These 15 Illustrations Explain How Differently People Understand ‘Being On Time’ In Different Countries
Punctuality is something that many people struggle to get to grips with, in a busy world full of distractions the temptation to leave things to the last minute can sometimes get the best of you.
However, as the great Albert Einstein said, time is relative. Turning up a few minutes late to a meeting might be considered as a hideous social faux pas in one country, but a perfectly normal and acceptable behavior in another.
But how do you know what you are dealing with? Handily, Mr. Gamez has the answers, having researched cultural peculiarities around punctuality and presented them in clear, easy-to-read infographics. So what are you waiting for? Scroll down below to check them out for yourself, and let us know what you think in the comments!
Image credits: MrGamez
In many respects, South Korea is a very ordered society. The influence of Confucian principles runs through every aspect of day-to-day living. Well, in theory, at least. Central to this is Kibun, the concept of saving face. As a result, confrontation is to be avoided at all costs and one way to avoid any unpleasantness is to be on time, all the time. And to be lax in this regard is to mark oneself out as a cad and a bounder.
Image credits: MrGamez
It is often said that Malaysia has a very loose attitude toward punctuality in both the personal and professional sphere. Talk to any expat who has spent time there and they might grumble in agreement. However, this is to overlook the oft-times chaotic traffic and malfunctioning public transport that many Malaysians have to deal with on a daily basis. So while there might be a liberal attitude toward time keeping, there might also be practical reasons underlying this.
Image credits: MrGamez
As is so often the case, the understanding of something thought to be universal in one part of the world differs in another. It doesn’t even have to be two countries at opposite ends of the globe. For example, it might be regarded as unusual in China if one were to show up on time for a casual appointment with friends. You wouldn’t want to be too late but 10 or 20 minutes after the appointed time is just fine.
Image credits: MrGamez
However, that kind of attitude just will not fly in Japan. Despite being famous for their high-rolling gamblers the Japanese just don’t gamble with time, where tardiness generally results in groveling and sincere expressions of deep regret. However, the modern world being what it is, young Japanese people may well be more comfortable with the remorseless global lowering of societal standards than older generations, and might not expect you to beat yourself up too badly should you be late.
Image credits: MrGamez
Ever hear the story about the man who showed up on time for a business meeting in Mexico? He was left waiting a while. The same thing happened when he went to meet for drinks later that day. No, it wasn’t because he hadn’t showered or was dressed like a scarecrow. It just so happens that while punctuality is expected of foreign visitors to Mexico, the hosts aren’t bound by the same convention. Don’t take it personally.
Image credits: MrGamez
There is probably not a nation on earth that doesn’t have a host of ill-fitting stereotypes associated with it. In the case of Germany, however, punctuality really does fit that bill. In fact, being on-time is a risky enough tactic as your hosts will probably already be there waiting, wondering how on earth you could be so foolish as to allow the possibility of some unforeseen circumstance delay you by so much as a second.
Image credits: MrGamez
Nigeria is a country not often associated with punctuality. With a population of over 180 million, such a sweeping generalization might be considered a touch unfair but reputations can be a hard thing to shake all the same. Issues with infrastructure and traffic can all take their toll on an earnest desire to be punctual and perhaps over time this leads to a slightly jaded and indifferent attitude to arriving on time. Patience, it seems, is the key.
Image credits: MrGamez
It has been said that in Brazil, there is a widespread tolerance for delays. For example, it is considered impolite to arrive on time for a social occasion. That is probably due to the fact that it is unlikely the hosts would even be ready to receive their guests! Having said that, if you are a visitor to the country and have an important business meeting, it’s probably best not to do as they do because, not being Brazilian, you haven’t earned the right to be on anything other than ‘English time’.
Image credits: MrGamez
Some countries don’t give timeliness a priority in their societies and Saudi Arabia appears to be one of them. It could be that the lack of importance attached to timeliness is as a result of their long history of desert living where punctuality doesn’t figure highly on the list of everyday priorities. It could be that it’s too damn hot to do anything at pace. Whatever the reason happens to be, don’t expect punctuality on the part of your hosts, don’t get upset by this and please, don’t start looking at your watch during a professional or social gathering. It is considered quite discourteous.
Image credits: MrGamez
When a government rolls out a public education campaign to promote punctuality and effective time management amongst the populace, you know that you’ve reached whatever the opposite of ‘peak punctuality’ is. By all accounts, Ghanaians are a very relaxed and accommodating people who reckon that if everyone is late then no one is late. After all, what can’t be done today can get done tomorrow. If you find that kind of attitude difficult to deal with, prepare to be annoyed. Otherwise, sit back and enjoy the ride.
Image credits: MrGamez
If you feel like you’ve won the jackpot at a very lucrative slot machine because a scheduled meeting in India started at the proposed time, then you’re quite entitled to feel so. This is because in India, people might just have a different idea of time altogether. The Indian novelist R.K Narayan once wrote that “In a country like ours, the preoccupation is with eternity, and little measures of time are hardly ever noticed”. Indeed, the Hindi word for yesterday and tomorrow is ‘kal’ so it’s fair to say that the concept of time differs slightly in India than it does in other parts of the world. To add to this, issues with traffic and infrastructure can also act as an impediment to timeliness. Still, it is appreciated if a guest is punctual. Just don’t expect that your host will always do the same.
