Guide · 7 min read
Plug types by country.
Fifteen plug standards are in current use, and the letters A to O are an informal US Department of Commerce naming convention rather than a technical standard. Here is the full table — shape, voltage, frequency and where each one is in service.
The full reference table
| Type | Description | Typical mains | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Two flat parallel blades, ungrounded | 100–127V, 60Hz | US, Canada, Mexico, Japan (100V), Taiwan, Philippines |
| B | Type A plus a round earth pin | 100–127V, 60Hz | Same regions as A; the grounded version |
| C | Two round 4mm pins, ungrounded ("Europlug") | 220–240V, 50Hz | All of continental Europe, much of Asia, Africa and South America |
| D | Three large round pins in a triangle | 230V, 50Hz | India, Nepal, Sri Lanka |
| E | Two round pins, earth pin in the socket | 230V, 50Hz | France, Belgium, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia |
| F | Two round pins with side earth clips ("Schuko") | 230V, 50Hz | Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Nordics, Turkey |
| G | Three rectangular pins, fuse inside the plug | 230V, 50Hz | UK, Ireland, Malta, Singapore, Malaysia, UAE |
| H | Three pins in a shallow V, Israeli standard | 230V, 50Hz | Israel, West Bank and Gaza |
| I | Two flat angled pins, plus earth | 220–240V, 50Hz | Australia, New Zealand, China, Argentina |
| J | Three round pins, offset earth | 230V, 50Hz | Switzerland, Liechtenstein |
| K | Two round pins, earth pin on the plug | 230V, 50Hz | Denmark, Greenland |
| L | Three round pins in a line (10A and 16A variants) | 230V, 50Hz | Italy, Chile, Uruguay |
| M | Three large round pins, 15A rating | 230V, 50Hz | South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho, high-power sockets in India |
| N | Three round pins, Brazilian/IEC 60906-1 standard | 127V or 220V, 60Hz | Brazil, newer South African installations |
| O | Three round pins, Thai standard TIS 166-2549 | 230V, 50Hz | Thailand |
The overlaps worth knowing
The letters exaggerate how many adapters you need. A Type C Europlug physically fits Type E, F, J, K, L, N and O sockets, which means one cheap two-pin adapter covers most of Europe, Russia, Turkey and large parts of South America and Asia — as long as your device is not grounded. Type A fits Type B sockets. Type I is one shape across Australia, New Zealand and China, although Argentina's version reverses live and neutral, which matters for appliances but not for a double-insulated charger.
The stubborn outliers are Type G (UK and its former standard-setting sphere), Type D (India), Type M (southern Africa), Type H (Israel), Type J (Switzerland) and Type L's 16A variant (Italy). If your trip touches any of those, carry a universal adapter rather than a Europlug.
What this means for what you pack
Shape is the only problem a traveler with modern electronics has. The voltage column above is irrelevant to any charger reading 100–240V on its label, which is all of them — the reasoning, and the short list of things that genuinely need a transformer, is in converters versus adapters and the head-to-head comparison.
The efficient kit is one grounded universal adapter plus one multi-port USB-C charger: the adapter solves shape once, and the charger turns a single foreign socket into four. Pick the charger with the wattage map and browse country specifics on the travel adapter hub. Before flying, check the airline rules for chargers and power banks — plug shape is not the thing that gets confiscated.
FAQ
How many plug adapters do I actually need for Europe?
Usually one. A Type C Europlug physically fits Type C, E, F, J, K, L, N and O sockets. You only need a grounded adapter if your device has a three-pin plug of its own, such as a laptop brick.
Are the plug type letters an official standard?
No. They come from a US Department of Commerce publication and are used informally worldwide. The binding standards are national ones such as BS 1363 for Type G and CEE 7 for Types C, E and F.
Does Japan use the same plugs as the US?
The shape is the same (Types A and B), but the mains is 100V rather than 120V, and the grid runs at 50Hz in eastern Japan and 60Hz in the west. Dual-voltage chargers are unaffected.
Is Type I the same in Australia and China?
The shape is compatible, and Argentina uses the same outline with live and neutral reversed. That polarity difference matters for some appliances but not for a double-insulated USB charger.