UK to Latin America and Canada Time Difference by City
Canada follows the North American clock-change dates, but most of Latin America has abolished daylight saving, so the gaps behave differently.
The gap for each city
Toronto: 5 hours behind the UK all year, apart from the weeks when the clocks are out of step.
Mexico City: 6 hours behind the UK in UK winter, and 7 hours behind the UK in UK summer.
Sao Paulo: 3 hours behind the UK in UK winter, and 4 hours behind the UK in UK summer.
Buenos Aires: 3 hours behind the UK in UK winter, and 4 hours behind the UK in UK summer.
Bogota: 5 hours behind the UK in UK winter, and 6 hours behind the UK in UK summer.
Why they differ
Toronto changes its clocks on the same dates as the United States, so its gap with the UK follows the pattern of New York. Mexico stopped using daylight saving in 2022, Brazil in 2019, and Colombia and Argentina do not use it, so their gap with the UK changes only when the UK does.
Chile is the main exception in South America: it changes clocks in September and April, which are not aligned with the UK, so its gap can move by an hour at different times of year. Paraguay moved to permanent summer time in 2024.
Frequently asked questions
Does Brazil use daylight saving time?
Not any more. Brazil abolished it in 2019, so Sao Paulo is on UTC-3 all year.
Clock change guides
- What Is Daylight Saving Time (DST)? A Plain-English GuideWhat daylight saving time is, how it works in the UK, Europe and the US, why it exists, its history, who uses it and the argument over scrapping it.
- Why Do the Clocks Go Back in October? The Real ReasonThe clocks go back in autumn to return the UK to GMT, so winter mornings are lighter. The history, the rule, what time it happens and what changes for you.
- When Do the Clocks Go Forward Again After Going Back?When the UK clocks go forward again after the autumn change, how long the UK stays on GMT, when evenings get lighter and how to remember to reset your clocks.