Image credits: MrGamez
When looking at punctuality, we can distinguish between a number of types of people, one of which is the early-arrival who will be at the designated meeting place at least 10 minutes ahead of time. Safe to say that these poor souls would not fare well in Morocco. Punctuality is such a flexible concept here that it is often referred to simply as “Moroccan time’. One would assume that Moroccans are honored to have the 4th dimension appropriated into a term specifically relating to their country and culture but it’s unlikely that first-time business travelers will be quite as enamored. A personal appointment might take place anywhere from half an hour after the agreed upon time to some time the next day. We think you’d be better off spending that time here on MrGamez. The odds that you’d win are definitely more favorable than starting a meeting on time (or on the same day) in Morocco.
Image credits: MrGamez
When in Greece it is worth remembering that Greeks ‘pass’ the time as opposed to ‘use’ it. In other words, time is something to be enjoyed rather than fretted over. As such, it is not unusual to arrive 30 minutes later for a dinner party. However, this laxity does not extend to business meetings where visitors are expected to be on time. As you might have guessed, the same rule doesn’t always apply to your Greek hosts.
Image credits: MrGamez
A relatively little known nation until a certain film was released in 2006, Kazakhstan is a massive country that consists of more than 100 different ethnic groups. With such variety amongst its people, it’s difficult to attribute a single defining cultural trait that is common to them all. Regarding punctuality, whilst not exactly at German levels, expats who have spent time there generally consider Kazakh’s to be punctual when it comes to work and business. When it comes to social appointments, however, different rules can apply. The finest example of this can be seen at weddings where it is perfectly acceptable for the bride to arrive late.
Image credits: MrGamez
When doing business in Russia, it is important to be on time. To be otherwise is considered disrespectful. Negotiations can be lengthy and may try your patience so be prepared for the long slog. Ironically, although attitudes toward punctuality are changing, Russians won’t hold themselves to the same standards of timeliness that they expect from you so, again, patients can be key.
Here’s what people had to say about the cultural differences
As someone from Germany, all the other info sheets are giving me a hard time.. why would you set up a meeting and a time and then just..not show up??? What is that madness?
I am late 2-5 minutes for my first meeting in the morning quite often and appreciate it when people don't get mad because of it all the time. But even I think this is total madness.
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I run on Swedish time- never late, and if I'm early, I patiently wait to announce myself at the exact moment I was supposed to be there.
I can confirm this, being early is just as big faux pas as being late, in Sweden.
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I personally follow the Chinese model. 10 minutes is no big deal, more than that, you should at least acknowledge it. After a half-hour I'm geting exponentially upset.
I try to keep it to the level of mindfulness: if I value you, then I value your time - wasting another person's time is the equivalent of saying to their face "I don't value you as a human being."
I come early because I don't like to be late and so I always have to wait, but for me it's not a problem... I play free slot machines on my phone, if anyone needs it here - https://free-slots.games/
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Vancouver Canada here, being late is a huge NO. Always be on time or a bit early.
I think the German thing has infiltrated my genetics. My ancestors are German, but my family has been American for three generations and we still have to get everywhere early and we often feel late if we cut it as close as only ten minutes early.
I have anxiety about being late. If I'm on time I'm late and it's to the point where I almost make myself sick.
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I am from Greece and the description is misleading. In (private section) business you are expected to be on time. More than 5 min is late. The 30 min is an exaggeration and only applies to friendly meetings at a cafeteria, at a house party, or at a family dinner. At places where you go to relax and enjoy yourself. There is no double standard for foreigners. If a foreigner gets an invitation for a party or dinner and shows up on time, he will most likely be the first one there and could catch the host getting ready.
if you're accidentally early to a party why not help the host get ready?
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Lack of punctuality creates logistic problems. It is difficult to schedule other meetings if you have no idea when you'll get out of a previous one. For people who have several appointments in a day this would be a problem. For casual appointments with friends who tend to arrive late I just take a book.
I am from Austria- so lets talk about Germany. I don't know if it is really the same. But yeah for work you have to be on time (meaning starting working on time and be early enough there to get changed and to drink your cup of coffee). But socially you can be late as long as you meet with more than one person :) and additionally there is the "academic quarter of an hour", which means to academic events you can be 15 minutes late as long as it says so
Yep, same in Germany. A meeting scheduled for 10 a.m. means you start working at 10 a.m. So you better be there a couple of minutes before it starts. Attending later means an interruption and is considered rude. When you just meet up with a friend, up to 15 minutes is fine with a short apology for making the other person wait. For a party it depends on the kind of celebration. You have to attend weddings and other "serious stuff" before time. For a casual b-day party it's usually fine to be even 30 minutes or more late if you inform the person who invited you. And yes, Germans hate waiting when using public transportation. Because it usually means you won't be on time if you have to catch another train or something. And we're usually in a hurry even in our spare time. At least when you live in one of the big cities.
