· QuikRing team
The best time to call a US company from abroad
US office hours in your own time zone: a table for London, Berlin, Dubai, India, Manila, Mexico City and São Paulo, and the weeks when the gap changes.
The best time to call a US company from abroad is in the first hours of its working day, which for most of Europe, Africa and Asia falls in your afternoon or evening. This post turns US office hours into your own time and points out the few weeks a year when the usual gap is off by an hour.
Which US time zone matters
The continental United States has four main time zones: Eastern, Central, Mountain and Pacific, each one hour behind the one before. Alaska and Hawaii are further behind. When it is 9:00 in New York, it is 8:00 in Chicago, 7:00 in Denver and 6:00 in Los Angeles.
A company's customer service line usually keeps the hours of its headquarters or of the office that answers, and many list them in Eastern time. Check the contact page for the hours and the time zone they are given in before you work anything out.
9:00 in New York, in your time
Winter here means from early November to mid-March, when the US is on standard time; summer is the rest of the year. Add one hour to each time below for every US time zone further west.
- London: 14:00 in winter and in summer.
- Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Rome: 15:00 in winter and in summer.
- Dubai: 18:00 in winter, 17:00 in summer.
- India: 19:30 in winter, 18:30 in summer.
- Manila: 22:00 in winter, 21:00 in summer.
- Mexico City: 8:00 in winter, 7:00 in summer.
- São Paulo: 11:00 in winter, 10:00 in summer.
The weeks when the gap changes
The US and Europe move their clocks on different dates. The US goes back to standard time on the first Sunday of November and forward on the second Sunday of March; Europe changes on the last Sunday of October and of March. For a week or two in between, Europe is one hour closer to the US than usual.
In 2026 that is from October 25 to November 1: 9:00 in New York is then 13:00 in London and 14:00 in Berlin. In 2027 it is from March 14 to March 28, the same one-hour difference. India, the Philippines, Mexico and Brazil do not change their clocks, so for them only the US date matters.
How to get through faster
- Call when the line opens. Waiting times tend to grow through the day and after weekends and holidays.
- Avoid the US lunch hour and late Friday afternoons, when fewer people answer.
- Check US public holidays before you plan a call; most offices are closed on them.
- Have your account or booking number and any reference from earlier emails ready, so the call is short once someone answers.
Making the call
A 1-800 number often cannot be dialed from a phone outside the US and Canada, and calling a direct US number from a foreign mobile is billed as an international call. With QuikRing you call either kind from your browser, at the per-minute rate shown before you dial. Step-by-step guides for banks, airlines and other US companies and for 1-800 numbers from abroad cover the rest.
Frequently asked questions
What time is it in New York when it is 15:00 in Berlin?
Usually 9:00. For a week or two around the end of October and in March, when Europe and the US change their clocks on different dates, it is 10:00.
When do US customer service lines open?
It depends on the company. Many list their hours on their contact page, often in Eastern time, so check the hours and the time zone there before you call.
What is the best time to call from India?
In the evening: 9:00 in New York is 19:30 in India in winter and 18:30 in summer. For a company on Pacific time, add three hours.
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