Live · calculated from the IANA time-zone database

Time difference between Sydney and Shanghai

Short answer

Shanghai is 2 hours behind Sydney. Right now it is 22:33 in Sydney (GMT+10, UTC+10) and 20:33 in Shanghai (GMT+8, UTC+8).

Right now

Sydney · Australia

22:33

Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Australian Eastern Standard Time · GMT+10 · UTC+10

Shanghai · China

20:33

Tuesday, September 15, 2026

China Standard Time · GMT+8 · UTC+8

Times at the moment this page was generated. Reload for a fresh reading.

Does the difference between Sydney and Shanghai change during the year?

Yes. For 183 days of 2026 the difference is 3 hours, but it moves whenever Sydney or Shanghai enters or leaves daylight saving time. Here is the full 2026 calendar (dates in UTC):

From	Until	Shanghai vs Sydney
January 1	April 4	−3 h
April 4	October 3	−2 h
October 3	December 31	−3 h

The highlighted row is the current period. Every date comes from each zone's official rules, not from a hand-typed table.

Best time to call Shanghai from Sydney (and vice versa)

The window in which both cities are inside their 9:00–17:00 working day runs from 11:00 to 17:00 in Sydney, which is 09:00 to 15:00 in Shanghai: 6 hours of overlap per day. For a call that disturbs nobody, aim for the middle of that window.

Outside that window, the practical rule: mornings in Sydney are afternoons in Shanghai. Avoid any hour that falls before 8:00 or after 21:00 in either city.

Sydney to Shanghai conversion table

Each Sydney hour and its equivalent in Shanghai today. Rows shaded green are working hours (9:00–17:00) in both cities at once.

Sydney time · Tue, Sep 15	Shanghai time
00:00	22:00previous day
01:00	23:00previous day
02:00	00:00
03:00	01:00
04:00	02:00
05:00	03:00
06:00	04:00
07:00	05:00
08:00	06:00
09:00	07:00
10:00	08:00
11:00	09:00
12:00	10:00
13:00	11:00
14:00	12:00
15:00	13:00
16:00	14:00
17:00	15:00
18:00	16:00
19:00	17:00
20:00	18:00
21:00	19:00
22:00	20:00
23:00	21:00

Looking for it the other way round? This page covers both directions: Shanghai to Sydney is the same difference with the sign flipped.

The two time zones

Sydney — Australia/Sydney

Sydney uses Australian Eastern Time: UTC+10 in winter (AEST) and UTC+11 in summer (AEDT), from the first Sunday of October to the first Sunday of April — opposite to the northern hemisphere.

Shanghai — Asia/Shanghai

Shanghai — and all of China, from Beijing to Kashgar — uses a single zone, China Standard Time (UTC+8), with no daylight saving.

Frequently asked questions

How many hours difference between Sydney and Shanghai?

Shanghai is 2 hours behind Sydney. For most of the year (183 days) the difference is 3 hours; it shifts during the weeks when one of the two cities enters or leaves daylight saving time.

When it is 12:00 noon in Sydney, what time is it in Shanghai?

10:00 in Shanghai (at today's difference of 2 hours).

What is the best time for a meeting between Sydney and Shanghai?

Between 11:00 and 17:00 in Sydney, which is 09:00–15:00 in Shanghai: 6 hours of overlap inside both cities' 9:00–17:00 working day.

Do Sydney and Shanghai observe daylight saving time?

Sydney: yes. Shanghai: no. Because only one of them changes its clocks, the difference moves by one hour twice a year.

What time zone is Sydney in? And Shanghai?

Sydney: Australian Eastern Standard Time (Australia/Sydney, UTC+10). Shanghai: China Standard Time (Asia/Shanghai, UTC+8).

Tools

Meeting grid — add both cities and click a slot

Time zone converter — any city, any time

Working hours overlap calculator

Daylight saving time 2027 — all dates