Travel adapter by country: which plug goes where

Whether you need an adapter depends on three things: where you come from, what you plug in and where you're going. The table below answers the last one for 54 destinations. The first two are shorter than most guides make them.

A note on the source first: the international standards body IEC has retired its well-known plug guide and now refers travellers to adapter makers and travel sites itself. The table therefore relies on the WorldStandards overview, last updated in September 2025. Your hotel may still differ, especially in older buildings or with universal sockets.

The short answer by home country

• From the UK and Ireland (type G): your plug fits in the 16 countries marked G in the table. Everywhere else you need an adapter, which includes all of mainland Europe.
• From the US or Canada (A/B): your plug fits where A/B is listed. Check the voltage too, since the US and Canada run on 120 V and most of the world on 230 V.
• From Australia or New Zealand (type I): your plug fits only in the handful of countries marked I, so an adapter is close to a given.
• From mainland Europe (C, E, F): flat type C plugs fit most places marked C, E, F, J or L, but G, A/B and I always need an adapter.

If you only take one adapter from the UK, make it one for types C, E and F. Those three cover most of Europe, Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia and South Korea.

• AUSA, Canada, Japan
• BUSA, Canada, Mexico
• CEuroplug, most of Europe
• EFrance, Belgium, Morocco
• FGermany, Spain, Greece
• GUK, Ireland, UAE
• IAustralia, China
• JSwitzerland
• LItaly

Table: plug type and voltage by country

WorldStandards notes that the Maldives and Jordan often have universal or hybrid sockets, so the listed types may not match what you find. In South Africa and Namibia, much depends on the building: the large round types M and N are common there, and small type C doesn't fit everywhere. For those destinations, an adapter with the right insert is worth having.

How often each type appears in this list:

These figures count only our selection of 54 destinations, not the whole world. But they show why type C matters most for anyone packing a single adapter, and why a UK plug goes further than you might think, thanks to the countries with historic British ties.

What about the voltage?

An adapter changes the shape of the plug, not the voltage. Between 230 V countries that's no issue. In the USA and Canada at 120 V, Mexico at 127 V and Japan at 100 V, it depends on the device. Look at the power supply: if it says "100–240 V", it works everywhere and only needs the right adapter. That applies to most phone and laptop chargers. Pure 230 V devices like many hair dryers or curling irons don't work there or work only weakly. A voltage converter rarely pays off; hotels often have a hair dryer.

The reverse applies too. A device from North America marked only 120 V shouldn't be plugged into a 230 V socket through an adapter alone, since an adapter does nothing about the voltage.

If everything's plugged in and nothing charges in a UK or Irish socket, check the switch on the socket. British-style sockets have their own switch.

What else to pack is in our holiday packing list. It has a shorter plug overview too, which we won't repeat here.

Three cases to watch

A tour across several countries. Travelling through Southeast Asia from Thailand (A, B, C, O) to Malaysia or Singapore (G) means you need a different insert on the way. When planning, check the table once for each country on the trip. Our Thailand itinerary is a useful example of the planning.

A hire car. In the car you charge through the car socket or USB, where there is one, with no adapter at all. If you're taking, say, a hire car in Japan^*, just bring the right cable.

Only a phone on the road. If you really only need to charge a phone, a small adapter, a power bank for the day and a data connection are often enough. For trips outside your home network, an eSIM for Japan^*, or for wherever you're going, can be set up at home; our eSIM price index compares prices. For the wider planning, see How to plan a trip.

What YesTrip knows about it

For each destination YesTrip shows good-to-know items such as plugs and emergency numbers. A trip's packing list includes an adapter of the right type when your destination uses different sockets, and on a shared trip you can see who's bringing it: one adapter and a power strip are often enough for everyone. The value comes from a list and can differ from your hotel on the spot.

Without a trip of your own, you can simply look up a destination on the map.

London trip planDay by day, with map and tips

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