Chile will start the month of September with a key milestone for its organization and daily functioning. The South American country will enter daylight saving time, which will mean that clocks will be set forward by one hour in most of the continental territory and the island territory. The change, which aims to provide a later sunset in line with the end of winter, will impact citizens who will need to adjust their sleep schedules.
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The modification of winter time and daylight saving time has been applied in Chile since 1968, a year marked by a severe drought that affected the country’s main sources of electric power. The idea of modifying the time zone to better take advantage of the daylight was the work of Edinson Román, an engineer at Compañía Chilena de Electricidad (Chilectra), a former electricity distributor. For almost six decades, the modification has been updated through decrees promoted by the governments in office. In recent years, the measure has been questioned due to the disruption in the daily life of the population, especially among workers and students, and due to the need to have sufficient daylight to face public safety issues.
When does the time change in Chile in 2026?
The time change to enter daylight saving time in Chile will take place on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Clocks must be set forward by one hour. The adjustment is made throughout the continental territory, except in Aysén and Magallanes, which have no changes. In the island territory — Easter Island, and the Salas and Gómez islands — the change must be made during the same day, but at 10:00 p.m. (local time).
Should the clock be set forward or backward?
When it reaches 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, September 5, clocks must be set forward by one hour (60 minutes). Thus, the official time in Chilean territory will become 1:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 6. The change will allow all continental regions of the country to have the same time, since in winter the Patagonian regions of Aysén and Magallanes did not switch to winter time.
What will daylight saving time look like in Chile?
The time change means that Chile will be under the UTC-3 time zone, which implies a one-hour advance compared to winter. Specifically, the adjustment means that sunset will be extended and sunrise delayed, although the advance toward spring will cause a natural change that will allow daylight to extend for more hours. This schedule will end in April 2027.
In which regions of Chile does the time change?
The time change is carried out in the regions of Arica and Parinacota, Tarapacá, Antofagasta, Atacama, Coquimbo, Valparaíso, Santiago Metropolitan, O’Higgins, Maule, Ñuble, Biobío, La Araucanía, Los Ríos, and Los Lagos. These territories are joined by Easter Island, and the Salas and Gómez islands. No change will be made in Aysén and Magallanes.
Do phones change the time automatically?
Most electronic devices — computers, tablets, or mobile phones — have mechanisms that allow automatic adjustment, although there is also the option to do it manually. In the case of Android phones, you must go to the System or General Management option. Then, enter Date and Time, always with the options Set time automatically and Set time zone automatically turned off. For modification on iPhone, you have to go to Settings, then access General, and finally Date and Time, with the Set Automatically option turned off.
When will the next time change be?
Decree 98 states that daylight saving time will end during the first week of April next year. The next time change to enter winter time again will take place on Saturday, April 3, 2027. For now, the government of José Antonio Kast has not provided any definition about any change to this schedule.
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