Direct answer
Forex does not have one single, global “closing time” like a stock exchange. Instead, currency trading typically runs through multiple overlapping market sessions, and different instruments may be more or less active at different times. For candle close specifically, the only dependable “close time” is when your selected candle finishes on your chart.
If your question is “what time does forex close?” in a chart-reading sense, the answer is: the market session that your chart reflects ends when that session ends, and your candle closes at the end of each candle period (for example, the end of a 1-hour or 15-minute interval).
How candle close works for “what time does forex close”
A forex candle represents price movement over a fixed time interval (the timeframe, such as 5 minutes, 1 hour, or 1 day). A candle closes when the interval ends and the next candle begins.
So there are three distinct “timing” inputs that affect what you see:
- Timeframe: A 1-hour candle “closes” every hour; a 4-hour candle “closes” every 4 hours.
- Timezone on your chart: Candles are aligned to a specific timezone (often broker, platform, or data-feed timezone). Change the timezone setting and the candle boundaries can shift.
- Instrument and session behavior: Even if your candles close on time, liquidity can thin out during certain hours or session transitions. That can make candles look different (wider ranges, slower movement), but it does not create a universal “market closed” moment.
Example checks you can do on your own chart
To verify what “close time” means for your setup:
- Pick a candle timeframe (e.g., 1H) and identify the exact timestamp when a candle ends and the next candle begins. That timestamp is your candle close.
- Compare the same instrument on two platforms or two data feeds. If their timezone alignment differs, the candle close timestamps may differ even though the timeframe length is the same.
- Look at a period around a known session transition (for example, a move from one regional session to another). You may see reduced activity before or after the transition while candles still continue to print based on timeframe.
Relevant limitations and uncertainty
- No single daily close: Because forex trading is session-based and fragmented across regions, any single “forex closes at X time” statement is likely incomplete.
- Your chart defines candle boundaries: Candle close time is determined by your chart’s timeframe and timezone, not by a universal forex rule.
- “Close” can be ambiguous: People may mean liquidity drop, end of a session, or the end of a candle interval. These do not always match.
If you share your instrument (which currency pair), timeframe, and your chart timezone setting, you can determine the candle close timestamps precisely for your own chart—without assuming a universal forex shutdown time.