São Tomé keeps UTC+0 (GMT) all year. There is no daylight saving time, so the clock never changes.
São Tomé and your time
São Tomé at a glance
| Country | São Tomé and Príncipe |
|---|---|
| Region | São Tomé Island |
| Capital of | São Tomé and Príncipe |
| Time zone | Africa/Sao_Tome |
| Abbreviation now | GMT |
| UTC offset now | UTC+0 |
| Daylight saving time | Not observed |
| Coordinates | 0.34° N, 6.73° E |
Which time zone São Tomé uses
The clocks in São Tomé follow Africa/Sao_Tome and keep UTC+0 through every season. No daylight saving time has been recorded here since 1970.
As the capital of São Tomé and Príncipe, São Tomé shares one clock with the whole country.
Clock changes in São Tomé, 2026 and 2027
No clock changes are scheduled in São Tomé for 2026 or 2027.
Time difference between São Tomé and other cities
Take 9:00 AM in São Tomé: the clock reads 4:00 AM in New York, 8:00 PM in Sydney and 1:00 AM in Los Angeles.
| City | Time now | Difference now | In January | In July | Shared office hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (United States) | --:-- | 5 h behind | 5 h behind | 4 h behind | 3 h |
| Los Angeles (United States) | --:-- | 8 h behind | 8 h behind | 7 h behind | None |
| London (United Kingdom) | --:-- | Same time | Same time | 1 h ahead | 8 h |
| Paris (France) | --:-- | 1 h ahead | 1 h ahead | 2 h ahead | 7 h |
| Dubai (United Arab Emirates) | --:-- | 4 h ahead | 4 h ahead | 4 h ahead | 4 h |
| Mumbai (India) | --:-- | 5 h 30 min ahead | 5 h 30 min ahead | 5 h 30 min ahead | 2 h 30 min |
| Singapore | --:-- | 8 h ahead | 8 h ahead | 8 h ahead | None |
| Tokyo (Japan) | --:-- | 9 h ahead | 9 h ahead | 9 h ahead | None |
| Sydney (Australia) | --:-- | 11 h ahead | 11 h ahead | 10 h ahead | None |
| UTC | --:-- | Same time | Same time | Same time | 8 h |
São Tomé never changes its clocks, but many of these cities do. Where the January and July columns disagree, the gap shifts when the other city moves to or from daylight saving time.
Shared office hours counts the time when the clock reads between 9 AM and 5 PM in both cities on the same day.
Sunrise and sunset in São Tomé
Today
| Sunrise | --:-- |
|---|---|
| Sunset | --:-- |
| Day length | -- |
| Solar noon | --:-- |
Being in the tropics, São Tomé sees little change in day length: the longest day (12 hours 9 minutes) is only 3 minutes longer than the shortest (12 hours 6 minutes). Sunrise stays between 5:14 AM and 5:44 AM all year.
Daylight through the year in São Tomé
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | March 20 | 5:37 AM | 5:44 PM | 12 h 7 min |
| June solstice | June 21 | 5:31 AM | 5:39 PM | 12 h 9 min |
| September equinox | September 23 | 5:22 AM | 5:29 PM | 12 h 6 min |
| December solstice | December 21 | 5:28 AM | 5:34 PM | 12 h 6 min |
When the sun is highest in São Tomé
São Tomé lies close to the centre of its time zone, so the sun is highest at about 11:35 AM on standard time, close to clock noon.
Places close to São Tomé
| City | Distance | Time now | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port-Gentil (Gabon) | 257 km (159 mi) | --:-- | 1 h ahead |
Same time now, different rules
These places read the same time as São Tomé today but follow different rules, so they can drift apart when clocks change.
- London (United Kingdom)
- Dublin (Ireland)
- Lisbon (Portugal)
- Saint Helier (Jersey)
- Douglas (Isle of Man)
- St Peter Port (Guernsey)
Plan around the time in São Tomé
- Convert a time to or from São Tomé: pick a date and time and see it in every city on your list.
- Add São Tomé to your world clock to keep it next to your own time.
- Find a meeting time that falls inside office hours in São Tomé and the other cities you work with.
- Open a full-screen clock for your own time zone.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is São Tomé in?
São Tomé uses the Africa/Sao_Tome time zone, which is UTC+0 (GMT) all year.
Does São Tomé use daylight saving time?
No. São Tomé stays on UTC+0 all year, so the time difference to places without daylight saving time never changes.
What is the time difference between São Tomé and New York?
São Tomé is 5 hours ahead of New York in January and 4 hours ahead of New York in July, because New York moves its clocks for daylight saving time and São Tomé does not.
How long is the longest day in São Tomé?
About 12 hours 9 minutes, around the June solstice. The shortest day, around the December solstice, has about 12 hours 6 minutes of daylight.
Time zone rules: IANA tz database, version 2026e. Place names and coordinates: GeoNames. Sunrise and sunset are calculated from the coordinates and can differ by a minute or two from local almanacs.