Electrical Receptacle Outlet Plug Type

 

 
COUNTRY
SINGLE-PHASE VOLTAGE
FREQUENCY
SOCKET TYPE
Afghanistan
220 V
50 Hz
C & F
Albania
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Algeria
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
American Samoa
120 V
60 Hz
A & B & F & I
Andorra
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Angola
220 V
50 Hz
C
Anguilla
110 V
60 Hz
A
Antigua
230 V
60 Hz
A & B
Argentina
220 V
50 Hz
C & I
Armenia
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Aruba
120 V
60 Hz
A & B & F
Australia
240 V
50 Hz
I
Austria
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Azerbaijan220 V50 HzC & F
Azores
230 V
50 Hz
B & C & F
Bahamas
120 V
60 Hz
A & B
Bahrain
230 V
50 Hz
G
Balearic Islands
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Bangladesh
220 V
50 Hz
C & D & G & K
Barbados
115 V
50 Hz
A & B
Belarus220 V50 HzC & F
Belgium
230 V
50 Hz
E
Belize
110 V / 220 V
60 Hz
B & G
Benin
220 V
50 Hz
E
Bermuda
120 V
60 Hz
A & B
Bhutan
230 V
50 Hz
D & F & G
Bolivia
230 V
50 Hz
A & C
Bosnia & Herzegovina
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Botswana
230 V
50 Hz
D & G
Brazil
127 V / 220 V
60 Hz
A & B & C & I
Brunei
240 V
50 Hz
G
Bulgaria
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Burkina Faso
220 V
50 Hz
C & E
Burundi
220 V
50 Hz
C & E
Cambodia
230 V
50 Hz
A & C & G
Cameroon
220 V
50 Hz
C & E
Canada
120 V
60 Hz
A & B
Canary Islands
230 V
50 Hz
C & E & L
Cape Verde
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Cayman Islands
120 V
60 Hz
A & B
Central African Republic
220 V
50 Hz
C & E
Chad
220 V
50 Hz
D & E & F
Channel Islands (Guernsey & Jersey)
230 V
50 Hz
C & G
Chile
220 V
50 Hz
C & L
China, People’s Republic of
220 V
50 Hz
A & C & I
Colombia
110 V
60 Hz
A & B
Comoros
220 V
50 Hz
C & E
Congo, People’s Rep. of
230 V
50 Hz
C & E
Congo, Dem. Rep. of (formerly Zaire)
220 V
50 Hz
C & D
Cook Islands
240 V
50 Hz
I
Costa Rica
120 V
60 Hz
A & B
Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
220 V
50 Hz
C & E
Croatia
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Cuba
110 V / 220 V
60 Hz
A & B & C & L
Cyprus
230 V
50 Hz
G & F
Czech Republic
230 V
50 Hz
E
Denmark
230 V
50 Hz
C & E & K
Djibouti
220 V
50 Hz
C & E
Dominica
230 V
50 Hz
D & G
Dominican Republic
120 V
60 Hz
A & B
East Timor
220 V
50 Hz
C & E & F & I
Ecuador
110 V
60 Hz
A & B
Egypt
220 V
50 Hz
C & F
El Salvador
115 V
60 Hz
A & B & C & D & E & F & G & I & J & L
Equatorial Guinea
220 V
50 Hz
C & E
Eritrea
230 V
50 Hz
C & L
Estonia
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Ethiopia
220 V
50 Hz
C & F
Faeroe Islands
230 V
50 Hz
C & K
Falkland Islands
240 V
50 Hz
G
Fiji
240 V
50 Hz
I
Finland
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
France
230 V
50 Hz
E
French Guyana
220 V
50 Hz
C & D & E
Gabon
220 V
50 Hz
C
Gambia
230 V
50 Hz
G
Gaza
230 V
50 Hz
H
Georgia
220 V
50 Hz
C & F
Germany
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Ghana
230 V
50 Hz
D & G
Gibraltar
230 V
50 Hz
C & G
Greece
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Greenland
230 V
50 Hz
C & K
Grenada (Windward Islands)
230 V
50 Hz
G
Guadeloupe
230 V
50 Hz
C & D & E
Guam
110 V
60 Hz
A & B
Guatemala
120 V
60 Hz
A & B & G & I
Guinea
220 V
50 Hz
C & F & K
Guinea-Bissau
220 V
50 Hz
C
Guyana
240 V
60 Hz
A & B & D & G
Haiti
110 V
60 Hz
A & B
Honduras
110 V
60 Hz
A & B
Hong Kong
220 V
50 Hz
G
Hungary
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Iceland
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
India
230 V
50 Hz
C & D & M
Indonesia
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Iran
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Iraq
230 V
50 Hz
C & D & G
Ireland (Eire)
230 V
50 Hz
G
Isle of Man
230 V
50 Hz
C & G
Israel
230 V
50 Hz
H & C
Italy
230 V
50 Hz
C & F & L
Jamaica
110 V
50 Hz
A & B
Japan
100 V
50 Hz / 60 Hz
A & B
Jordan
230 V
50 Hz
C & D & F & G & J
