Various Types of Electrical Outlets used Worldwide

Everything you need to know about traveling with your electric gear to a foreign country is right here for your convenience! When traveling anywhere in the world it is important to know what electrical outlets and plugs you may encounter. Many out of country vacation spots worldwide require electrical adapters to allow your gear to power-up properly. Traveling in another country that has electrical outlets you are not familiar with, can make it difficult to stay up and running when it comes to communication and electrical devices. Unless you know what to expect, the results could be disastrous for business or vacation. Where would you be if you could not recharge your iPad, Kindle, cell phones, or Game Boys? It would certainly be Armageddon; or something close to it.

Within this article, you will find information regarding which electrical receptacles are required when traveling outside of your country. You will find a table for technical descriptions, and pictures for "Type A" through "Type M" electrical receptacles, also definitions of each electrical outlet, and what outlets are used worldwide listed according to their country. Discovering Happy Trails worldwide is easy when you have the know-how to operate effectively in any country or continent you travel to.

The "Type A" electrical receptacle is known as the American/Japanese 2-blade electrical adapter plug and electrical outlet. The Type A plug is designed using two flat blades (pins). You will find this outlet on the South American east coast in small numbers, being used on small electrical equipment that doesn't require any grounding. It is most readily found all over North America. This device is known as the NEMA 1-15; North American 15A/125V ungrounded Type A outlet.

• AMERICAN SAMOA
• ANTIGUA
• ARUBA
• BAHAMAS
• BANGLADESH
• BARBADOS
• BERMUDA
• BRAZIL
• BOLIVIA
• CANADA
• CAMBODIA
• CAYMAN ISLANDS
• CHINA
• COLUMBIA
• COSTA RICO
• CUBA
• DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
• ECUADOR
• EL SALVADOR
• FRENCH POLYNESIA
• GUAM
• GUATAMALA
• GUYANA
• HAITI
• HONDURAS
• JAMAICA
• JAPAN
• LAOS
• LEBANON
• LIBERIA
• MALDIVES
• MARSHALL ISLANDS
• MEXICO

Like the Type A plug, the "type B" electrical receptacle has two flat parallel pins, but also has a round grounding (earthed) pin. It has a wider neutral blade to insure that it is plugged in correctly, which grounds the plug before power is applied. Also known as the North American 3-pin, it's technical description is NEMA 5-15; North American 15A/125V grounded Type B outlet.

• AMERICAN SAMOA
• ANTIGUA
• ARUBA
• BAHAMAS
• BARBADOS
• BELIZE
• BERMUDA
• BRAZIL
• CANADA
• CAYMAN ISLANDS
• COLUMBIA
• COSTA RICA
• CUBA
• ECUDOR
• EL SALVADOR
• FRENCH POLYNESIA
• GUAM
• GUATEMALA
• GUYANA
• HAITI
• HONDURAS
• JAMAICA
• JAPAN
• KYRGYZSTAN
• LAOS
• LEBANON
• LIBERIA
• MARSHALL ISLANDS
• MEXICO
• MOLDOVA
• NETHERLANDS ANTILLES
• NIGER

The "Type C" is a European 2-pin electrical outlet, generally referred to as the Europlug. It is a 2-pinned unearthed plug that is found all over continental Europe, and some spots in the middle east, as well as much of South America, Africa, central Asia, and even in the old Soviet Republics. This Type C outlet is similar to another plug (CEE 7/17) which has pins that are a bit larger. However the Type C plug is known as CEE 7/16; Europlug 2.5A/250V unearthed outlet (CEE 7/16 or Type C plug is only to be used on those devices that call for 2.5A or less).

