Unlike other countries with a single time zone, Brazil observes more than one. So if you are planning to visit the country, it is best to familiarize yourself with its time zones. This way, you can plan your activities better since they are in sync with Brazil's time. But how many time zones does Brazil has?

Understanding Time Zones

The world is divided into many time zones, which refer to a region with a uniform standard time. This standard time is used for commercial, legal, and social purposes. In 1884, time zones were created during a meeting in Washington DC. That time, 24 countries participated. 

Brazil is one of the countries that observe a specific time zone. This continental-sized country is spread across four different time zones, all located to the west of Greenwich.

Time Zones in Brazil

Are you visiting Brazil soon? This country observed three time zones because the fourth one is controversial. Why? Find out later, but for now, here are the time zones you need to be aware of:

UTC-02:00

The UTC−02:00 is not an official time zone for any state but is used on some islands located on the northeast coast of Brazil. The islands of Trindade and Martim Vaz, São Pedro and São Paulo, and Atol das Rocas and Fernando de Noronha observe this time zone.

UTC-03:00

The UTC-03:00 time zone is an official time zone in Brazil. It is commonly referred to as the Horário de Brasília o Horário Oficial de Brasília. To Easily call this time zone, you can abbreviate it as BRT. Take note that Brasília Official Time is adjusted with Daylight Saving Time.

The following are the 22 out of the 27 Brazilian states that have adopted the UTC-03:00 as their official time zone:

Distrito Federal

Paraná

Santa Catarina

Rio Grande do Sul

São Paulo

Rio de Janeiro

Espírito Santo

Minas Gerais

Amapá

Pará

Maranhão

Tocantins

Goiás

Piauí

Ceará

Rio Grande do Norte

Paraíba

Pernambuco

Alagoas

Bahia

Sergipe

Goiás

UTC-04:00

Five Brazilian states in the west use UTC-04:00 as their official time zone and they are Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Amazonas, Rondônia, and Roraima.

UTC-05:00

UTC-05:00, The fourth time zone is regarded as Brazil's most controversial time zone. It was discontinued in 2008 but reinstated in 2013 in a referendum held in 2010. This time zone is used in the far-western tip of the country.

Brazil has four time zones, even though UTC-05:00 is controversial. If you want to be in sync with Brazil's time, make sure to know which time zone the pace you are visiting follows.