World Plug Types A to O by Country

World plug types run from A to O, 15 in all, and a US plug fits only the sockets of Types A and B. Those two cover the US, Canada, Mexico, Japan and Taiwan, and the hybrid sockets common in Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam usually take them too. Everywhere else you need a plug adapter, and the adapter alone is not enough: look for 100-240V on your charger’s label, because an adapter changes the plug shape and never the voltage. A charger marked 100-240V covers the supply in nearly every country. A device marked 120V only does not.

The type letters come from an International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) list, and the IEC itself notes that a letter does not guarantee a plug suits a socket. The country data below comes from two reference lists, worldstandards.eu and Wikipedia’s mains electricity table, plus the official tourism or safety pages named where they apply. Read the label on your own charger before you plug in.

Which Plug Do You Need? Three Quick Checks

• Shape. Find your destination in the country lookup. If it lists Type A or B, your US plug fits. Any other letter means an adapter with that shape.
• Voltage. The US supplies 120V at 60Hz and most of the world supplies 220-240V. Read the input line on each charger: 100-240V works anywhere, while 120V alone means a converter or leaving the device at home.
• Grounding. A three-prong US plug has a ground pin. An adapter that fits it into a two-hole socket drops the ground connection, so keep that combination for low-power chargers.

Plug Types A to O: Pins, Rating and Where Each Is Used

Types A and B are rated for 125V and almost every other type for 250V. The last column assumes a standard US plug.

Type O is Thailand’s own standard, TIS 166, but sockets sold there are hybrids that take Types A, B, C and O, which is why a US charger often drops straight in. The same hybrid pattern shows up in the Philippines and Vietnam. Carry an adapter anyway, because older or unusual sockets exist.

Plug Types by Region

• North and Central America. Types A and B at about 120V and 60Hz, with Mexico at 127V. Jamaica uses the same shapes at 110V and 50Hz. A US plug fits without an adapter across most of the region.
• Europe. Type C is the common thread, with F in Germany and most of the continent, E in France, Belgium, Poland and Czechia, J in Switzerland, L in Italy and K in Denmark. The UK, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus use Type G instead.
• Japan and Taiwan. Types A and B at 100V in Japan and 110V in Taiwan. Plugs fit, but the lower voltage matters for heating tools. The Japan destination guide covers the rest of the trip.
• Southeast Asia. A patchwork. Singapore and Malaysia use Type G, and Indonesia’s tourism site lists types C and F, which matters for a trip covered in the Bali destination guide. Thailand’s hybrid sockets (see the Bangkok destination guide) and the A, B and C sockets of the Philippines usually take US plugs, and the Philippines destination guide and the Singapore destination guide cover those trips.
• Rest of Asia, Oceania, the Middle East and Africa. China uses A and I at 220-230V, Hong Kong and the Gulf use G, India uses D and M, Australia and New Zealand use I, Israel uses H, and South Africa mixes C, M and N.
• South America. Brazil uses C and N, Chile C and L, Argentina I, and Peru A, B and C at 60Hz.

110-127V vs 220-240V: Why Voltage Matters More Than Shape

Two supply families cover most of the world. The 100-127V group includes the US and Canada at 120V, Mexico at 127V, Costa Rica at 120V, Taiwan at 110V and Japan at 100V. Nearly everywhere else runs 220-240V, including all of Europe, Australia and most of Asia and Africa. Japan’s national tourism organization states that the voltage used throughout Japan is 100V, a step below the US.

A charger marked 100-240V, or a device with a 120/240V switch, accepts both families, and most phone, laptop, camera and USB chargers sold today carry that range. Devices marked 120V only, such as many hair dryers and curling irons, are built for the lower supply and can overheat or be damaged at 220-240V. Frequency is a footnote. The US runs at 60Hz and most of the world at 50Hz, and chargers ignore the difference, though clocks and motors may not. Japan is split, with 50Hz in the east including Tokyo and 60Hz in the west including Osaka and Kyoto.

