Heading somewhere new and not sure if your charger or adapter will work? I’ve put together this comprehensive guide covering all 15 plug types used around the world, including the countries that use them, the voltage and frequency standards you’ll encounter, and the adapters or converters you may need before you travel.
Whenever I’m planning a trip to a new country, one of the first questions I try to answer is: What plug adapter do I need? While a universal travel adapter is often the easiest solution, you may already have adapters from previous trips, or simply be curious about which plug types are used around the world. If so, this guide should come in handy.
There are 15 different electrical plug types used worldwide, and there is no single global standard. In this guide, you’ll find the plug types used in countries across the world, making it easy to determine exactly which adapter you’ll need for your next trip. Let’s start with a quick summary of the available plug types.
All 15 Plug Types in the World (Illustrated)
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) labels plug types with letters A through O. Here is every type, what it looks like, and where it is used.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
Plugs by Country: Complete A–Z Reference Table
Use this table to find exactly what plug type and voltage you will encounter in any country.
| Country | Plug Types | Voltage | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | C, F | 220V | 50Hz |
| Albania | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Algeria | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Angola | C | 220V | 50Hz |
| Antigua and Barbuda | A, B | 230V | 60Hz |
| Argentina | C, I | 220V | 50Hz |
| Armenia | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Australia | I | 230V | 50Hz |
| Austria | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Azerbaijan | C, F | 220V | 50Hz |
| Bahamas | A, B | 120V | 60Hz |
| Bahrain | G | 230V | 50Hz |
| Bangladesh | C, D, G, K | 220V | 50Hz |
| Barbados | A, B | 115V | 50Hz |
| Belarus | C, F | 220V | 50Hz |
| Belgium | C, E | 230V | 50Hz |
| Belize | A, B, G | 110/220V | 60Hz |
| Benin | C, E | 220V | 50Hz |
| Bhutan | C, D, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Bolivia | A, C | 220V | 50Hz |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Botswana | D, G, M | 231V | 50Hz |
| Brazil | C, N | 127/220V | 60Hz |
| Brunei | G | 240V | 50Hz |
| Bulgaria | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Burkina Faso | C, E | 220V | 50Hz |
| Burundi | C, E | 220V | 50Hz |
| Cambodia | A, C, G | 230V | 50Hz |
| Cameroon | C, E | 220V | 50Hz |
| Canada | A, B | 120V | 60Hz |
| Cape Verde | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Central African Republic | C, E | 220V | 50Hz |
| Chad | C, D, E, F | 220V | 50Hz |
| Chile | C, L | 220V | 50Hz |
| China | A, C, I | 220V | 50Hz |
| Colombia | A, B | 110V | 60Hz |
| Comoros | C, E | 220V | 50Hz |
| Congo (Democratic Republic) | C, D, E | 220V | 50Hz |
| Congo (Republic) | C, E | 230V | 50Hz |
| Costa Rica | A, B | 120V | 60Hz |
| Côte d’Ivoire | C, E | 220V | 50Hz |
| Croatia | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Cuba | A, B, C, L | 110/220V | 60Hz |
| Cyprus | G | 230V | 50Hz |
| Czech Republic | C, E | 230V | 50Hz |
| Denmark | C, E, F, K | 230V | 50Hz |
| Djibouti | C, E | 220V | 50Hz |
| Dominican Republic | A, B | 110V | 60Hz |
| Ecuador | A, B | 110V | 60Hz |
| Egypt | C, F | 220V | 50Hz |
| El Salvador | A, B | 115V | 60Hz |
| Equatorial Guinea | C, E | 220V | 50Hz |
| Eritrea | C, L | 230V | 50Hz |
| Estonia | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Eswatini (Swaziland) | G, M | 230V | 50Hz |
| Ethiopia | C, E, F, L | 220V | 50Hz |
| Fiji | I | 240V | 50Hz |
| Finland | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| France | C, E | 230V | 50Hz |
| Gabon | C | 220V | 50Hz |
| Gambia | G | 230V | 50Hz |
| Georgia | C, F | 220V | 50Hz |
| Germany | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Ghana | D, G | 230V | 50Hz |
| Greece | C, E, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Guatemala | A, B | 120V | 60Hz |
| Guinea | C, F, K | 220V | 50Hz |
| Guinea-Bissau | C | 220V | 50Hz |
| Guyana | A, B, D, G | 110/240V | 60Hz |
| Haiti | A, B | 110V | 60Hz |
| Honduras | A, B | 110V | 60Hz |
| Hong Kong | G | 220V | 50Hz |
