewed
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