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In Greece your arrival time at meeting depends on your level in the hierarchy. Managment arrives later than staff and the senior person at a meeting always arrives last. The meeting can not start until the most senior person invited arrives.
As a South Korean, I can say that there is such a thing as "Korean time." While you wouldn't want to be late to a meeting with someone who is senior to you (either in age or position), people tend to be more flexible about casual appointments. Also, not sure what 'kibun' is, I think the term for saving face is 'chae-myeon.'
Unfortunately, it is true about Mexico. I HATE IT. I am very punctual. If you're invited to a party, you are NOT expected to arrive on time, but usually 1 hour late. Work meetings? It depends. But it is normal for meetings to start 15, even 20 minutes late. UGH.
Russians are quite relaxed when it comes to punctuality, but they generally try to be on time. Forcing someone to wait (on a date, lunch, dinner out etc.) is generally seen as being rude. Lack of apology in such case is downright condescending (it is associated with petty officials who try to boost their ego by forcing people to wait). But if you visit someone at home, being few minutes late is no big deal, especially if this is a bigger, longer event. In most workplaces people are usually on time, as being late causes problems (operation must be halted, customers are not being served etc.).
The one about Korea is true, but only since recently. Until not too long ago, Koreans used to be very laid back when it comes to being on time. You'd schedule an appointment at a specific hours, but it would actually mean an hour later than scheduled. Me, I didn't really experience this myself, but I've heard a lot about it at school, from Korean teachers and textbooks.
I'm Russian and that fact is wrong about us. We have a "15-minutes" rule which is widespread at work/school/college/etc.. if you don't show up in that time frame, a penalty can be applied or your students have escaped already. I loved this rule being a student and now I hate it being at work =) So, basically, it's appropriate to be late within 15 minutes otherwise you should apologize or warm a waiting person. And this rule applies to everyone, regardless of nationality. Since we are a multi-ethnic country, some may even be late more =)
Malaysian here! I can confirm on this! I coach rugby on the weekends, I have to set a time half hour early for games and training expecting people would come late. for example if I wanted people to come at 430pm, i would say game starts at 4pm just so that people could be "on time". However, at my workplace, I work with Japanese contractor. Contrary to the common belief about punctuality, my Japanese contractor are always late for meetings. Wonder why.
I used to be a very punctual person. And then in college, I started hanging out with South Asians. Then I married a North African. I haven't been on time for anything in 25 years. (Late for all social, non-paying events). (I'm from the US).
Even germans are not on time compared with the swiss. It is not uncommon to be late with the german railways but thrle swiss aplogized for being 3 minutes late for a 3 hour ride. Nothing runs like swiss clockwork
I'm Swiss, and we generally have the same "rule" as Germany. people expect you to be at least 5mins early. show up late, you might as well have stayed home because everyone will judge you lol I think it's a good thing though because my anxious a*s is usually 20-30mins early anyway, and I hate when others are late too. oh and that comment about the reaction to delayed trains? very accurate.
I'm dutch and always on time. Most of the time i'll show up 15 minutes earlier. Not only does it have something to do with punctuality, i also scout my surroundings, look for exits etc. No, i'm not some kind of mercenary, but have anxiety. So i always need to know how to get into my safe-zone.
In Norway most people show up 1-5 mins before the given time. I don't have a drivers lisence, and by some cruel magic the 'nearest' bus time- wise will always be a few mins late... Meaning I have to be almost half an hour early to get there in time. Bleh :p
Croatian here, living in the U.S. (Midwest, Wisconsin). My impression - and this is just my personal observation - Midwesterners are neither late or early, but arrive "exactly" on time, approx 5min off. Like, when coming to class, there's gonna be no one if you're there 10min earlier, but 3min before the start, people flood in. In Croatia, we have the "Balkan time". If you're 30min late, you're still on time.
I'm a born and raised Wisconsiner... it really depends on the part of the state you live in. I grew up in SE Wisconsin, and for the most part everyone was early, but now I live in the NW part and it seems like a lot of people are usually a few minutes late... even to work.
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Pwruvian here, same rules than Mexico, a 30 min delay is no big deal with family, friends, anything casual. In formal ocations like job, a meeting, etc it varies. When u make a party at your house and say 8pm, u spect them 10ish
In Japan you are also late if you are on time while 15 minutes early is on time.
US pretty much can be early, can be late. It depends on where you are and what you're doing. I on the other hand was raised "to be early is to be on time, and to be on time is to be late." I'm always early for everything and if my husband taking to long and it's making me run late I get mad.
