International Power Adapter – Which One Do I Need?

International Power Adapter – Which One Do I Need?

In this short guide we will tell you exactly which international power adapter you will need for each country you’re thinking of visiting. When you go overseas you will notice that plugs and outlets might look different to the ones at home.

For those reasons you will need an adapter. But not only might they look different, they might also use a different voltage.

In most countries the voltage used is 220/240V, with the exception of the US and Canada where it’s 110/120V. This is where a converter might be needed in addition to an adapter.

Many times you can buy combinations of both so you don’t have to worry about whether your hair dryer will blow up on your first use in your hotel room. (Beware, some adapters/converters are not to be used for any hair tools, but they should state this in their description.)

At the end of this article you will find a list which will tell you what power adapter to use in which country and what voltage is used so you can decide whether you’ll need both, an adapter and a converter, or just an adapter.

But let’s get back to covering the power adapters out there.

Generally speaking there are about 15 different types of plugs all over the world.

The 15 plugs have been randomly assigned letters from A to O (apparently this was decided by the US Department of Commerce International Trade Administration, short ITA, to make it easier to know which one you’ll need depending on where you are or where you’re going to).

Don’t worry, many countries share the same ones and we will feature the most popular destinations first and give you a full list at the end.

 

[cmtoc_table_of_contents]

Type A – USA/Canada/Mexico/Japan

If you’re traveling to the US, Canada, Mexico, China or Japan (and basically most of North and Central America) you will most likely find this type of plug:

It has 2 pins and the socket is compatible with plug type A only.

There are many other places where Type A will be used, such as: Aruba, Bahamas, Bermuda, Burma, Bangladesh, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica and many more. Scroll down for a full list of places.

 

Type C – Europe/South America/Asia

Most European countries use Type 2, with the exception of the UK, Cyprus, Gibraltar and Malta.

It has 2 pins and the socket is compatible with type C. 

Type C is also used in Thailand, Indonesia and in other areas, such as parts of Argentina and Bolivia. Scroll down for the full list of places.

 

Type G – UK/Hong Kong/Singapore

As mentioned above, most of Europe use Type C, with the exception of UK and a few other places (are they still in the EU or not?).

Type G is used in places such as the UK, Ireland, Malta, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

It has 3 pins and the socket is only compatible with plug type G. 

For more countries and areas where Type G is used, scroll down to the full list.

 

Type I – Australia/New Zealand/Fiji/China

This type of plug/outlet is commonly used in Australia and New Zealand as well as Fiji and parts of China, as well as some parts of Argentina and of course some other areas as well.

This plug has 2 or 3 pins and the socket is compatible with plug type I only. 

International Travel Adapters

If you are planning on going on a trip that includes multiple countries and places with different power plugs and voltages, you might want to think about getting a good international power adapter.

It might also be a good investment if you’re traveling to a different country on different occasions, as you only have to take one adapter and just have to choose the right one part to use (which should be very straight forward).

I’m saying a good one because you don’t want to run the risk of blowing the adapter.

If you’d like to check out another good adapter guide, you can use Korjo’s guide. It will tell you exactly which one you need.

 

Full List Of Power Adapters

Below you will first find the 15 types of adapters used worldwide and underneath you will find a full list of power adapters according to their country or area of usage.

International Power Adapter

The following is a full list of international travel adapters by country. It’ll also tell you the voltage used.