| Hungary | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Iceland | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| India | C, D, M | 230V | 50Hz |
| Indonesia | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Iran | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Iraq | C, D, G | 230V | 50Hz |
| Ireland | G | 230V | 50Hz |
| Israel | C, H, M | 230V | 50Hz |
| Italy | C, F, L | 230V | 50Hz |
| Jamaica | A, B | 110V | 50Hz |
| Japan | A, B | 100V | 50/60Hz |
| Jordan | C, D, F, G, J | 230V | 50Hz |
| Kazakhstan | C, F | 220V | 50Hz |
| Kenya | G | 240V | 50Hz |
| Kuwait | C, G | 240V | 50Hz |
| Kyrgyzstan | C, F | 220V | 50Hz |
| Laos | A, B, C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Latvia | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Lebanon | C, D, G | 230V | 50Hz |
| Lesotho | M | 220V | 50Hz |
| Liberia | A, B | 120V | 60Hz |
| Libya | C, D, L | 127/230V | 50Hz |
| Liechtenstein | C, J | 230V | 50Hz |
| Lithuania | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Luxembourg | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Madagascar | C, E | 127/220V | 50Hz |
| Malawi | G | 230V | 50Hz |
| Malaysia | G | 240V | 50Hz |
| Maldives | C, D, G, L | 230V | 50Hz |
| Mali | C, E | 220V | 50Hz |
| Malta | G | 230V | 50Hz |
| Mauritania | C | 220V | 50Hz |
| Mauritius | C, G | 230V | 50Hz |
| Mexico | A, B | 127V | 60Hz |
| Moldova | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Mongolia | C, E | 230V | 50Hz |
| Montenegro | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Morocco | C, E | 220V | 50Hz |
| Mozambique | C, F, M | 220V | 50Hz |
| Myanmar (Burma) | C, D, G | 230V | 50Hz |
| Namibia | D, M | 220V | 50Hz |
| Nepal | C, D, M | 230V | 50Hz |
| Netherlands | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| New Zealand | I | 230V | 50Hz |
| Nicaragua | A, B | 120V | 60Hz |
| Niger | C, D, E | 220V | 50Hz |
| Nigeria | D, G | 240V | 50Hz |
| North Macedonia | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Norway | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Oman | C, G | 240V | 50Hz |
| Pakistan | C, D | 230V | 50Hz |
| Palestine | C, H | 230V | 50Hz |
| Panama | A, B | 110V | 60Hz |
| Papua New Guinea | I | 240V | 50Hz |
| Paraguay | C | 220V | 50Hz |
| Peru | A, B, C | 220V | 60Hz |
| Philippines | A, B, C | 220V | 60Hz |
| Poland | C, E | 230V | 50Hz |
| Portugal | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Qatar | D, G | 240V | 50Hz |
| Romania | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Russia | C, F | 220V | 50Hz |
| Rwanda | C, J | 230V | 50Hz |
| Saudi Arabia | A, B, G | 127/220V | 60Hz |
| Senegal | C, D, E | 230V | 50Hz |
| Serbia | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Sierra Leone | D, G | 230V | 50Hz |
| Singapore | G | 230V | 50Hz |
| Slovakia | C, E | 230V | 50Hz |
| Slovenia | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Somalia | C | 220V | 50Hz |
| South Africa | C, M, N | 230V | 50Hz |
| South Korea | C, F | 220V | 60Hz |
| South Sudan | C, D | 230V | 50Hz |
| Spain | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Sri Lanka | D, G, M | 230V | 50Hz |
| Sudan | C, D | 230V | 50Hz |
| Suriname | C, F | 127V | 60Hz |
| Sweden | C, F | 230V | 50Hz |
| Switzerland | C, J | 230V | 50Hz |
| Syria | C, E, L | 220V | 50Hz |
| Taiwan | A, B | 110V | 60Hz |
| Tajikistan | C, F | 220V | 50Hz |
| Tanzania | D, G | 230V | 50Hz |
| Thailand | A, B, C | 220V | 50Hz |
| Timor-Leste | C, E, F, I | 220V | 50Hz |
| Togo | C | 220V | 50Hz |
| Trinidad and Tobago | A, B | 115V | 60Hz |
| Tunisia | C, E | 230V | 50Hz |
| Turkey | C, F | 220V | 50Hz |
| Turkmenistan | C, F | 220V | 50Hz |
| UAE | C, D, G | 220/240V | 50Hz |
| Uganda | G | 240V | 50Hz |
| UK | G | 230V | 50Hz |
| Ukraine | C, F | 220V | 50Hz |
| Uruguay | C, F, I, L | 220V | 50Hz |
| USA | A, B | 120V | 60Hz |
| Uzbekistan | C, F | 220V | 50Hz |
| Venezuela | A, B | 120V | 60Hz |
| Vietnam | A, C, F | 220V | 50Hz |
| Yemen | A, D, G | 230V | 50Hz |
| Zambia | C, D, G | 230V | 50Hz |
| Zimbabwe | D, G | 220V | 50Hz |
Voltage and Frequency: Why It Matters
There are two electrical systems in the world. North America, Central America, and parts of South America run on 110-127V at 60Hz. Everywhere else – Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia – runs on 220-240V at 50Hz. Japan is a special case at 100V.