Time is very relative in Brazil: it varies from state to state! Haha... Arriving 5~10 minutes earlier or later to any formal appointments is acceptable everywhere, specially in the South/Southern carefree states. But that's all really. It's disrespectful otherwise. As for informal events, half an hour is okay and by 1h, people will be hunting your head. And particularly when you're in Rio for a casual meeting, be a Carioca and arrive atleast half an hour late like the others... but if a party is said to start at 23h, people will show up after midnight or later! lol And I'll never understand why Germans from Germany are so crazy about time, so I try to always arrive much earlier there! They're almost worse than Dutch in that! XD
The great Green Bay Packers football coach said, "If you are not 15 minutes early, you're late." I wonder if there has ever been a study done on the correlation between promptness and success. My husband is a former Military guy. We move on "Groneng time". Our daughters-in-law refer to it as that!!!
Sometimes you have to set your own standard. I do a lot of work in Central and South America, where punctuality is not widely expected. About 3 years ago, I started getting up and walking out of the meeting place if the other party didn't show up within 5 minutes of the agreed-upon time. 3 years later -- today -- everybody shows up 5 minutes early.
I Switzerland we sometimes say, that 5 minutes early is too early, 1 minute early is «on time» and on time is «too late». I am living now in Thailand, where time is also quite flexible. 15 minutes late is still acceptable. When you call someone to remind about the meeting, they often say «I am underway, just arrived», but you clearly hear/feel that they forgot the appointment and just start now. «I am here in 5 minutes» can be half an hour.
As a German I would much appreciate if or trains and public transport would hold on to the Japanese 1minute rule. Always be on time, but if you run late not more than a minute. Boy, if I could get all the lifetime back I lost due to public transport being late.
Holland here! I think the "timerules" from Germany, Sweden en Finland are very similar! Come on time or it's disrespectful and don't come to early either :p.
Hm, about Mexico, I can say this is not exactly so. Unfortunately being late is common, but often seen as a lack of respect and a sign of untrusthworthiness. I am never, ever late and if by an expected reason I will be I let people know. And so are many of my friends. People who are usually late are considered to be less trustworthy on other issues besides punctuallity.
Lived in Japan. It wasn't uncommon to hear a PA apology for a thirty second delay.
Nigerian here 🙋🏾♂️. Your estimate is close to reality, especially for public sector business meetings, private sector takes punctuality more seriously. For social gatherings however, your description is merciful. If you had a birthday party scheduled to start at 1pm, expect your guests to casually and unapologetically start arriving by 3pm.
We have a saying in Germany: "punctuality is the courtesy of kings". If you are unpunctual you think that your time is more precious than that of the people waiting for you and that's really rude.
Most people who are chronically late are control freaks. They get their jollies by forcing people to wait on them. I’ve had a couple of former friends pull this garbage on me. ...///... Both would be up to an hour late for a dinner reservation, for example. I told them in advance, then went ahead without them. Both were shocked that I had eaten without them. ...///... The final straw for them was when we were supposed to meet and then go somewhere else. I gave them 15 minutes and then I left. They expected me to grovel and apologize and I told both of them that my time isn’t free. I’m not going to waste time waiting for them if they didn’t have enough respect for me to realize that.
in the US, it is always correct to be 20 minutes early for a business meeting. It is never correct to be late. If later than 20 minutes, the appointment will be cancelled since you insulted the host... The German Rules for business appointments apply here... You will be asked to leave if you show up late like this for a job interview (no job for you here, you slacker!). The rules vary, but are much for relaxed, for social engagements. If you arrive at a restaurant 30 minutes late without a cell phone call to provide a good excuse, you friend will most likely get up & leave.
you forgot to elaborate on Mexican Standard Time, a.k.a. "Carribean Standard Time"... for any appointment except when it is explicit that arrival on time is considered extremely important, and that being late will be bad, any appointment time is considered "Manana", pronounced "man-ya-nahw"... Manana time means tomorrow, but is also means "sooner or later, when I get around to it, when I feel like it, so just wait for me, okay?" If a host invites you for dinner at 7:00 pm, he may not show up at the house until 9:00 pm, with dinner postponed until 10:00 pm... don't take it mean or personally, this is just a normal day doing business south of the border... enjoy the company of the maid, a couple of glasses of wine, and the soccer match on the TV while waiting....
I'm not sitting around hungry for three hours and the maid is not there to entertain you.
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Our family motto was better to be 3 hours early than 5 minutes late.
In South Africa we call it Africa time, because every body is always late! ALWAYS! I how ever consider it rude to be late for a set time. We all have things to do, so be on bloody time!!!!!!!!!!!
This is so stereotyping and just makes some cultures seem more above than the others. That's useless.
in Syria we say "Arabic time" for when it's okay to be late and "English time" when it's not. x-D
German people are respecting time tables only if the meet German people, rest of the world can wait.
German people are respecting time tables only if the meet German people, rest of the world can wait. :))
As a german who worked for now 15 years with a lot of foreign colleagues, I already had my problems with different versions of "on time". And yeah, I am the "calssic german" because it is always better to be 10 min early then 10 min late :)
Married to an Arab for 22 years. Time fluidity is not just a Saudi thing. Arabs are routinely 1 - 3 hours late for everything except the Friday prayer. When I went to my first party I arrived 10 minutes late and everyone was still in their lounge wear. But I helped set up and decorate so it worked out. Arab parties are the best!