Area / Country

Type

Voltage

Abu Dhabi

G

230 V

Afghanistan

C / F

220 V

Albania

C / F

230 V

Algeria

C / F

230 V

American Samoa

A / B / F / I

120 V

Andorra

C / F

230 V

Angola

C

220 V

Anguilla

A / B

110 V

Antigua and Barbuda

A / B

230 V

Argentina

C / I

220 V

Armenia

C / F

230 V

Aruba

A / B / F

120 V

Australia

I

230 V

Austria

C / F

230 V

Azerbaijan

C / F

220 V

Azores

B / C / F

230 V

Bahamas

A / B

120 V

Bahrain

G

230 V

Balearic Islands

C / F

230 V

Bangladesh

A / C / D / G / K

220 V

Barbados

A / B

115 V

Belarus

C / F

220 V

Belgium

C / E

230 V

Belize

A / B / G

110 V / 220 V

Benin

C / E

220 V

Bermuda

A / B

120 V

Bhutan

C / D / G

230 V

Bolivia

A / C

230 V

Bonaire

A / C

127 V

Bosnia & Herzegovina

C / F

230 V

Botswana

D / G

230 V

Brazil

C / N

127 V / 220 V

British Virgin Islands

A / B

110 V

Brunei

G

240 V

Bulgaria

C / F

230 V

Burkina Faso

C / E

220 V

Burma (officially Myanmar)

A / C / D / G / I

230 V

Burundi

C / E

220 V

Cambodia

A / C / G

230 V

Cameroon

C / E

220 V

Canada

A / B

120 V

Canary Islands

C / E / F

230 V

Cape Verde 

C / F

230 V

Cayman Islands

A / B

120 V

Central African Republic

C / E

220 V

Chad

C / D / E / F

220 V

Channel Islands (Guernsey & Jersey)

C / G

230 V

Chile

C / L

220 V

China, People’s Republic of

A / C / I

220 V

Christmas Island

I

230 V

Cocos (Keeling) Islands

I

230 V

Colombia

A / B

110 V

Comoros

C / E

220 V

Congo, Democratic Republic of the (Congo-Kinshasa)

C / D / E

220 V

Congo, Republic of the (Congo-Brazzaville)

C / E

230 V

Cook Islands

I

240 V

Costa Rica

A / B

120 V

Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

C / E

220 V

Croatia

C / F

230 V

Cuba

A / B / C / L

110 V / 220 V

Curaçao

A / B

127 V

Cyprus

G

230 V

Cyprus, North

G

230 V

Czechia (Czech Republic)

C / E

230 V

Denmark

C / E / F / K

230 V

Djibouti

C / E

220 V

Dominica

D / G

230 V

Dominican Republic

A / B / C

120 V

Dubai 

G

230 V

East Timor (Timor-Leste)

C / E / F / I

220 V

Ecuador

A / B

120 V

Egypt

C / F

220 V

El Salvador

A / B

120 V

England

G

230 V

Equatorial Guinea

C / E

220 V

Eritrea

C / L

230 V

Estonia

C / F

230 V

Ethiopia

C / F / G

220 V

Faeroe Islands

C / E / F / K

230 V

Falkland Islands

G

240 V

Fiji

I

240 V

Finland

C / F

230 V

France

C / E

230 V

French Guiana

C / D / E

220 V

Gabon (Gabonese Republic)

C

220 V

Gambia

G

230 V

Gaza Strip (Gaza)

C / H

230 V

Georgia

C / F

220 V

Germany

C / F

230 V

Ghana

D / G

230 V

Gibraltar

G

230 V

Great Britain (GB)

G

230 V

Greece

C / F

230 V

Greenland

C / E / F / K

230 V

Grenada

G

230 V

Guadeloupe

C / E

230 V

Guam

A / B

110 V

Guatemala

A / B

120 V

Guinea

C / F / K

220 V

Guinea-Bissau

C

220 V

Guyana

A / B / D / G

120 V / 240 V

Haiti

A / B

110 V

Holland (The Netherlands)

C / F

230 V

Honduras

A / B

120 V

Hong Kong

G

220 V

Hungary

C / F

230 V

Iceland

C / F

230 V

India

C / D / M

230 V

Indonesia

C / F

230 V

Iran

C / F

230 V

Iraq

C / D / G

230 V

Ireland (Eire)

