NZST: New Zealand Standard Time
NZST is New Zealand Standard Time, +12:00, used in Oceania. In code, use Pacific/Auckland rather than the abbreviation.
New Zealand Standard Time · Oceania
14:46:02
Sunday, 27 September 2026
- abbreviation denotes
- +12:00
- in force right now
- NZDT (UTC+13:00) · DST
- use in code
- Pacific/Auckland
- next clock change
- 4 Apr 2027 02:00 → NZST
Right now this zone is on NZDT, not NZST. They are the same place at different times of year.
Use the IANA name, not the abbreviation
Python
from datetime import datetime
from zoneinfo import ZoneInfo
# right: an IANA zone carries the full history of rule changes
now = datetime.now(ZoneInfo("Pacific/Auckland"))
print(now.isoformat(), now.tzname())
# wrong: an abbreviation is not resolvable, and a hard-coded offset
# silently rots the next time the rules change
# now = datetime.now(timezone(timedelta(hours=...))) # don'tNZST questions
What does NZST stand for?
NZST is New Zealand Standard Time, +12:00, used in Oceania. The IANA zone to use in code is Pacific/Auckland.
What time is it in NZST right now?
New Zealand Standard Time: 14:46 on Sunday (NZDT).
Which IANA timezone should I use instead of NZST?
Pacific/Auckland for New Zealand Standard Time. Date libraries cannot resolve bare abbreviations, and an abbreviation carries no daylight-saving history, so a stored offset silently rots when a government changes the rules.
Why does my computer show NZDT instead of NZST?
Because Pacific/Auckland is currently on NZDT (UTC+13:00), its daylight-saving variant. NZST (+12:00) applies during the other half of the year. Both names refer to the same place, one hour apart.