Time zone for remote jobs: PST, EST, CET and Brazil time
You find the ideal remote role and, in the middle of the description, it says “must overlap with PST” or “CET working hours.” For many people, time zone is the factor that decides whether a remote job is viable, and understanding it before applying avoids frustration for both sides. The good news: Brazil’s time zone works well with much of the world.
By Carlos Jacon · Founder of CareersForge · Senior Engineering Manager
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Why does time zone decide so many remote roles?
Distributed teams need some common hours for meetings and live collaboration. That’s why many job postings ask for a minimum overlap with the core team’s hours, and an incompatible time zone can make your application unfeasible.
Translating the job’s time zone into Brasília time before applying saves everyone time and helps you focus on roles that fit your routine.
How to read PST, EST and CET relative to Brazil?
Brasília time (BRT) is a good central reference, and it’s fixed: Brazil hasn’t used daylight saving time since 2019, so our clock stays at UTC-3 year-round. Others change: the US and Europe move the clock forward about one hour in their summer. That’s why the difference isn’t fixed. The values below are in each region’s standard time; during their daylight saving, subtract about 1 hour (the difference with the US shrinks and with Europe grows).
- US East Coast (New York, EST/EDT): 2 hours behind Brasília in standard time, 1 hour behind during their daylight saving. Noon in Brazil is about 10 AM in New York in their winter and about 11 AM in their summer.
- US West Coast (San Francisco, PST/PDT): 5 hours behind in standard time, 4 hours behind during their daylight saving. Noon in Brazil is about 7 AM (or 8 AM in their summer).
- Central Europe (Berlin, CET/CEST): 4 hours ahead in standard time, 5 hours ahead during their daylight saving. Noon in Brazil is about 4 PM (or 5 PM in their summer).
- United Kingdom (London, GMT/BST): 3 hours ahead in standard time, 4 hours ahead during their daylight saving. Noon in Brazil is about 3 PM (or 4 PM in their summer).
How much overlap do companies usually ask for?
It varies a lot: some ask for 4 hours of overlap with the team, others only 2, and there are fully asynchronous companies that don’t require fixed hours. Brazil typically fits well with the US East Coast and reasonably with Europe.
The US West Coast is the most challenging: overlap happens at the end of the Brazilian day and the start of theirs. It’s doable but requires careful scheduling.
How to work well asynchronously?
Even with little overlap, you can collaborate effectively if asynchronous communication is strong. This is actually a differentiator companies value in remote candidates.
- Write clear, complete messages that don’t require immediate replies.
- Document decisions and make work visible to the team.
- Agree on fixed windows for live meetings and respect them.
- Be predictable: make your hours and response times clear.
Time zone checklist before applying
Before applying to an international remote job, do this calculation.
- Did you translate the time zone requested in the posting to Brasília time?
- Does the required overlap fit your routine sustainably?
- Do you know if the role is synchronous (fixed hours) or asynchronous?
- For West Coast teams, are you willing to work at the end of your day?
- Can you demonstrate strong asynchronous communication in your application?
Frequently asked questions
Is Brazil’s time good for working remotely for foreign companies?
Generally, yes. Brasília time lines up well with the US East Coast (1 to 2 hours difference, depending on their daylight saving) and reasonably with Europe (3 to 5 hours). Since Brazil stopped using daylight saving in 2019, that difference varies over the year. The US West Coast is the most challenging, with overlap at the end of the Brazilian day, but it’s still viable with scheduling.
What does “overlap” mean in a remote job posting?
Overlap is the number of hours your schedule coincides with the team’s for meetings and live collaboration. Many postings ask for a minimum overlap (for example, 4 hours) with a specific time zone. It’s worth translating that requirement to Brasília time before applying.
Can you work remotely without overlapping your team’s hours?
At fully asynchronous companies, yes. In those cases, the differentiator is clear written communication, documentation of decisions, and predictability. Even on teams with some overlap, strong asynchronous skills are highly valued in remote candidates.