Working Hours in São Paulo: A Timezone Guide

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Frequently Asked Questions

What UTC offset does São Paulo use?
São Paulo uses Brasília Time (BRT), which is UTC−3 year-round. Brazil abolished daylight saving time in 2019. Before 2019, São Paulo observed Brazilian Summer Time (BRST, UTC−2) from October through February, but this is no longer in effect. The fixed UTC−3 offset makes scheduling more predictable than it was previously.
What are typical business hours in São Paulo?
Standard business hours in São Paulo run 9 AM to 6 PM BRT, Monday through Friday. Brazilian lunch culture is significant — a full 1 to 2 hour lunch break from noon to 2 PM is common, and many professionals leave for restaurants. Scheduling meetings over lunch is generally not appreciated. After-work social commitments are important in Brazilian business culture.
What is the best time to schedule a call between São Paulo and New York?
São Paulo (BRT, UTC−3) is 2 hours ahead of New York (EST, UTC−5) in winter and 1 hour ahead of New York (EDT, UTC−4) in summer. The comfortable overlap is 10 AM–1 PM BRT (8–11 AM EST in winter). In summer when the US is on EDT, the gap narrows to 1 hour, making nearly all business hours workable for both sides.