For Russia it is true in a way. A Russian businessman will be a little late but will apologize in a very heartfelt way. This can be a little trick as well. There's also a 15-minute rule. If one part doesn't show up within 15 minutes after the scheduled time, the meeting is considered to be cancelled, unless it is rescheduled.
I'm not young, so for me, my social engagements time is valuable. Socially, I'll give my friends 10 minutes after our agreed-upon meeting time, and then eff it, I'm off. Most of my friends have learned to text me at least 10 minutes in advance if they know they'll be late. I absolutely hate waiting around for people. And I'm still not used to parties in NYC, where the ideal arrival time is 15 minutes to an hour after the scheduled start time. Business meetings, I show up early, but people at my company and our clients seem to give it 5 minutes to account for stragglers, then they start. When I go to concerts, it irritates me to have to arrive so early for a good spot for a general admission/standing room show when we all know that musicians—with the great and wonderful exception of Kraftwerk!—will be 20 minutes late in starting their set.
I am from a country which is influenced by Germany. So punctuality in inbred. Now, I live in a lax Southern country, similar to Greece. It pisses me off that you can agree on one thing in the evening yetvitbis forgotten by the morning. Turning up for work 'on time' is very loose concept. Still grates my nerves.
Since its not there: in America 5 minutes early is on time, 5 minutes late and you shouldn't bother showing up.
Follow up to this, I once got fired from my job as a shift manager for being 2 minutes late three days in a row. Literly 2 minutes late. Store manager never complained until the day her fired me.
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For a work meeting I like to be early. I find out the layout first to see if I want to be close or hide in the back with the cool kids depending on the type of meeting and who is heading it.
Geez... Germany seems to be the one of the few countries here that has its s**t together in terms of punctuality.
Might be right. But we're always stressed out because of that. Which actually doesn't make things much better.
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In Japan, it's not uncommon for the trains to be 2-3 minutes late. That's actually the average. Only about half the time did they arrive within a minute of schedule. On a couple occasions they were ~7 minutes late, due to weather or other circumstances. Nobody went crazy, we all just patiently waited. Still, this is a far cry from other countries where buses and trains could easily be 40 mins late without batting an eyelash.
I´m Brazilian and had never heard about "English time". What I can say is that since I moved from the South of Brazil, to Rio de Janeiro, I am considered a foreigner, 'cause I am always punctual, as in the South they use to be.
In Spain people are usually late, and it's considered "normal". Nobody would get angry if you appear 20 or 30 min late. Also, if you are told to meet somebody "at noon", it means no earlier than 2.00 pm. "After lunch" means after 4 00 pm. And "dinner" is never before 9.00 or 10.00 pm. Foreigners always say it's confusing. Spaniards never seem to be in a hurry! And if we run out of time and we can't finish what we are doing, we always have "mañana" ( tomorrow)!
Fortunately, not all of us run on Spanish time. Me, a Spaniard living in Spain, follow the Swedish time.
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Very interesting! Really hoping the info is not based on opinion though
I used to travel around Italy for work. In the far north (Alto Adige), "let's meet after lunch" means between 1pm and 1.15pm. In the south (Calabria), don't show up before 5pm, even 6pm during the summer.
I used to make sure my family all got together at least once a month for dinner, usually on a Sunday afternoon. My sister is a complete narcissist and never felt the need to show up on time. 10-15 minutes late is totally fine, but when you're cooking for 12 people anything more is just messed up. She showed up an hour late (more than once) and had the nerve to complain that we started without her. B***h, f*****g buy a watch.
What part? Midwesterners (around Kansas, not great lakes region) are very punctual!
Load More Replies... As someone from Germany, all the other info sheets are giving me a hard time.. why would you set up a meeting and a time and then just..not show up??? What is that madness?
I am late 2-5 minutes for my first meeting in the morning quite often and appreciate it when people don't get mad because of it all the time. But even I think this is total madness.
Load More Replies... I run on Swedish time- never late, and if I'm early, I patiently wait to announce myself at the exact moment I was supposed to be there.
I can confirm this, being early is just as big faux pas as being late, in Sweden.
Load More Replies... I personally follow the Chinese model. 10 minutes is no big deal, more than that, you should at least acknowledge it. After a half-hour I'm geting exponentially upset.
I try to keep it to the level of mindfulness: if I value you, then I value your time - wasting another person's time is the equivalent of saying to their face "I don't value you as a human being."
I come early because I don't like to be late and so I always have to wait, but for me it's not a problem... I play free slot machines on my phone, if anyone needs it here - https://free-slots.games/
Load More Replies... Vancouver Canada here, being late is a huge NO. Always be on time or a bit early.
I think the German thing has infiltrated my genetics. My ancestors are German, but my family has been American for three generations and we still have to get everywhere early and we often feel late if we cut it as close as only ten minutes early.
I have anxiety about being late. If I'm on time I'm late and it's to the point where I almost make myself sick.
