Time in Chile is divided into three time zones. Most of Continental Chile uses the time offset in winter time and in summer time, while the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica region uses the time offset the whole year. Additionally, Easter Island uses the time offset in winter time and in summer time.
Until 2015, Continental Chile used the time offset and Easter Island used for standard time, with daylight saving time roughly between October and March every year. In January 2015, the Chilean government announced that the entire country would keep the time offset used during daylight saving time permanently.[1] [2] However, the annual time change was reinstated in 2016 after feedback from the public about an increase in truancy during the winter months,[3] complaints about older computers and other electronic devices not using the right time zone, and fruit growers reporting a 15% loss in productivity.[4]
Starting in 2016, Chile returned to UTC−04:00 for winter time for 3 months. Between 2016 and 2018, this began on the second Sunday of May and ended on the second Sunday of August;[5] from 2019 onward, it will start on the first Sunday of April and end on the first Sunday of September.Since 2017, a new time zone in the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica region has been implemented, giving two different times in Continental Chile for the first time.
UTC−3 in summer time and UTC−4 in winter time.The winter time starts the first Saturday of April and ends on the first Saturday of September.
UTC−5 in summer time and UTC−6 in winter time.It has 2 hours of difference from the Continental time and changes the same days.
It uses the summer time (UTC−3) the whole year. This time zone has been implemented since 2017.[6]
The official time on the mainland is now, in the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica Region is, and on Easter Island is .
Standard time in Chile was used in Chile until 2014 (returned 2016). The time zone Chile Standard Time (CLT) was used on the mainland with the offset and Easter Island Standard Time (EAST) was used on Easter Island with the offset .
On March 1, 1894, the first official time signal operates in Valparaiso at -4 hours, 46 minutes and 34 seconds with respect to GMT, as UTC did not exist.
In 1903, another official time was operating in Coquimbo. It was synchronized at -4 hours, 45 minutes 20.7 seconds with respect to GMT.
On January 10, 1910, Chile adopted GMT-5 as its official time.
On July 1, 1919, time was set as 4 hours 42 minutes 46.3 seconds behind Greenwich.
Summer time in Chile, also known as daylight saving time (DST) in Chile was used in Chile from 1968 to 2014 & 2016–present. The time zone Chile Summer Time (CLST) was used on the mainland with the offset and Easter Island Summer Time (EASST) was used on Easter Island with the offset . In mainland Chile, time was changed at 24:00 on a Saturday, i.e. at 0:00 on the following Sunday. In Easter Island, time was changed at 22:00 on a Saturday. In 2015, the time offset used in this time zone eventually became the only time zone in Chile.
Summer time 2023: From the first Saturday of September 2023 to the first Saturday of April 2024. The official time is advanced 60 minutes. The official time moves forward 60 minutes during this period and goes back in April.
Summer time 2024: From the first Saturday of September 2024 to the first Saturday of April 2025. The official time is advanced 60 minutes. The official time moves forward 60 minutes during this period and goes back in April.
Summer time 2025: From the first Saturday of September 2025 to the first Saturday of April 2026. The official time is advanced 60 minutes. The official time moves forward 60 minutes during this period and goes back in April.
Several exceptions have been decreed to the current rule that began in 1968:
Zones for Chile as given in the file zone.tab of the IANA time zone database.
| coordinates | TZ | Comments | UTC offset | DST | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| −3327−07040 | America/Santiago | Continental Chile - most locations | −04:00 | −03:00 | ||
| -5309-07055 | America/Punta_Arenas | Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica | −03:00 | −03:00 | ||
| −2709−10926 | Pacific/Easter | Easter Island & Salas y Gómez | −06:00 | −05:00 |