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South Papua, Indonesia

South Papua observes Eastern Indonesia Time, abbreviated WIT, at UTC+9. Merauke and every other part of the province stay on this fixed offset all year.

Wan, Indonesia

Friday, 4 September 2026

UTC+9 · Asia/Jayapura

Time and sun data for Wan — the largest city of South Papua

The sun in Wan

Sunrise 05:50 Solar noon 11:49 Sunset 17:48 Daylight 11 h 58 min Night 12 h 02 min Civil twilight 05:29 – 18:09

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Current time in South Papua, Indonesia

One time zone covers South Papua’s regencies, from the provincial center in Merauke to inland and coastal communities. The province does not use daylight saving time, so clocks are not moved seasonally.

WIT stands nine hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. Compared with western Indonesia, South Papua is two hours ahead of WIB. It is one hour ahead of places using Central Indonesia Time. These differences should be included when arranging domestic calls or connecting flights.

In South Papua, the distances can be formidable, but the answer to “Do I change my watch?” remains pleasantly short.

Merauke and the province’s settlements

Merauke is the provincial capital and its largest urban center. It is the main reference point for administration, transport, and services in South Papua. Other important regency centers include Tanah Merah, Agats, and Kepi, each serving a large surrounding territory.

Merauke uses WIT for government offices, airports, businesses, and local schedules. Tanah Merah keeps the same time as the provincial capital. Agats also follows UTC+9 despite its different coastal and river setting.

Kepi and smaller communities throughout South Papua remain on WIT. Place names in the wider Papua region should be matched carefully to their current administrative province. For clock purposes, South Papua and the neighboring Papuan provinces use the same eastern Indonesian zone, but province-specific weather and sunrise information still differs.

Sunrise in southern New Guinea

The official clock is uniform, while sunrise depends on position. Merauke, Tanah Merah, Agats, and Kepi do not share an identical solar timetable. A location farther east will generally reach sunrise before a location farther west on the same date.

South Papua lies near the equator, so annual daylight variation is restrained compared with temperate and polar regions. The Sun’s path still changes through the year, producing gradual movement in sunrise and sunset times.

Local surroundings matter as much as the published calculation. Forest, low cloud, haze, buildings, and riverbanks can obscure the eastern horizon. Anyone planning river travel, fieldwork, a flight connection, or a departure before dawn should select the precise locality and date rather than relying solely on Merauke’s listing.

Questions and answers

Which time zone is used in South Papua?
South Papua uses Eastern Indonesia Time, or WIT, at UTC+9.
Does Merauke change clocks during the year?
No. Merauke remains on the same UTC+9 offset in every season.
Is South Papua ahead of Jakarta?
Yes. South Papua is two hours ahead of Jakarta, which uses WIB at UTC+7.
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