Technical Specifications & Standards
Official chronometric properties, ISO standards, and international database registry identifiers for Venezuela Time:
Daylight Saving Time (DST) Transitions
⬆️ Spring Forward (Clocks Advance)
None (Equatorial latitude maintains constant sunrise and sunset hours)
⬇️ Fall Back (Clocks Return)
None
Observing Jurisdictions & Subdivisions
1 Sovereign NationsSovereign nations, administrative subdivisions, and regional territories officially operating under VET:
Regional Subdivisions & Territory Details
Financial Markets & Trading Hours
Caracas equity and oil benchmark desks trade concurrently with morning sessions on the New York Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade.
Local Hours: 09:00 - 13:00 VET
UTC Window: 13:00 - 21:00 UTC
Major Cities in VET
Primary metropolitan centers and financial hubs observing this time zone:
Adoption History & Astronomical Facts
Year Established: 1965
Venezuela observed UTC-4 from 1965 until December 2007, when President Hugo Chávez shifted national clocks backward by thirty minutes to UTC-4:30 so schoolchildren would not commute in the dark. In May 2016, amidst severe electricity rationing caused by drought at the Guri Dam, President Nicolás Maduro moved clocks forward by thirty minutes, restoring the original UTC-4 offset.
For eight and a half years between late 2007 and mid 2016, Venezuela was the only nation in the Western Hemisphere to operate on a half-hour fractional time zone (UTC-4:30).
Frequently Asked Questions about VET
What is the current UTC offset of Venezuela Time?
Venezuela operates on UTC-4 year-round without daylight saving adjustments.
Why did Venezuela previously use UTC-4:30?
In December 2007, Venezuela adopted a unique UTC-4:30 offset based on the country's central geographic meridian (67° 30' West) at Villa de Cura. The half-hour offset was repealed in May 2016 to conserve electricity by extending evening daylight.
What is the time difference between Caracas and Miami?
During North American summer (EDT), Caracas and Miami have the exact same clock time. During North American winter (EST), Caracas is one hour ahead of Miami.