Power adapters by country: what Australians actually need to pack
Three countries take your plug as-is. Everywhere else needs an adapter - and two need a voltage conversation.
By Jamie · 5 min read · Published 6 May 2026 · Updated 3 September 2026
Australia uses the Type I plug - two angled flat pins with an optional earth - running at 230V, 50Hz.
Very few countries share it. The useful shortlist of places where your Australian chargers work with no adapter at all: New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Argentina and, usefully, China.
Everywhere else needs an adapter.
Which adapter, where
Type A / B (flat American pins) - United States, Canada, Japan, Philippines, Thailand (mixed), Mexico.
Type C / F (round European pins) - Indonesia, South Korea, Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Greece, Vietnam (mixed), most of Europe.
Type G (large British three-pin) - United Kingdom, Singapore, Malaysia, UAE, Hong Kong, Ireland.
Type C / D / M (round Indian pins) - India, Nepal, Sri Lanka.
A decent universal adapter covers A, C, G and I and handles the vast majority of trips. Two exceptions are worth knowing about:
Italy's Type L. Italy has its own three-round-pin plug that many generic "Europe" adapters don't fit. Older Italian buildings still use it. Buy one that explicitly lists Type L.
India's Type D. Larger round pins than the European Type C. Some universal adapters skip it.
Voltage is a separate question
The plug shape and the voltage are two different problems, and confusing them is how people melt things.
Australia runs 230V. So does most of Europe, the UK, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and the UAE - your appliances work normally there once the plug fits.
Two regions are different:
Japan runs 100V - the lowest mains voltage in the world. The US and Canada run 120V.
Modern phone chargers, laptop bricks, camera chargers and electric toothbrushes are all "dual voltage" and handle 100-240V without any conversion. Check the fine print on the charger: if it says INPUT: 100-240V, you're fine with just an adapter.
What isn't dual voltage: hair dryers, straighteners, curling wands and some electric shavers. Plug an Australian 230V hair dryer into a Japanese 100V socket and it will run weakly or not at all. Plug a 120V American appliance into an Australian socket and it will burn out.
The practical answer for hair tools is either a dual-voltage travel model, or using the one in the hotel room. Voltage converters exist but are heavy, and the cheap ones aren't rated for the wattage a hair dryer draws.
Worth packing alongside the adapter
A small powerboard. One adapter plus a four-outlet Australian powerboard charges everything at once, and gets around hotel rooms that have exactly one accessible socket. It's the single best packing tip on this page.
A power bank. Essential in India and useful anywhere with unreliable supply. Note that airlines require power banks in your carry-on, never checked luggage, and most cap capacity at 100Wh.
A USB-C multi-port charger. Increasingly this replaces most of the above - one charger, one adapter, four cables.
Check your destination page for the specific plug type and voltage before you pack. It's a two-second check that saves a trip to a foreign electronics shop on your first morning.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a voltage converter or just a plug adapter?
Read the small print on the charger itself. If it says 100-240V, you need a plug adapter only, and that covers virtually every phone, laptop, camera and tablet charger. If it says 240V alone, it is single-voltage and will underperform on a 110V supply. A 110V appliance plugged into 240V will usually be destroyed.
Will my Australian plug fit in New Zealand?
Yes. New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Argentina and China all use the same Type I plug as Australia. New Zealand and Fiji also share the 230V supply, so nothing is needed at all.
Is a universal adapter worth buying?
For one trip to one country, a single cheap adapter is enough. If you travel regularly, one good universal adapter with built-in USB-C power delivery replaces both the adapter and a charger, which is usually the better buy and one less thing in the bag.
Which appliances actually cause problems overseas?
Hair dryers, straighteners, curling irons and electric shavers are the usual culprits, because they are often single-voltage and draw a lot of power. Most hotels supply a hair dryer, which is the simplest way around it.
Can I use a power board to charge several things at once?
Yes, and it is a good trick: one adapter into the wall, an Australian power board into the adapter, everything else into the board. Just check the total draw is within the adapter's rating, and never chain adapters together.
Is the tap water safe where I am going?
It varies far more than people expect, and it is not a rich-versus-poor question. Each destination page on this site says whether the tap water is drinkable, along with the plug type and voltage.
