INTRODUCTION
This is a guide to some important issues when deciding to use your electrical appliances in another country. It includes a table describing electrical systems worldwide, illustrations of electrical plugs you may run across, advice on using your computer and other general advice that you may find helpful. Finally, there is a list of sources for electrical travel accessories.
ELECTRIC PLUGS IN USE
The main types of electrical plugs that are used around the world are listed below. You can click on the illustration to view a larger picture and a listing of countries where that type of plug is used. Note: the illustrations below are not to scale. Also, the labels (type A, B, etc.) used by my principal source listed below are not any type of standard nomenclature; labels and descriptions used by various vendors may differ. Supposedly the IEEE has standard terminology for these things, but it's not used by anyone in the travel industry.
COUNTRY---> VOLTAGE FREQUENCY---> PLUG
Afghanistan 220V 50 Hz C & F
Albania 220V 50 Hz C & F
Algeria 230V 50 Hz C & F, A
American Samoa 120V 60 Hz A, B, F & I
Andorra 230V 50Hz C & F
Angola 220V 50 Hz C
Anguilla 110V 60Hz A (maybe B)
Antigua 230V* 60 Hz A & B *Airport area - 110V
Argentina 220V 50 Hz C & I
Armenia 220V 50 Hz C & F
Aruba 127V* 60 Hz A, B & F *Lago Colony 115V
Australia 230V 50 Hz I
Austria 230V 50 Hz C, F
Azerbaijan 220V 50 Hz C, F
Azores 220V 50 Hz B, C, & F
Bahamas 120V 60 Hz A & B
Bahrain 230V* 50 Hz* G *Awali 110V, 60 Hz
Balearic Islands 220V 50 Hz C & F
Bangladesh 220V 50 Hz A, C, D, G & K
Barbados 115V 50 Hz A, B
Belarus 220V 50 Hz C & F
Belgium 230V 50 Hz E
Belize 110/220V 60 Hz B & G
Benin 220V 50 Hz E
Bermuda 120V 60 Hz A & B
Bhutan 230V 50 Hz D, F, & G Type M plugs also identified by some sources.
Bolivia 220/230V* 50 Hz A & C *La Paz&Viacha115V
Bosnia 220V 50 Hz C & F
Botswana 231V 50 Hz G & M
Brazil 110/220V* 60 Hz A & B, C
Brunei 240V 50 Hz G
Bulgaria 230V 50 Hz C & F
Burkina Faso 220V 50 Hz C & E
Burundi 220V 50 Hz C & E
Cambodia 230V 50 Hz A & C
Cameroon 220V 50 Hz C, E
Canada 120V 60 Hz A & B
Canary Islands 220V 50 Hz C, E, & L
Cape Verde 220V 50 Hz C & F
Cayman Islands 120V 60 Hz A & B
Central African Republic 220V 50 Hz C & E
Chad 220V 50Hz D, E & F
Channel Islands 230V 50 Hz G
Chile 220V 50 Hz C & L
China, People's Republic of 220V 50 Hz A, I, G Colombia 110V 60Hz A & B
Comoros 220V 50 Hz C & E
Congo, People's Rep. of 230V 50 Hz C & E
Congo, Dem. Rep. of (Zaire) 220V 50 Hz C & D
Cook Islands 240V 50 Hz I
Costa Rica 120V 60 Hz A & B
Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) 220V 50 Hz C & E
Croatia 230V 50Hz C & F
Cuba 110/220V 60Hz A & B, C,
F & L Most older hotels 110V. Some newer hotels 220V.
Cyprus 240V 50 Hz G
Czech Republic 230V 50 Hz E
Denmark 230V 50 Hz C & K
Djibouti 220V 50 Hz C & E
Dominica 230V 50 Hz D & G
Dominican Republic 110V 60 Hz A Type J may exist in some hotels.
East Timor 220V 50 Hz C, E, F, I, A
Ecuador 120-127V 60 Hz A & B
Egypt 220V 50 Hz C
El Salvador 115V 60 Hz A & B, C, D, E, F, G, I, J, & L
England (See United Kingdom)
Equatorial Guinea 220V* 50 Hz C & E *Voltage varies between 150 & 175V with frequent outages
Eritrea 230V 50 Hz C
Estonia 230V 50 Hz F Type C may be found in older buildings. Type E plugs may work in either C or F type outlets.
Ethiopia 220V 50 Hz D, J, & L
Faeroe Islands 220V 50 Hz C & K
Falkland Islands 240V 50 Hz G
Fiji 240V 50 Hz I
Finland 230V 50 Hz C & F
France 230V 50 Hz E Type C plugs may be found on some appliances, and will fit the Type E outlet. Type C outlets may be found in older buildings. Type A may be found in older buildings but is illegal.
