Brazil has four official time zones: UTC−2 on Fernando de Noronha and the oceanic islands, UTC−3 (Brasília time) in 20 states plus the Federal District, UTC−4 in Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Rondônia and Roraima, and UTC−5 in Acre and southwestern Amazonas. At noon in Brasília it is 1:00 PM on Noronha, 11:00 AM in Manaus and 10:00 AM in Rio Branco.
These gaps are the same all year because Brazil has not used daylight saving time since 2019. Below you'll find the legal breakdown, a table of all 27 federal units and the exceptions that trip people up.
Brazil's four time zones
The zones are defined in Decree 2,784 of 1913, as amended by Law 12,876 of 2013:
- UTC−2: the Fernando de Noronha archipelago and Trindade Island. Other oceanic islands, such as Atol das Rocas and the São Pedro e São Paulo archipelago, keep the same time. One hour ahead of Brasília.
- UTC−3 (Brasília time): the Federal District, the whole South, Southeast and Northeast, plus Goiás, Tocantins, Pará and Amapá.
- UTC−4: Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Rondônia, Roraima and most of Amazonas, including Manaus. One hour behind Brasília.
- UTC−5: Acre and the part of Amazonas west of a line running from Tabatinga (AM) to Porto Acre (AC). Two hours behind Brasília.
The Brazil time zone map shows each band with its current time.
Table: time zone of all 27 states
Offsets follow the IANA time zone database, used by phones and computers, and federal law. They apply year-round.
| Code | State | Capital | Zone | vs. Brasília |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AC | Acre | Rio Branco | UTC−5 | −2 h |
| AL | Alagoas | Maceió | UTC−3 | same |
| AP | Amapá | Macapá | UTC−3 | same |
| AM | Amazonas | Manaus | UTC−4 (southwest on UTC−5) | −1 h |
| BA | Bahia | Salvador | UTC−3 | same |
| CE | Ceará | Fortaleza | UTC−3 | same |
| DF | Distrito Federal | Brasília | UTC−3 | same |
| ES | Espírito Santo | Vitória | UTC−3 | same |
| GO | Goiás | Goiânia | UTC−3 | same |
| MA | Maranhão | São Luís | UTC−3 | same |
| MT | Mato Grosso | Cuiabá | UTC−4 | −1 h |
| MS | Mato Grosso do Sul | Campo Grande | UTC−4 | −1 h |
| MG | Minas Gerais | Belo Horizonte | UTC−3 | same |
| PA | Pará | Belém | UTC−3 | same |
| PB | Paraíba | João Pessoa | UTC−3 | same |
| PR | Paraná | Curitiba | UTC−3 | same |
| PE | Pernambuco | Recife | UTC−3 (Noronha on UTC−2) | same |
| PI | Piauí | Teresina | UTC−3 | same |
| RJ | Rio de Janeiro | Rio de Janeiro | UTC−3 | same |
| RN | Rio Grande do Norte | Natal | UTC−3 | same |
| RS | Rio Grande do Sul | Porto Alegre | UTC−3 | same |
| RO | Rondônia | Porto Velho | UTC−4 | −1 h |
| RR | Roraima | Boa Vista | UTC−4 | −1 h |
| SC | Santa Catarina | Florianópolis | UTC−3 | same |
| SP | São Paulo | São Paulo | UTC−3 | same |
| SE | Sergipe | Aracaju | UTC−3 | same |
| TO | Tocantins | Palmas | UTC−3 | same |
For the exact time in each state and capital, see the list of Brazilian states.
States with more than one zone: Amazonas and Pernambuco
Amazonas
Most of the state, including Manaus, is on UTC−4. The southwest, west of the Tabatinga–Porto Acre line, uses Acre time (UTC−5). That includes municipalities such as Eirunepé, Envira, Guajará, Ipixuna, Benjamin Constant and Atalaia do Norte. Check the current time in Amazonas by city if you are unsure.
Pernambuco
Recife and the whole mainland are on UTC−3. The state district of Fernando de Noronha, about 350 km off the coast, is on UTC−2. See the time in Fernando de Noronha.
What has changed since 2008
- 2008: Law 11,662 moved Acre and southwestern Amazonas from UTC−5 to UTC−4, and western Pará from UTC−4 to UTC−3, putting all of Pará on Brasília time.
- 2013: after a 2010 referendum in Acre, Law 12,876 reversed the change and restored UTC−5 to Acre and southwestern Amazonas from November 10, 2013. Pará stayed entirely on UTC−3.
- 2019: Decree 9,772 of April 25, 2019 ended daylight saving time nationwide.
That is why older articles still describe Pará or Tocantins as "partly" in another zone, or mention a 3-hour summer gap between Acre and São Paulo. Neither is true today.
How the gaps show up in practice
- Elections: polls follow Brasília time, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. In Acre that means 6:00 AM to 3:00 PM local time; in Mato Grosso or Manaus, 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The runoff, where required, is on October 25, 2026.
- Flights: departure and arrival times are printed in each airport's local time, so a Brasília to Rio Branco flight looks shorter than it is.
- Remote work: a 9:00 AM meeting in Brasília starts at 7:00 AM for a colleague in Acre.
- Online deadlines: exams, applications and public notices usually use Brasília time, so people in other zones must convert.
For every municipality outside Brasília time, see cities with a different time from Brasília.
Frequently asked questions
How many time zones does Brazil have?
Four: UTC−2, UTC−3, UTC−4 and UTC−5. All are west of Greenwich, with Brasília on UTC−3.
What is the time difference between Acre and Brasília?
Acre is 2 hours behind Brasília all year. At noon in Brasília it is 10:00 AM in Rio Branco. See the current time in Acre.
Is Mato Grosso do Sul on the same time as São Paulo?
No. Mato Grosso do Sul is on UTC−4, one hour behind São Paulo, like Mato Grosso, Rondônia, Roraima and most of Amazonas.
Are Pará and Tocantins on a different time from Brasília?
No. All of Pará has been on UTC−3 since 2008, and Tocantins is on Brasília time as well.
Will Brazil bring back daylight saving time?
None is scheduled. It was ended in 2019 by Decree 9,772, and the current zones apply year-round.
Summary
From east to west: Noronha (UTC−2), the Federal District and 20 states (UTC−3), AM, MT, MS, RO and RR (UTC−4), and Acre with southwestern Amazonas (UTC−5). With no daylight saving time, the gaps are fixed, with a maximum of 3 hours between Noronha and Acre.