Load More Replies... I am from Greece and the description is misleading. In (private section) business you are expected to be on time. More than 5 min is late. The 30 min is an exaggeration and only applies to friendly meetings at a cafeteria, at a house party, or at a family dinner. At places where you go to relax and enjoy yourself. There is no double standard for foreigners. If a foreigner gets an invitation for a party or dinner and shows up on time, he will most likely be the first one there and could catch the host getting ready.
if you're accidentally early to a party why not help the host get ready?
Load More Replies... Lack of punctuality creates logistic problems. It is difficult to schedule other meetings if you have no idea when you'll get out of a previous one. For people who have several appointments in a day this would be a problem. For casual appointments with friends who tend to arrive late I just take a book.
I am from Austria- so lets talk about Germany. I don't know if it is really the same. But yeah for work you have to be on time (meaning starting working on time and be early enough there to get changed and to drink your cup of coffee). But socially you can be late as long as you meet with more than one person :) and additionally there is the "academic quarter of an hour", which means to academic events you can be 15 minutes late as long as it says so
Yep, same in Germany. A meeting scheduled for 10 a.m. means you start working at 10 a.m. So you better be there a couple of minutes before it starts. Attending later means an interruption and is considered rude. When you just meet up with a friend, up to 15 minutes is fine with a short apology for making the other person wait. For a party it depends on the kind of celebration. You have to attend weddings and other "serious stuff" before time. For a casual b-day party it's usually fine to be even 30 minutes or more late if you inform the person who invited you. And yes, Germans hate waiting when using public transportation. Because it usually means you won't be on time if you have to catch another train or something. And we're usually in a hurry even in our spare time. At least when you live in one of the big cities.
Load More Replies... In Greece your arrival time at meeting depends on your level in the hierarchy. Managment arrives later than staff and the senior person at a meeting always arrives last. The meeting can not start until the most senior person invited arrives.
As a South Korean, I can say that there is such a thing as "Korean time." While you wouldn't want to be late to a meeting with someone who is senior to you (either in age or position), people tend to be more flexible about casual appointments. Also, not sure what 'kibun' is, I think the term for saving face is 'chae-myeon.'
Unfortunately, it is true about Mexico. I HATE IT. I am very punctual. If you're invited to a party, you are NOT expected to arrive on time, but usually 1 hour late. Work meetings? It depends. But it is normal for meetings to start 15, even 20 minutes late. UGH.
Russians are quite relaxed when it comes to punctuality, but they generally try to be on time. Forcing someone to wait (on a date, lunch, dinner out etc.) is generally seen as being rude. Lack of apology in such case is downright condescending (it is associated with petty officials who try to boost their ego by forcing people to wait). But if you visit someone at home, being few minutes late is no big deal, especially if this is a bigger, longer event. In most workplaces people are usually on time, as being late causes problems (operation must be halted, customers are not being served etc.).
The one about Korea is true, but only since recently. Until not too long ago, Koreans used to be very laid back when it comes to being on time. You'd schedule an appointment at a specific hours, but it would actually mean an hour later than scheduled. Me, I didn't really experience this myself, but I've heard a lot about it at school, from Korean teachers and textbooks.
I'm Russian and that fact is wrong about us. We have a "15-minutes" rule which is widespread at work/school/college/etc.. if you don't show up in that time frame, a penalty can be applied or your students have escaped already. I loved this rule being a student and now I hate it being at work =) So, basically, it's appropriate to be late within 15 minutes otherwise you should apologize or warm a waiting person. And this rule applies to everyone, regardless of nationality. Since we are a multi-ethnic country, some may even be late more =)
Malaysian here! I can confirm on this! I coach rugby on the weekends, I have to set a time half hour early for games and training expecting people would come late. for example if I wanted people to come at 430pm, i would say game starts at 4pm just so that people could be "on time". However, at my workplace, I work with Japanese contractor. Contrary to the common belief about punctuality, my Japanese contractor are always late for meetings. Wonder why.
I used to be a very punctual person. And then in college, I started hanging out with South Asians. Then I married a North African. I haven't been on time for anything in 25 years. (Late for all social, non-paying events). (I'm from the US).
Even germans are not on time compared with the swiss. It is not uncommon to be late with the german railways but thrle swiss aplogized for being 3 minutes late for a 3 hour ride. Nothing runs like swiss clockwork
I'm Swiss, and we generally have the same "rule" as Germany. people expect you to be at least 5mins early. show up late, you might as well have stayed home because everyone will judge you lol I think it's a good thing though because my anxious a*s is usually 20-30mins early anyway, and I hate when others are late too. oh and that comment about the reaction to delayed trains? very accurate.
I'm dutch and always on time. Most of the time i'll show up 15 minutes earlier. Not only does it have something to do with punctuality, i also scout my surroundings, look for exits etc. No, i'm not some kind of mercenary, but have anxiety. So i always need to know how to get into my safe-zone.
In Norway most people show up 1-5 mins before the given time. I don't have a drivers lisence, and by some cruel magic the 'nearest' bus time- wise will always be a few mins late... Meaning I have to be almost half an hour early to get there in time. Bleh :p
Croatian here, living in the U.S. (Midwest, Wisconsin). My impression - and this is just my personal observation - Midwesterners are neither late or early, but arrive "exactly" on time, approx 5min off. Like, when coming to class, there's gonna be no one if you're there 10min earlier, but 3min before the start, people flood in. In Croatia, we have the "Balkan time". If you're 30min late, you're still on time.