G

230 V

Ireland, Northern

G

230 V

Isle of Man

C / G

230 V

Israel

C / H

230 V

Italy

C / F / L

230 V

Jamaica

A / B

110 V

Japan

A / B

100 V

Jordan

C / D / F / G / J

230 V

Kazakhstan

C / F

220 V

Kenya

G

240 V

Kiribati

I

240 V

Korea, North

C

220 V

Korea, South

F

220 V

Kosovo

C / F

230 V

Kuwait

G

240 V

Kyrgyzstan

C / F

220 V

Laos

A / B / C / E / F

230 V

Latvia

C / F

230 V

Lebanon

C / D / G

230 V

Lesotho

M

220 V

Liberia

A / B / C / F

120 V / 220 V

Libya

C / L

230 V

Liechtenstein

C / J

230 V

Lithuania

C / F

230 V

Luxembourg

C / F

230 V

Macau

G

220 V

Macedonia, North

C / F

230 V

Madagascar

C / E

220 V

Madeira

C / F

230 V

Malawi

G

230 V

Malaysia

G

240 V

Maldives

C / D / G / J / K / L

230 V

Mali

C / E

220 V

Malta

G

230 V

Marshall Islands

A / B

120 V

Martinique

C / D / E

220 V

Mauritania

C

220 V

Mauritius

C / G

230 V

Mayotte

C / E

230 V

Mexico

A / B

120 V

Micronesia, Federated States of

A / B

120 V

Moldova

C / F

230 V

Monaco

C / E / F

230 V

Mongolia

C / E

230 V

Montenegro

C / F

230 V

Montserrat

A / B

230 V

Morocco

C / E

220 V

Mozambique

C / F / M

220 V

Myanmar (formerly Burma)

A / C / D / G / I

230 V

Namibia

D / M

220 V

Nauru

I

240 V

Nepal

C / D / M

230 V

Netherlands

C / F

230 V

New Caledonia

C / F

220 V

New Zealand

I

230 V

Nicaragua

A / B

120 V

Niger

C / D / E / F

220 V

Nigeria

D / G

230 V

Niue

I

230 V

Norfolk Island

I

230 V

North Cyprus 

G

230 V

Northern Ireland

G

230 V

North Korea

C

220 V

North Macedonia

C / F

230 V

Norway

C / F

230 V

Oman

G

240 V

Pakistan

C / D

230 V

Palau

A / B

120 V

Palestine

C / H

230 V

Panama

A / B

120 V

Papua New Guinea

I

240 V

Paraguay

C

220 V

Peru

A / C

220 V

Philippines

A / B / C

220 V

Pitcairn Islands

I

230 V

Poland

C / E

230 V

Portugal

C / F

230 V

Puerto Rico

A / B

120 V

Qatar

G

240 V

Réunion

C / E

230 V

Romania

C / F

230 V

Russia 

C / F

220 V

Rwanda

C / E / F / G

230 V

Saba

A / B

110 V

Saint Barthélemy (also known as Saint Barth’s or Saint Barts)

C / E

230 V

Saint Kitts and Nevis 

D / G

230 V

Saint Lucia

G

230 V

Saint Martin

C / E

220 V

Saint Helena

G

230 V

Sint Eustatius

A / B / C / F

110 V / 220 V

Sint Maarten

A / B

110 V

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

A / B / G

110 V / 230 V

Samoa

I

230 V

San Marino

C / F / L

230 V

São Tomé and Príncipe

C / F

230 V

Saudi Arabia

G

220 V

Scotland

G

230 V

Senegal

C / D / E / K

230 V

Serbia

C / F

230 V

Seychelles

G

240 V

Sierra Leone

D / G

230 V

Singapore

G

230 V

Slovakia

C / E

230 V

Slovenia

C / F

230 V

Solomon Islands

G / I

230 V

Somalia

C

220 V

Somaliland

G

220 V

South Africa

C / M / N 

230 V

South Korea

F

220 V

South Sudan

C / D

230 V

Spain

C / F

230 V

Sri Lanka

D / G

230 V

Sudan

C / D

230 V

Suriname

A / B / C / F

127 V / 220 V

Swaziland

M

230 V

Sweden

C / F

230 V

Switzerland

C / J

230 V

Syria

C / E / L

220 V

Tahiti

C / E

220 V

Taiwan

A / B

110 V

Tajikistan

C / F

220 V

Tanzania

D / G

230 V

Thailand

A / B / C / O

230 V

Togo

C

220 V

Tokelau

I

230 V

Tonga

I

240 V

Trinidad & Tobago

A / B

115 V

Tunisia

C / E

230 V

Turkey

C / F

230 V

Turkmenistan

C / F

220 V

Turks and Caicos Islands

A / B

120 V

Tuvalu

I

230 V

Uganda

G

240 V

Ukraine

C / F

230 V

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

G

230 V

United Kingdom (UK)