• AFGHANISTAN
• ALBANIA
• ALGERIA
• ANDORRA
• ANGOLA
• ANTARCTICA
• ARMENIA
• AZERBAIJAN
• BANGLADESH
• BELARUS
• BOLIVIA
• BOSNIA
• BRAZIL
• BUGARIA
• BURKINA FASO
• BURMA
• BURUNDI
• CAMBODIA
• CAMEROON
• CAPE VERDE
• CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
• CHILE
• CHRISTMAS ISLAND
• COCOS ISLANDS
• COMOROS
• CROATIA
• CUBA
• CONGO
• DENMARK
• DIJBOUTI
• EGYPT
• FINLAND
• GABON
• GERMANY
• GIBRALTAR
• GREECE
• GREENLAND
• GUINEA
• VATICAN CITY
• HUNGARY
• ICELAND
• INDIA
• INDONESIA
• IRAN
• IRAQ
• ISLE OF MAN
• ISRAEL
• ITALY
• IVORY COAST
• JERSEY
• KAZAKHSTAN
• KOSOVO
• LAOS
• LATVIA
• LEBANON
• LITHUANIA
• LUXEMBOURG

This unique Type D plug carries the nick-name of Old British plug. It has a triangular pattern created by the placement of the 3-pins, which are round. This plug will be found in those areas that were originally powered by the British. This gem was the standard plug in the United Kingdom until the 1940s. You may still find a few around in South Africa, but for the most part they have been updated by the Type M outlet. The Type D plug is technically known as the BS 546; 5A/250V earthed plug and receptacle.

• BANGLADESH
• BHUTAN
• BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
• BURME
• CHAD
• DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
• DOMINICA
• ETHIOPIA
• GHANA
• GUYANA
• INDIA
• IRAQ
• JORDAN
• KUWAIT
• LEBANON
• LYBIA
• MACAU
• MALDIVES
• MONACO
• NEPAL
• NIGER
• NIGERIA
• PAKISTAN
• QATAR
• SAINT HELENA

This Type E plug plays very well with others. It is compatible with Type C and Type F devices because of the 2-pin round design where the pins are placed 19mm apart, making for their compatibility. The Type E is called the French 2-pin and is the standard device in France, Poland, Denmark, Belgium, and several other countries. It is not compatible with Type F plug that is standard in Netherlands, Germany and other continental European countries because of the placement of the grounding round male pin within the socket that grounds appliances. This Type E is technically known as the French CEE 7/5; 16A/250V earthed plug and receptacle.

• BELGIUM
• BENIN
• BURKINA FASO
• BURUNDI
• CAMEROON
• CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
• CHAD
• CZECH REPUBLIC
• DJIBOUTI
• EQUATORIAL GUINEA
• FRANCE
• GREECE
• IVORY COAST
• LAOS
• MADAGASCAR
• MALI
• MONACO
• MONGOLIA
• MOROCCO

The "Schuko" plug or Type F plug and outlet is very similar to a Type E device, with the exception being it has two ground clips on the side, instead of a single female contact. The name "Schuko" is derived from a German created word "Schukostecker" that literally means "protective contact plug." The F Type device is technically known as CEE 7/4; 16A/250V German Schuko plug.

• AFGHANISTAN
• ABANIA
• ALGERIA
• AMERICAN SAMOA
• ANDORRA
• ANTARTICA
• ARMENIA
• ARUBA
• AUSTRIA
• AZERBAIJAN
• BELARUS
• BHUTAN
• BOSNIA
• BULGARIA
• BURMA
• CAPE VERDE
• CHAD
• CROATIA
• ESTONIA
• FINLAND
• GERMANY
• GREECE
• GUINEA
• HUNGARY
• ICELAND
• INDONESIA
• ITALY
• JORDAN
• LAOS
• LATVIA
• LITHUANIA
• LUXEMBOURG

This 3-pin electrical outlet and plug from our British friends is the Type G receptacle. The blades are rectangular in shape and the plug has a fuse built in, this protects electrical cords from high-current circuits. This device will usually have a safety switch. It may be known more commonly as the 13-amp plug, which has gates built in that protect the live and neutral connections and also prevent the insertion of incorrect or unsafe plugs. The gates are opened only by the longer pins of the Type G device; it is not advisable to tamper with these gates by opening them with a screwdriver to insert a Type C or other plugs, as these do not have a built in fuse. Technically known as the BS 1363; 13A/230-240V; 50Hz British earthed and fused plug and receptacle.