I'm a born and raised Wisconsiner... it really depends on the part of the state you live in. I grew up in SE Wisconsin, and for the most part everyone was early, but now I live in the NW part and it seems like a lot of people are usually a few minutes late... even to work.
Load More Replies... Pwruvian here, same rules than Mexico, a 30 min delay is no big deal with family, friends, anything casual. In formal ocations like job, a meeting, etc it varies. When u make a party at your house and say 8pm, u spect them 10ish
In Japan you are also late if you are on time while 15 minutes early is on time.
US pretty much can be early, can be late. It depends on where you are and what you're doing. I on the other hand was raised "to be early is to be on time, and to be on time is to be late." I'm always early for everything and if my husband taking to long and it's making me run late I get mad.
Time is very relative in Brazil: it varies from state to state! Haha... Arriving 5~10 minutes earlier or later to any formal appointments is acceptable everywhere, specially in the South/Southern carefree states. But that's all really. It's disrespectful otherwise. As for informal events, half an hour is okay and by 1h, people will be hunting your head. And particularly when you're in Rio for a casual meeting, be a Carioca and arrive atleast half an hour late like the others... but if a party is said to start at 23h, people will show up after midnight or later! lol And I'll never understand why Germans from Germany are so crazy about time, so I try to always arrive much earlier there! They're almost worse than Dutch in that! XD
The great Green Bay Packers football coach said, "If you are not 15 minutes early, you're late." I wonder if there has ever been a study done on the correlation between promptness and success. My husband is a former Military guy. We move on "Groneng time". Our daughters-in-law refer to it as that!!!
Sometimes you have to set your own standard. I do a lot of work in Central and South America, where punctuality is not widely expected. About 3 years ago, I started getting up and walking out of the meeting place if the other party didn't show up within 5 minutes of the agreed-upon time. 3 years later -- today -- everybody shows up 5 minutes early.
I Switzerland we sometimes say, that 5 minutes early is too early, 1 minute early is «on time» and on time is «too late». I am living now in Thailand, where time is also quite flexible. 15 minutes late is still acceptable. When you call someone to remind about the meeting, they often say «I am underway, just arrived», but you clearly hear/feel that they forgot the appointment and just start now. «I am here in 5 minutes» can be half an hour.
As a German I would much appreciate if or trains and public transport would hold on to the Japanese 1minute rule. Always be on time, but if you run late not more than a minute. Boy, if I could get all the lifetime back I lost due to public transport being late.
Holland here! I think the "timerules" from Germany, Sweden en Finland are very similar! Come on time or it's disrespectful and don't come to early either :p.
Hm, about Mexico, I can say this is not exactly so. Unfortunately being late is common, but often seen as a lack of respect and a sign of untrusthworthiness. I am never, ever late and if by an expected reason I will be I let people know. And so are many of my friends. People who are usually late are considered to be less trustworthy on other issues besides punctuallity.
Lived in Japan. It wasn't uncommon to hear a PA apology for a thirty second delay.
Nigerian here 🙋🏾♂️. Your estimate is close to reality, especially for public sector business meetings, private sector takes punctuality more seriously. For social gatherings however, your description is merciful. If you had a birthday party scheduled to start at 1pm, expect your guests to casually and unapologetically start arriving by 3pm.
We have a saying in Germany: "punctuality is the courtesy of kings". If you are unpunctual you think that your time is more precious than that of the people waiting for you and that's really rude.
Most people who are chronically late are control freaks. They get their jollies by forcing people to wait on them. I’ve had a couple of former friends pull this garbage on me. ...///... Both would be up to an hour late for a dinner reservation, for example. I told them in advance, then went ahead without them. Both were shocked that I had eaten without them. ...///... The final straw for them was when we were supposed to meet and then go somewhere else. I gave them 15 minutes and then I left. They expected me to grovel and apologize and I told both of them that my time isn’t free. I’m not going to waste time waiting for them if they didn’t have enough respect for me to realize that.
in the US, it is always correct to be 20 minutes early for a business meeting. It is never correct to be late. If later than 20 minutes, the appointment will be cancelled since you insulted the host... The German Rules for business appointments apply here... You will be asked to leave if you show up late like this for a job interview (no job for you here, you slacker!). The rules vary, but are much for relaxed, for social engagements. If you arrive at a restaurant 30 minutes late without a cell phone call to provide a good excuse, you friend will most likely get up & leave.
you forgot to elaborate on Mexican Standard Time, a.k.a. "Carribean Standard Time"... for any appointment except when it is explicit that arrival on time is considered extremely important, and that being late will be bad, any appointment time is considered "Manana", pronounced "man-ya-nahw"... Manana time means tomorrow, but is also means "sooner or later, when I get around to it, when I feel like it, so just wait for me, okay?" If a host invites you for dinner at 7:00 pm, he may not show up at the house until 9:00 pm, with dinner postponed until 10:00 pm... don't take it mean or personally, this is just a normal day doing business south of the border... enjoy the company of the maid, a couple of glasses of wine, and the soccer match on the TV while waiting....