Kenya
240 V
50 Hz
G
Kazakhstan
220 V
50 Hz
C & F
Kiribati
240 V
50 Hz
I
Korea, North
110 V / 220 V
60 Hz
A & C
Korea, South
110V / 220 V
60 Hz
A & B & C & F
Kuwait
240 V
50 Hz
C & G
Kyrgyzstan220 V50 HzC & F
Laos
230 V
50 Hz
A & B & C & E & F
Latvia
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Lebanon
230 V
50 Hz
C & D & G
Lesotho
220 V
50 Hz
M
Liberia
120 V
60 Hz
A & B
Libya
127 V / 230 V
50 Hz
D & F
Liechtenstein
230 V
50 Hz
J
Lithuania
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Luxembourg
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Macau
220 V
50 Hz
D & G
Macedonia
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Madagascar
127 V / 220 V
50 Hz
C & D & E & J & K
Madeira
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Malawi
230 V
50 Hz
G
Malaysia
240 V
50 Hz
G
Maldives
230 V
50 Hz
D & G & J & K & L
Mali
220 V
50 Hz
C & E
Malta
230 V
50 Hz
G
Martinique
220 V
50 Hz
C & D & E
Mauritania
220 V
50 Hz
C
Mauritius
230 V
50 Hz
C & G
Mexico
127 V
60 Hz
A
Micronesia, Federal States of
120 V
60 Hz
A & B
Moldova230 V50 HzC & F
Monaco
230 V
50 Hz
C & D & E & F
Mongolia
230 V
50 Hz
C & E
Montenegro
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Montserrat (Leeward Islands)
230 V
60 Hz
A & B
Morocco
220 V
50 Hz
C & E
Mozambique
220 V
50 Hz
C & F & M
Myanmar (formerly Burma)
230 V
50 Hz
C & D & F & G
Namibia
220 V
50 Hz
D & M
Nauru
240 V
50 Hz
I
Nepal
230 V
50 Hz
C & D & M
Netherlands
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Netherlands Antilles
127 V / 220 V
50 Hz
A & B & F
New Caledonia
220 V
50 Hz
F
New Zealand
240 V
50 Hz
I
Nicaragua
120 V
60 Hz
A
Niger
220 V
50 Hz
A & B & C & D & E & F
Nigeria
230 V
50 Hz
D & G
Norway
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Oman
240 V
50 Hz
C & G
Pakistan
230 V
50 Hz
C & D
Palau
120 V
60 Hz
A & B
Panama
110 V
60 Hz
A & B
Papua New Guinea
240 V
50 Hz
I
Paraguay
220 V
50 Hz
C
Peru
220 V
60 Hz
A & B & C
Philippines
220 V
60 Hz
A & B & C
Poland
230 V
50 Hz
C & E
Portugal
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Puerto Rico
120 V
60 Hz
A & B
Qatar
240 V
50 Hz
D & G
Réunion Island
230 V
50 Hz
E
Romania
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Russian Federation
220 V
50 Hz
C & F
Rwanda
230 V
50 Hz
C & J
St. Kitts and Nevis (Leeward Islands)
230 V
60 Hz
D & G
St. Lucia (Windward Islands)
230 V
50 Hz
G
St. Vincent (Windward Islands)
230 V
50 Hz
A & C & E & G & I & K
Samoa
230 V
50 Hz
I
San Marino
230 V
50 Hz
F & L
Saudi Arabia
110 V / 220 V
60 Hz
A & B & C & G
Senegal
230 V
50 Hz
C & D & E & K
Serbia
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Seychelles
240 V
50 Hz
G
Sierra Leone
230 V
50 Hz
D & G
Singapore
230 V
50 Hz
G
Slovakia
230 V
50 Hz
E
Slovenia
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Somalia
220 V
50 Hz
C
South Africa
230 V
50 Hz
D & M
Spain
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Sri Lanka
230 V
50 Hz
D & G & M
Sudan
230 V
50 Hz
C & D
Suriname
127 V
60 Hz
C & F
Swaziland
230 V
50 Hz
M
Sweden
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Switzerland
230 V
50 Hz
J
Syria
220 V
50 Hz
C & E & L
Tahiti
220 V
50 Hz / 60 Hz
C & E
Tajikistan
220 V
50 Hz
C & F
Taiwan
110 V
60 Hz
A & B
Tanzania
230 V
50 Hz
D & G
Thailand
220 V
50 Hz
A & B & C
Togo
220 V
50 Hz
C
Tonga
240 V
50 Hz
I
Trinidad & Tobago
115 V
60 Hz
A & B
Tunisia
230 V
50 Hz
C & E
Turkey
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
Turkmenistan
220 V
50 Hz
C & F
Turks and Caicos Islands
120 V
60 Hz
A & B
Uganda
240 V
50 Hz
G
Ukraine
230 V
50 Hz
C & F
United Arab Emirates
240 V
50 Hz
G
United Kingdom
230 V
50 Hz
G
United States of America
120 V
60 Hz
A & B
Uruguay
220 V
50 Hz
C & F & I & L
Uzbekistan
220 V
50 Hz
C & F
Venezuela
120 V
60 Hz
A & B
Vietnam
220 V
50 Hz
A & C & G
Virgin Islands
110 V
60 Hz
A & B
Yemen, Rep. of
230 V
50 Hz
A & D & G
Zambia
230 V
50 Hz
C & D & G
Zimbabwe
240 V
50 Hz
D & G

Plugs around the world!

There is no standard mains voltage throughout the world and also the frequency, i.e. the number of times the current changes direction per second, is not everywhere the same. Moreover, plug shapes, plug holes, plug sizes and sockets are also different in many countries. Those seemingly unimportant differences, however, have some unpleasant consequences. Most appliances bought overseas simply cannot be connected to the wall outlets at home. The best way to slove this problem is to purchase a plug adapter.

What is Single-phase voltage and frequency?

Different areas of the world use different video standards. Europe and most other countries in the world use a voltage which is twice that of the US. It is between 220 and 240 volts, whereas in Japan and in most of the Americas the voltage is between 100 and 127 volts.

The system of three-phase alternating current electrical generation and distribution was invented by a nineteenth century creative genius named Nicola Tesla. He made many careful calculations and measurements and found out that 60 Hz (Hertz, cycles per second) was the best frequency for alternating current (AC) power generating. He preferred 240 volts, which put him at odds with Thomas Edison, whose direct current (DC) systems were 110 volts. Perhaps Edison had a useful point in the safety factor of the lower voltage, but DC couldn’t provide the power to a distance that AC could.

When the German company AEG built the first European generating facility, its engineers decided to fix the frequency at 50 Hz, because the number 60 didn’t fit the metric standard unit sequence (1,2,5). At that time, AEG had a virtual monopoly and their standard spread to the rest of the continent. In Britain, differing frequencies proliferated, and only after World War II the 50-cycle standard was established. A mistake, however.

Not only is 50 Hz 20% less effective in generation, it is 10-15% less efficient in transmission, it requires up to 30% larger windings and magnetic core materials in transformer construction. Electric motors are much less efficient at the lower frequency, and must also be made more robust to handle the electrical losses and the extra heat generated. Today, only a handful of countries (Antigua, Guyana, Peru, the Philippines, South Korea and the Leeward Islands) follow Tesla’s advice and use the 60 Hz frequency together with a voltage of 220-240 V.

Originally Europe was 120 V too, just like Japan and the US today. It has been deemed necessary to increase voltage to get more power with less losses and voltage drop from the same copper wire diameter. At the time the US also wanted to change but because of the cost involved to replace all electric appliances, they decided not to. At the time (50s-60s) the average US household already had a fridge, a washing-machine, etc., but not in Europe.

The end result is that the US is still evolving from the 50s and 60s, and – mostly in older buildings – still copes with problems as light bulbs that burn out rather quickly when they are close to the transformer (too high a voltage), or just the other way round: not enough voltage at the end of the line (105 to 127 volt spread !).

Note that currently all new American buildings get in fact 240 volts split in two 120 between neutral and hot wire. Major appliances, such as virtually all drying machines and ovens, are now connected to 240 volts. Mind, Americans who have European equipment shouldn’t connect it to these outlets. Although it may work on some appliances, it will definitely not be the case for all of your equipment.