Direct answer
There is no single, universal “forex market close time” that applies to everyone at the same moment. Forex is traded continuously across major financial centers, so charts and platforms usually define “end” moments in two different ways: (1) when a candle ends on your chart (candle close), and (2) when your platform or data provider applies a session cutoff.
If your question is specifically about candle close, the relevant time is the moment each candle finishes for your chosen timeframe (for example, the end of a 1-hour candle or the end of a daily candle) according to your platform’s time zone.
How candle close works
Candle close means the displayed candle completes at the timeframe boundary and its final open/high/low/close values are set.
Key points that determine “what time” candle close happens:
- Timeframe selection: A 5-minute candle closes every 5 minutes; a 1-hour candle closes every hour.
- Platform time zone: Many trading platforms align candle boundaries to the platform’s configured time zone (or the time zone of the market data feed). The same instrument can appear to close “at a different time” if time zones differ.
- Data availability and feed behavior: Your chart is built from the broker or data feed. If the feed changes availability around certain hours, candles can look different near those periods.
So, when you hear “when does forex close,” the practical answer for chart users is: your chart “closes” each candle at the timeframe boundary in your platform’s time zone, not at a global forex exchange closing bell.
Example checks (independent verification)
To verify the candle close timing on your own setup:
- Check your chart timeframe: Switch between common timeframes (for example, 1-hour and 1-day) and observe when the candle boundary occurs.
- Compare time zones: If your platform lets you change time zone or displays the server time, confirm which time zone the candle boundaries follow.
- Look for session effects: During times when liquidity is lower (for example, between major regional trading hours), candles still close by timeframe, but spreads and price movement can behave differently. That is a market condition difference, not a single “market close” for forex.
Relevant limitations and risks
- No universal close time: Because forex trades across regions, “close time” depends on how you define “close” (candle close vs. session cutoff).
- Broker/provider differences: Session boundaries and feed behavior can vary between platforms, so any single time stated elsewhere may not match your chart.
- No real-time guarantees: Candle close timing can only be confirmed by your own chart settings (timeframe and time zone). If you need certainty, rely on your platform’s displayed server time and candle boundaries.