I'm not sitting around hungry for three hours and the maid is not there to entertain you.
Load More Replies... Our family motto was better to be 3 hours early than 5 minutes late.
In South Africa we call it Africa time, because every body is always late! ALWAYS! I how ever consider it rude to be late for a set time. We all have things to do, so be on bloody time!!!!!!!!!!!
This is so stereotyping and just makes some cultures seem more above than the others. That's useless.
in Syria we say "Arabic time" for when it's okay to be late and "English time" when it's not. x-D
German people are respecting time tables only if the meet German people, rest of the world can wait.
German people are respecting time tables only if the meet German people, rest of the world can wait. :))
As a german who worked for now 15 years with a lot of foreign colleagues, I already had my problems with different versions of "on time". And yeah, I am the "calssic german" because it is always better to be 10 min early then 10 min late :)
Married to an Arab for 22 years. Time fluidity is not just a Saudi thing. Arabs are routinely 1 - 3 hours late for everything except the Friday prayer. When I went to my first party I arrived 10 minutes late and everyone was still in their lounge wear. But I helped set up and decorate so it worked out. Arab parties are the best!
For Russia it is true in a way. A Russian businessman will be a little late but will apologize in a very heartfelt way. This can be a little trick as well. There's also a 15-minute rule. If one part doesn't show up within 15 minutes after the scheduled time, the meeting is considered to be cancelled, unless it is rescheduled.
I'm not young, so for me, my social engagements time is valuable. Socially, I'll give my friends 10 minutes after our agreed-upon meeting time, and then eff it, I'm off. Most of my friends have learned to text me at least 10 minutes in advance if they know they'll be late. I absolutely hate waiting around for people. And I'm still not used to parties in NYC, where the ideal arrival time is 15 minutes to an hour after the scheduled start time. Business meetings, I show up early, but people at my company and our clients seem to give it 5 minutes to account for stragglers, then they start. When I go to concerts, it irritates me to have to arrive so early for a good spot for a general admission/standing room show when we all know that musicians—with the great and wonderful exception of Kraftwerk!—will be 20 minutes late in starting their set.
I am from a country which is influenced by Germany. So punctuality in inbred. Now, I live in a lax Southern country, similar to Greece. It pisses me off that you can agree on one thing in the evening yetvitbis forgotten by the morning. Turning up for work 'on time' is very loose concept. Still grates my nerves.
Since its not there: in America 5 minutes early is on time, 5 minutes late and you shouldn't bother showing up.
Follow up to this, I once got fired from my job as a shift manager for being 2 minutes late three days in a row. Literly 2 minutes late. Store manager never complained until the day her fired me.
Load More Replies... For a work meeting I like to be early. I find out the layout first to see if I want to be close or hide in the back with the cool kids depending on the type of meeting and who is heading it.
Geez... Germany seems to be the one of the few countries here that has its s**t together in terms of punctuality.
Might be right. But we're always stressed out because of that. Which actually doesn't make things much better.
Load More Replies... In Japan, it's not uncommon for the trains to be 2-3 minutes late. That's actually the average. Only about half the time did they arrive within a minute of schedule. On a couple occasions they were ~7 minutes late, due to weather or other circumstances. Nobody went crazy, we all just patiently waited. Still, this is a far cry from other countries where buses and trains could easily be 40 mins late without batting an eyelash.
I´m Brazilian and had never heard about "English time". What I can say is that since I moved from the South of Brazil, to Rio de Janeiro, I am considered a foreigner, 'cause I am always punctual, as in the South they use to be.
In Spain people are usually late, and it's considered "normal". Nobody would get angry if you appear 20 or 30 min late. Also, if you are told to meet somebody "at noon", it means no earlier than 2.00 pm. "After lunch" means after 4 00 pm. And "dinner" is never before 9.00 or 10.00 pm. Foreigners always say it's confusing. Spaniards never seem to be in a hurry! And if we run out of time and we can't finish what we are doing, we always have "mañana" ( tomorrow)!
Fortunately, not all of us run on Spanish time. Me, a Spaniard living in Spain, follow the Swedish time.
Load More Replies... Very interesting! Really hoping the info is not based on opinion though
I used to travel around Italy for work. In the far north (Alto Adige), "let's meet after lunch" means between 1pm and 1.15pm. In the south (Calabria), don't show up before 5pm, even 6pm during the summer.
I used to make sure my family all got together at least once a month for dinner, usually on a Sunday afternoon. My sister is a complete narcissist and never felt the need to show up on time. 10-15 minutes late is totally fine, but when you're cooking for 12 people anything more is just messed up. She showed up an hour late (more than once) and had the nerve to complain that we started without her. B***h, f*****g buy a watch.
What part? Midwesterners (around Kansas, not great lakes region) are very punctual!
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