French Guiana 220V 50 Hz C, & E
Gaza 230V 50 Hz H
Gabon 220V 50 Hz C
Gambia 230V 50 Hz G
Germany 230V 50 Hz C & F
Ghana 230V 50 Hz D & G
Gibraltar 240V 50 Hz C & G
Great Britain (See United Kingdom)
Greece 220V 50 Hz C, D, E & F
Greenland 220V 50 Hz C & K
Grenada (Windward Is.) 230V 50 Hz G
Guadeloupe 230V 50 Hz C, D, & E
Guam 110V 60Hz A & B
Guatemala 120V 60 Hz A, B, G, & I
Guinea 220V 50 Hz C, F & K
Guinea-Bissau 220V 50 Hz C
Guyana 240V* 60 Hz* A, B, D & G *Inside the capital city of Georgetown, both 120V and 240V at either 50 or 60Hz are found, depending on the part of the city (50Hz most common).
Haiti 110V 60 Hz A & B
Honduras 110V 60 Hz A & B
Hong Kong 220V 50 Hz G, M
Hungary 230V 50 Hz C & F
Iceland 220V 50 Hz C & F
India 230V 50 Hz C & D
Indonesia 127/230V 50 Hz C, F & G
Iran 230V 50 Hz C
Iraq 230V 50 Hz C, D, & G
Ireland (Eire) 230 50 Hz G Type F once common and may be occasionally found.
Isle of Man 240V 50 Hz C & G
Israel 230V 50 Hz H & C
Italy 230V 50 Hz C, F & L
Ivory Coast (See Côte d'Ivoire)
Jamaica 110V 50 Hz A & B
Japan 100V 50/60 Hz* A, B *Eastern Japan 50 Hz (Tokyo, Kawasaki, Sapporo, Yokohoma, and Sendai); Western Japan 60 Hz (Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Hiroshima)
Jordan 230V 50 Hz D, F, G & J* *Type C may be found in some hotels.
Kenya 240V 50 Hz G
Kazakhstan 220V 50 Hz C
Kiribati 240V 50 Hz I
Korea, South 220V 60 Hz C & F* *Type F likely to be found in offices and hotels. .
Kuwait 240V 50 Hz C & G
Laos 230V 50 Hz A, B, C, E & F
Latvia 220V 50 Hz C & F
Lebanon 110/220V 50 Hz A, B, C, D & G
Lesotho 220V 50 Hz M
Liberia 120V 60 Hz A & B
Libya 127V* 50 Hz D *Barce, Benghazi, Derna, Sebha & Tobruk 230V
Lithuania 220V 50 Hz C & F
Liechtenstein 230V 50 Hz J
Luxembourg 220V 50 Hz C & F
Macau 220V 50 Hz D & G
Macedonia 220V 50 Hz C & F
Madagascar 127/220V 50 Hz C, D, E, J & K
Madeira 220V 50 Hz C & F
Malawi 230V 50 Hz G
Malaysia 240V 50 Hz G
Maldives 230V 50 Hz A, D, G, J, K & L
Mali 220V 50 Hz C & E
Malta 240V 50 Hz G
Martinique 220V 50 Hz C, D, & E
Mauritania 220V 50 Hz C
Mauritius 230V 50 Hz C & G
Mexico 127V 60 Hz A & B
Micronesia (Federal States of) 120V 60 Hz A & B
Monaco 127/220V 50 Hz C, D, E F
Mongolia 230V C & E
Montserrat (Leeward Is.) 230V 60 Hz A & B
Morocco 127/220V* 50 Hz C & E *Conversion to 220V only underway
Mozambique 220V 50 Hz C, F & M* *Type M found especially near the border with South Africa, including the capitol, Maputo.
Myanmar (formerly Burma) 230V 50 Hz C, D, F & G* Type G* found primarily in better hotels.
Namibia 220V 50 Hz D
Nauru 240V 50 Hz I
Nepal 230V 50 Hz C & D
Netherlands 230V 50 Hz C & F
Netherlands Antilles 127/220V* 50 Hz A, B, & F *St. Martin 120V 60 Hz; Saba &(St. Eustatius 110V 60 Hz A, maybe B
New Caledonia 220V 50 Hz F
New Zealand 230V 50 Hz I
Nicaragua 120V 60 Hz A
Niger 220V 50 Hz A, B, C, D, E & F
Nigeria 240V 50 Hz D & G
Northern Ireland (see United Kingdom)
Norway 230V 50 Hz C & F
Okinawa 100V* 60 Hz A, B & I *Military facilities 120V
Oman 240V 50 Hz G
Pakistan 230V 50 Hz C & D
Palmyra Atoll 120V 60Hz A & B
Panama 110V* 60 Hz A, B *Panama City 120V
Papua New Guinea 240V 50 Hz I
Paraguay 220V 50 Hz C
Peru 220V* 60 Hz* A, B & C *Talara 110/220V; Arequipa 50 Hz
Philippines 220V 60 Hz A, B, C
Poland 230V 50 Hz C & E
Portugal 230V 50 Hz C & F
Puerto Rico 120V 60 Hz A & B
Qatar 240V 50 Hz D & G
Réunion Island 220V 50Hz E
Romania 230V 50 Hz C & F
Russian Federation 220V 50 Hz C A (E,F)
Rwanda 230V 50 Hz C & J
St.Kitts and Nevis (Leeward Is.) 230V 60 Hz D&G
St. Lucia (Windward Is.) 240V 50 Hz G
St. Vincent (Windward Is.) 230V 50 Hz A, C, E, G, I & K
Saudi Arabia 127/220V 60 Hz A, B, F & G
Scotland (See United Kingdom)
Senegal 230V 50 Hz C, D, E & K
Serbia-Montenegro 220V 50 Hz C & F
Seychelles 240V 50 Hz G
Sierra Leone 230V 50 Hz D & G
Singapore 230V 50 Hz G Type A adaptors are widely available from shops as an extension set of 2 to 5 sets of sockets; most commonly used for audio and video equipment.