• BAHRAIN
• BANGLADESH
• BELIZE
• BHUTAN
• BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY
• BRUNEI
• BURMA
• CHINA
• CYPRUS
• DOMINICA
• FALKLAND ISLANDS
• GAMBIA
• GIBRALTAR
• GRENADA
• GUATEMALA
• GHANA
• GUYANA
• HONG KONG
• INDONESIA
• IRAQ
• IRELAND
• ISLE OF MAN
• JERSEY
• JORDAN
• KENYA
• KUWAIT
• LEBANON
• MACAU
• MALAWI
• MALAYSIA
• MALDIVES

The Type H Israeli electrical plug and outlet is completely unique to Israel. The 3-pin triangular formation is very easy to spot when compared to other types. The original Type H assembly is rare and was redesigned in 1989 by replacing the three flat pins with three 4mm round pins. This revision was needed because the original thin flat blades became overheated when attached to larger electrical items. The revised sockets accept both the old and new plugs, and also accommodate Type C plugs. The technical reference is 16A/250V Israeli unearthed plug.

• GAZA STRIP
• ISRAEL

The Australian Type I plug and outlet device has 2 flat oblique blades that are placed in the form of a V, with a third blade providing a pin for grounding. This safety conscious device usually has a switch for extra safety, being used generally in Australia and New Zealand. You can find an unearthed Type I plug, but it will always be 3-pinned. The technical name for this device is AS/NZS 10A/240V Australian plug and outlet. This plug has several variations in amperage including a 15A, 20A, 25A, and a 32A plug.

• AMERICAN SAMOA
• ARGENTINA
• AUSTRALIA
• CHINA
• COOK ISLAND
• FIJI
• GUATEMALA
• KIRIBATI
• NAURU
• NEW ZELAND
• NIUE
• PAPUA NEW GUINEA
• SAINT VINCENT
• SAMOA

The Swiss make this 3-pin electrical outlet and plug device, thus its name "Swiss 3-pin" is an obvious choice. Quite similar to the Europlug Type C, with the difference being partly that the Type J has a grounding pin off to one side. The Swiss Type J is the standard in Switzerland, and has a three square prong configuration that is rated up to a 16A application. Anything above 16A would require a hard-wire configuration, or a special high-powered industrial grade connection. The Type J device is technically called SEV 1011; 10A/250V Swiss electrical receptacle.

• ETHIOPIA
• JORDAN
• LIECHTENSTEIN
• MALDIVES
• RWANDA
• SPAIN
• SWITZERLAND

The Type K electrical receptacle is the Danish standard device. The Type K has a spaded grounding pin and two round pins making it a 3-pin plug and outlet. It's similar to the Type E, with the differences being in the way the grounding pin and holes are configured (somewhat opposite in that one is an "innie" where the other is an "outie,"). The technical name for this device is SRAF 1962 DB 10A/250V; Danish standard plug.

• DENMARK
• FALKLAND ISLANDS
• FAROE ISLANDS
• GREENLAND
• GUINEA
• MALDIVES
• SENEGAL

The Type L Italian 3-pin plug has two round pins with a third round grounding pin in a line, making it okay for the live or neutral pins to be inserted in either direction. This is the standard in Italy. There are two other types of L sockets, with the first being smaller with a center hole, and two 8-shaped holes above and below. The second type appears similar to the Type F, but has a center grounding hole, and is twice as big as the Type L socket. The technical name of the Type L device is CEI 23-16/VII; Italian earthed plug/socket standard.

• CHILE
• ETHIOPIA
• VATICAN CITY
• ITALY
• LYBIA
• SYRIA
• URUGUAY

The Type M electrical receptacle is used primarily in South Africa. This electrical plug has three round pins, and is pretty much a larger version of the Type D. It is considered the standard plug in South Africa. The technical name for this device is BS 546; 15A/250V South African Plug.

• HONG KONG
• LESOTHO
• MOZAMBIQUE
• NAMBIA
• SWAZILAND