G

230 V

United States of America (USA)

A / B

120 V

United States Virgin Islands

A / B

110 V

Uruguay

C / F / L

220 V

Uzbekistan

C / F

220 V

Vanuatu

I

230 V

Vatican City

C / F / L

230 V

Venezuela

A / B

120 V

Vietnam

A / B / C

220 V

Virgin Islands (British)

A / B

110 V

Virgin Islands (USA)

A / B

110 V

Wales

G

230 V

Western Sahara

C / E

220 V

Yemen

A / D / G

230 V

Zambia

C / D / G

230 V

Zimbabwe

D / G

240 V

 


I hope this helps with your travel preparations.

Happy and safe travels!

Let me know if you have any thoughts or comments below in the comment section and I’ll get back to you soon.

 

8 Replies to “International Power Adapter – Which One Do I Need?”

  1. Now, this is really helpful. I once traveled to China without knowing that its power socket is different. Imagine the panic when my phone is getting low on battery and I don’t have a universal adapter. This will come as a handy guide, in case I’m traveling to another country where my plugs just won’t fit. I’m not taking chances after the previous experience.

  2. I am so glad I came across this very informative article. It is good to know this information before I travel and it came in a timely manner too because I am planning a trip soon. I will be reading your other posts too and I will also bookmark your page so I can find it again in the future.

    I found the correct power adapter I needed to go overseas and will be purchasing it soon. Do you have any recommendations for a good adapter for Australia and China? I had really not even considered that I would need an adapter or converter, it is really good that I found your site.

    Blessings,

    Lynda

    1. Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comment. Yes, there are some good ones. 

      Since you’re planning on going to two different countries you might want to check out a universal power adapter like this one: Universal Travel Adapter 

      This one even comes with a 10% discount voucher, so be quick to get it. 

  3. It was interesting and useful information on International Power Adapters.
    I always wondered why the plug of my Iron is having a rectangular shape as it was very uncomfortable during its use within my country until I purchased a round-headed adoptor.
    Sometimes I cut the entire plug and connect a new round headed plug to use the electronic gadget.
    Thanks for providing the list of all the places with voltage and adopter used ( Some countries are read by me for the first time – LOL), It will be handy information before any international tour.
    Warm Regards,
    Gaurav Gaur

    1. Thank you for stopping by and telling me your experiences. You sound very handy to know! 🙂 

      You can easily bookmark the page if you’d like to keep up with my posts. 

  4. Very informative article. 

    It’s good to know that the countries that I travel in mostly use Number 1 and 6, and have not used an adaptor in years. 

    On my bucket list are EU and UK countries. Also, wanting to travel through the Caribbean. There are lots of nationalities represented so each country is built out with different codes. This list will come in handy when it is time to go.

    When in India years ago, there was no set plug among the 3 listed, you could find only one in some places and some in others. So I needed an adaptor for my laptop computer. An International adaptor is needed.

    This seems like some mundane information, but if you’re carrying electric toothbruses, tablet, laptop, phone, etc., this is very important infomation indeed.

    Lots of good research here, thank you for the list. Lots of new information for me.

    I’ll book mark your page, and refer to it when I plan my travel.

    Thank you.

    Mike

    1. Yes, so true, you’d think it’s very easy to travel to all sorts of places, but then you overlook something like power plugs… Could happen to anyone, right? 

      I’m checking the list too whenever I go overseas and be sure to have a power adapter/converter where needed. 

      Thanks for stopping by and bookmarking.

Leave a Reply to Petra Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *