Plug & socket types around the world
There are currently 15 types of electrical outlet plugs in use today, each of which has been assigned a letter by the US Department of Commerce International Trade Administration (ITA), starting with A and moving through the alphabet. These letters are completely arbitrary: they don’t actually mandate anything.
Click here for a global map showing the spread of the different plug types used around the world.
Click here for a detailed list of the countries of the world with their respective plug and outlet types, voltage and frequency.
Type A
mainly used in the USA, Canada, Mexico & Japan (for a full list, click here)
2 pins
not grounded
15 A
almost always 100 – 127 V
socket compatible with plug type A
Type B
mainly used in the USA, Canada, Mexico & Japan (for a full list, click here)
3 pins
grounded
15 A
almost always 100 – 127 V
socket compatible with plug types A & B
Type C
commonly used in Europe, South America & Asia (for a full list, click here)
2 pins
not grounded
2.5 A, 10 A & 16 A
almost always 220 – 240 V
socket compatible with plug type C
Type D
mainly used in India (for a full list, click here)
3 pins
grounded
5 A
220 – 240 V
socket compatible with plug type D (partial and unsafe compatibility with C, E & F)
Type E
primarily used in France, Belgium, Poland, Slovakia & Czechia (for a full list, click here)
2 pins
grounded
16 A
220 – 240 V
socket compatible with plug types C, E & F
Type F
used almost everywhere in Europe & Russia, except for the UK & Ireland (for a full list, click here)
2 pins
grounded
16 A
220 – 240 V
socket compatible with plug types C, E & F
Type G
mainly used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta, Malaysia & Singapore (for a full list, click here)
3 pins
grounded
13 A
220 – 240 V
socket compatible with plug type G
Type H
used exclusively in Israel, the West Bank & the Gaza Strip (for a full list, click here)
3 pins
grounded
16 A
220 – 240 V
socket compatible with plug types C & H (partial and unsafe compatibility with E & F)
Type I
mainly used in Australia, New Zealand, China & Argentina (for a full list, click here)
2 or 3 pins
2 pins: not grounded / 3 pins: grounded
10 A
220 – 240 V
socket compatible with plug type I
Type J
used almost exclusively in Switzerland & Liechtenstein (for a full list, click here)
3 pins
grounded
10 A
220 – 240 V
socket compatible with plug types C & J
Type K
used almost exclusively in Denmark & Greenland (for a full list, click here)
3 pins
grounded
16 A
220 – 240 V
socket compatible with plug types C & K (partial and unsafe compatibility with E & F)
Type L
used almost exclusively in Italy & Chile (for a full list, click here)
3 pins
grounded
10 A & 16 A
220 – 240 V
10 A socket compatible with plug types C & L (10 A version)
16 A socket compatible with plug type L (16 A version)
Type M
mainly used in South Africa (for a full list, click here)
3 pins
grounded
15 A
220 – 240 V
socket compatible with plug type M
Type N
used in Brazil and South Africa (for a full list, click here)
3 pins
grounded
10 A, 16 A & 20 A
100 – 240 V
socket compatible with plug types C & N
Type O
used exclusively in Thailand
3 pins
grounded
16 A
220 – 240 V
socket compatible with plug types C & O (partial and unsafe compatibility with E & F)
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