Be half an hour late in Greece but bang on time in Japan: How different nations across the globe value punctuality revealed
Free online gaming website Mr Gamez researched 15 different countries
In Morocco and Mexico tardiness is acceptable if not encouraged
But Japan and Germany react very badly to anything less than punctual
By HARRIET MALLINSON FOR MAILONLINE
Punctuality is something many people struggle with - especially in an age where technology has made it easier than ever to let people know you might be late.
However tardy timekeepers may be glad to know over in Mexico, turning up half an hour late is entirely acceptable, and in Morocco you can be anything from an hour to a day late without anyone batting an eyelid.
But those keen to adhere to scheduled times needn't panic as Japan and Germany are sticklers for punctuality with the latter even requiring you to be early for meetings
Free online gaming website Mr Gamez has created a study to find how much and how little value different nations around the world place on punctuality - and the results differ enormously.
In South Korea people view being late as a sign of disrespect.
But in Malaysia saying you will be five minutes late usually means an hour and being late is an accepted norm that does not require an apology.
In China it is not considered late if you arrive within 10 minutes of the agreed time, but in Japan, if a train arrives more than one minute after it is scheduled to, it is considered late.
On the other side of the Pacific it is not uncommon for people to turn up half an hour late for a scheduled meeting in Mexico.
Thanks to its industrial past, in Germany you are expected to arrive at least 10 minutes early for any scheduled meeting.
But down in Nigeria if a meeting is scheduled at 1pm, that means the meeting will start any time between 1pm and 2pm.
Similarly in Saudi Arabia time is not such an important commodity, with people frequently turning up half an hour late to meetings. Looking at your watch during an event is also considered to be discourteous.
When making a social appointment in Brazil, you are not required to be there on time unless the phrase ‘English time’ is used, which means you have to be punctual.
In Ghana most meeting times are considered to be flexible, even if an exact time is given. It can very often mean at any point during that day.
Likewise punctuality is not seen as a virtue in India. People appreciate it but it may not be reciprocated.
‘Moroccan time’ can mean being anything from an hour up to a day late for a personal meeting.
Over in Greece punctuality is not considered that important but foreigners are still expected to turn up on time for meetings. Socially you should be at least 30 minutes late.
There are many jokes about Kazakh punctuality and it is even acceptable to turn up late to a wedding celebration in Kazakhstan.
Patience is considered a very important quality in Russian culture but punctuality is not. As a foreigner you are expected to be on time but do not expect the same, or an apology, from your Russian counterpart.