Africa · Eastern Africa · Dependency
Current time in British Indian Ocean Territory
A single time zone at UTC+06:00.
Saturday, June 6, 2026
About British Indian Ocean Territory's time
A single time zone.
The British Indian Ocean Territory spans just one timezone at UTC+06:00, known as the Indian/Chagos time zone, with no daylight saving time observed throughout the year.
Major cities
Cities of British Indian Ocean Territory.
History
How British Indian Ocean Territory keeps time.
When the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) was established in 1965, it was carved out of the Chagos Archipelago for strategic military purposes. The adoption of UTC+06:00 aligned the territory with regional maritime operations and British Indian Ocean territories' navigation standards of that era. This offset matched local solar time reasonably well for the Chagos Archipelago's longitude. There have been no significant changes to the territory's timezone since its creation, as the population has consisted almost entirely of military personnel, with no permanent civilian population following the displacement of the Chagossian people between 1968 and 1973.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about British Indian Ocean Territory's time zone, daylight saving rules, and how to handle it in software. Can't find what you need? Email [email protected].
- What time zone is the British Indian Ocean Territory in?
- The British Indian Ocean Territory follows UTC+06:00 year-round, known as the Indian/Chagos time zone.
- Does the British Indian Ocean Territory observe daylight saving time?
- No, the territory does not observe daylight saving time.
- How many time zones does the British Indian Ocean Territory have?
- The territory spans only one time zone: UTC+06:00.
- Is the Chagos time zone used anywhere else?
- The Indian/Chagos time zone (UTC+06:00) is specific to the British Indian Ocean Territory.
- What is the time difference between the British Indian Ocean Territory and London?
- The territory is 6 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT/UTC).
- When was the British Indian Ocean Territory established?
- The British Indian Ocean Territory was created in 1965, along with its UTC+06:00 time zone.
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