Pick where you live and where you're going, and the checker below tells you three things: the plug types used at your destination, whether your plugs fit as they are or you need an adapter, and whether the voltage is different enough to matter for things like hair dryers. It covers about 90 countries and works from any home country.
🔌 Plug & voltage checker
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Adapter vs converter: which one do you need?
These solve two different problems, and most travelers only need the first one.
- A plug adapter only changes the shape so your plug fits the wall socket. The local voltage passes straight through to your device.
- A voltage converter (or transformer) changes the voltage, so a device built for one voltage can run on another. You only need one for single-voltage appliances going to a country with a different voltage.
Plug types A to O at a glance
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) labels the world's plug and socket types with letters. These are the ones you'll actually run into:
| Type | What it looks like | Where you'll find it (examples) |
|---|---|---|
| A | Two flat parallel pins, no ground | US, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Taiwan |
| B | Type A plus a round grounding pin | Same countries as Type A |
| C | Two round pins (the "Europlug") | Most of continental Europe, much of Asia and South America |
| D | Three large round pins in a triangle | India, Nepal, Sri Lanka |
| E | Two round pins; the socket has a grounding pin | France, Belgium, Poland, Czech Republic |
| F | Two round pins with grounding clips on the sides ("Schuko") | Germany, Spain, Netherlands, most of Europe, South Korea |
| G | Three rectangular pins | UK, Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, UAE |
| I | Two angled flat pins, plus a ground pin | Australia, New Zealand, China, Argentina |
| J / K / L | Three round pins in different layouts | Switzerland (J), Denmark (K), Italy and Chile (L) |
| M / N / O | Three round pins | South Africa (M, N), Brazil (N), Thailand (O) |
Two shortcuts are worth knowing. First, a Type C plug fits almost every socket in continental Europe (C, E, F, J, K and L sockets all take it). Second, most modern European plugs are a combined E/F design that fits both French and German sockets. The exceptions in Europe are the UK, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus, which use Type G.
Hair dryers, straighteners and other heating appliances
This is where voltage actually matters. Heating appliances draw a lot of power, and many are built for a single voltage. A 120V-only hair dryer plugged into a 230V socket in Europe can overheat or burn out within seconds, adapter or not. Your options:
- Buy a dual-voltage model (look for a 120/240V switch or "100–240V" on the label) if you travel often.
- Use the hotel's: most mid-range hotels in Europe and Asia provide a hair dryer.
- Use a converter rated above the appliance's wattage. Small travel converters often can't handle a 1,800W hair dryer, so check the numbers.
Going the other way (a 230V appliance into a 120V country) is less dangerous, but the device will usually be underpowered or won't work at all.
Ready to buy one? Our travel adapter buying guide covers what to look for in a universal adapter: plug coverage, USB-C power, wattage limits and safety certifications.