Slovak Republic 230V 50 Hz E
Slovenia 220V 50 Hz C & F
Somalia 220V* 50 Hz C *Berbera 230V; Merca 110/220V
South Africa 220/230V* 50 Hz M** *Grahamstad & Port Elizabeth 250V; also found in King Williams
** Types C & G can also be found.
Spain 230V 50 Hz C & F
Sri Lanka 230V 50 Hz D
Sudan 230V 50 Hz C & D
Suriname 127V 60 Hz C & F
Swaziland 230V 50 Hz M
Sweden 230V 50 Hz C & F
Switzerland 230V 50 Hz J Type C plugs are common on appliances, and will fit the Type J outlet.
Syria 220V 50 Hz C, E, & L
Tahiti 110/220V 60 Hz A, B, E
Tajikistan 220V 50 Hz C & I
Taiwan 110V 60 Hz A, B
Tanzania 230V 50 Hz D & G
Thailand 220V 50 Hz A & C
Togo 220V* 50 Hz C *Lome 127V
Tonga 240V 50 Hz I
Trinidad & Tobago 115V 60 Hz A & B
Tunisia 230V 50 Hz C & E
Turkey 230V 50 Hz C & F
Turkmenistan 220V 50 Hz B & F
Uganda 240V 50 Hz G
Ukraine 220V 50 Hz C
United Arab Emirates 220V* 50 Hz C, D & G
United Kingdom 230V* 50 Hz G *Outlets typically controlled by adjacent switch.
Though nominal voltage has been officially changed to 230V, 240V is within tolerances and commonly found.
United States of America 120V 60 Hz A & B
Uruguay 220V 50 Hz C, F, I & L
Uzbekistan 220V 50 Hz C & I
Vanuatu 230V 50 Hz I rarely Type G
Venezuela 120V 60 Hz A & B
Vietnam 127/220V* 50 Hz A, C & G
Virgin Islands (British and U.S.) 115V 60 Hz A & B
Wales (See United Kingdom)
Western Samoa 230V 50 Hz I
Yemen, Rep. of 220/230V 50 Hz A, D & G
Yugoslavia (Former) 220V 50 Hz C & F
Zambia 230V 50 Hz C, D & G
Zimbabwe 220V 50 Hz D & G
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TYPE A : Flat blade attachment plug
In the U.S. & Canada, two-blade plugs are often polarized, with one blade larger than the other. Most outlets are designed to handle these. The larger blade is the neutral side of the current. This is a safety feature intended so the plug can be inserted one way only to reduce the chance of accidental shock. If you try to plug a modern plug into an old-style receptacle for equal size blades, it won't go in unless you file down the larger blade to the older plug size. Outside the US, many countries with Type A use the old style plug, and a newer US plug with unequal pins might pose a problem. This can be bypassed using an adaptor (found in many travel kits) which converts the newer Type A plug to the older model with equal-sized blades. Be aware, though, that you might also be bypassing the protection that polarization provides.
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B: Flat blades as A but with round grounding pin
Where found:
All of the above noted for Type A except Bangladesh, Bolivia, Cambodia, China, Dominican Republic, Korea, Liberia, Maldives, Peru, St. Vincent, Tahiti, Thailand, Vietnam, Yemen.
Also found in Azores, Belize, Trinidad and Tobago.
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C: Round pin attachment plug
Where found:
Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Austria, Azores, Balearic Islands, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Channel Islands, Chile, Comoros, Congo, Croatia, Dem. Rep. of Congo (Zaire), Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Cyrpus, Denmark, Djibouti, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Faeroe Islands, Finland, French Guiana, Gabon, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Guadeloupe, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Isle of Man, Israel, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Madeira, Mali, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Monaco, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Niger, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, St. Vincent, Senegal, Serbia, Slovenia, Somalia, Spain, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay, Vietnam, Yugoslavia (former), Zambia
NOTE:
Type C plugs can also be used with E and F and some L receptacles. This type of plug is very common in most "universal" adaptor sets.
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