A plug that fits is not proof the voltage matches. Brazil uses the same socket types at 127V and at 220V depending on the location. China has Type A sockets that look American but supply 220-230V. The Philippines and Vietnam have US-style hybrid sockets on a supply of 220V in the Philippines and 220-230V in Vietnam. Jamaica uses US plugs on 110V at 50Hz. Check the label, never the socket.

Adapter vs Converter: What Each One Does

A plug adapter changes the shape of the pins so your plug reaches a foreign socket. It does nothing to the electricity passing through it, so a 120V-only device on an adapter still receives 220-240V. A voltage converter or transformer changes the supply itself, and it is the only correct fix for a 120V-only device in a 220-240V country. Most travelers never need one, because chargers marked 100-240V need only the adapter.

Heating tools are where converters tempt people, and the usual move is to leave a 120V-only dryer or kettle at home, bring a dual-voltage one, or buy locally. The Asia trip page has a leave, bring or buy table for hair dryers, kettles and irons, and the same logic applies in any 220-240V country.

Choosing a Universal Travel Adapter and Its Pitfalls

• Read the list of shapes. A universal adapter covers a fixed set of plug types. Many models are built around the US, UK, EU and Australia shapes, which are Types A, G, C and I, so sockets such as D, H, M, K, L, N and O may need a dedicated adapter. The list printed on the adapter is the only reliable guide.
• Type C is not a master key. The two-pin Europlug fits E, F, H, J, K, N and O sockets, but it does not fit A, B, D, G, I or M. The shuttered sockets in Type G countries such as the UK and Singapore reject it, so those trips need a Type G side.
• Grounding is lost on many adapters. An adapter that turns a three-prong plug into a two-pin shape cannot carry the ground pin across. Wikipedia’s plug article lists lack of a proper earth connection among the safety issues with universal sockets and adapters.
• Match the rating. The maximum current or power is printed on the adapter. Compare it with the number on your charger, and keep heating tools off basic adapters. Type G plugs are fused, so check that an adapter with a Type G side is too.
• Add USB ports last. A model with several USB outlets feeds a phone, earbuds and a watch from one socket. Power banks follow separate flight rules, covered in the airline limits for power banks.
• Keep one in your carry-on. You want power on arrival night, and Bali’s airport arrivals guide shows how long the first hours can take. The Bali packing list’s power section is a worked example of a kit built around Types C and F.

Grounding and Compatibility: Why the Letter Is Not a Guarantee

Grounded plugs have an extra earth pin or contact that carries fault current away. Types B, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, L and M are grounded. Types A and C never are, and Types I, N and O also come in two-pin versions without a ground. Thailand shows how grounding gets lost: Types E and F fit its hybrid sockets, but the earth contact is not connected, which the reference list worldstandards.eu calls unsafe.

The IEC’s own wording is the clearest caution. Physical compatibility of a plug and socket does not ensure correct voltage, frequency or current capacity, and the same letter can cover several ratings. Type A is rated 125V in the US and 250V in China’s version, for instance. Singapore’s Consumer Product Safety Office says universal hotel socket-outlets can accept plugs rated for 100-120V while the supply is 230V, and hair dryers, travel irons and kettles are the appliances at risk. Fit proves nothing about the supply behind the socket.

Plug Types by Country: Lookup for 46 Countries

These 46 rows are limited to facts that both reference lists agree on. Where the lists differ between 220V and 230V, the table shows the range, because a 100-240V charger covers either. Thailand, the Philippines and Peru are stated at 220V as of November 2026, the figure the national tourism bodies and two further listings give for each. Indonesia’s figures are confirmed by its tourism site, Japan’s by its national tourism organization, and Singapore’s by its Consumer Product Safety Office.

A missing country was left out on purpose: if the two reference lists did not agree, the row is omitted rather than guessed.