This matters because plugging a device rated for 120V into a 230V socket will destroy it. And plugging a 230V device into a 120V socket means it will not work properly – motors will run slowly, heating elements will underperform.
The most important thing to check: Look at the label on your device’s power brick or charging cable. If it says “Input: 100-240V, 50/60Hz” – you are dual-voltage. You only need an adapter, not a converter. Most modern laptops, phone chargers, cameras, and tablets are dual-voltage.
Hair dryers, curling irons, and budget electric shavers are typically single-voltage. A US hair dryer (120V) plugged into a European socket (230V) without a converter will burn out instantly. Either buy a dual-voltage travel hair dryer or use a proper voltage converter – not just an adapter.
Do You Need an Adapter or a Voltage Converter?
This is the question that confuses most travellers. Here is the simple answer:
- Travel adapter – changes the shape of the plug only. No voltage conversion. Safe for dual-voltage devices (labelled 100-240V). Lightweight and cheap. This is all most travellers need for phones, laptops, and cameras.
- Voltage converter – converts 220-240V down to 110-120V. Heavy and expensive. Only needed for single-voltage appliances like basic hair dryers, some electric razors, or older power tools.
- Universal travel adapter – a single adapter with interchangeable pins for Types A, C, G, and I. Covers roughly 95% of all countries. Ideal for frequent travellers hitting multiple continents.
Pro tip: A universal travel adapter with built-in USB-A and USB-C ports means you can charge multiple devices from one socket anywhere in the world. Buy one once, keep it in your bag permanently.
Quick Reference by Region
Europe
Most of Europe uses Type C plugs in Type E or F sockets. Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and most of Central and Eastern Europe use Schuko (Type F). France, Belgium, Poland, and the Czech Republic use Type E. Switzerland is the outlier with its unique Type J socket. The UK and Ireland use Type G – completely different from the rest of Europe, so prepare accordingly if you are crossing the Channel.
North America
USA, Canada, and Mexico all use Type A and Type B at 120V/60Hz. Japan also uses the same plug shape, but at 100V, so a US device will work in Japan physically, but the slightly lower voltage can affect the performance of some appliances.
Africa
Africa is varied. Former British colonies – Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana, Zimbabwe – use Type G. South Africa uses Type M for larger appliances and has its own mix. Much of North and East Africa uses Type C/E/F from European influence. Always check your specific destination.
Asia
Asia is a patchwork. China uses Types A, C, and I. India uses Types C, D, and M. Thailand accepts A, B, and C. Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia all use the British Type G. South Korea and Indonesia use C/F. Japan is unique at 100V with Type A/B.
Australia and New Zealand
Both use Type I (two or three flat angled pins) at 230V/50Hz. Argentina also uses Type I. China has a similar but not always identical socket standard.
South America
South America is split. Brazil has its own standard (Type N), though older sockets may still accept Type C. Colombia and most of the northern half of the continent use Type A/B at 110V. Argentina and Chile use Type I and Type C at 220V.
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Did I miss your destination or include the wrong plug type? Drop a comment below, and I will add or edit it. I will also try to update this guide regularly to reflect the latest plug standards around the world.
