Charging your phone in Europe: which plug, and do you need a converter?
Almost everywhere in Europe the supply is 230 V at 50 Hz, and the sockets take the two round pins of the Type C plug. A phone charger marked 100–240 V on its label needs only a plug adapter, never a voltage converter. The exceptions are the UK, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus, which use the three-pin Type G plug.
See data packsFirst, read the small print on your charger
Every charger has its input printed on the body, often in tiny grey letters. Look for the word Input followed by a voltage range. Google's own 30 W USB-C charger, for instance, lists 100–240 V, 50/60 Hz. A range like that means the charger adapts by itself to any mains voltage between those two figures, which covers all of Europe and most of the world.
If your charger shows that range, the only thing standing between you and a socket abroad is the shape of the plug, and a cheap plug adapter solves it. A voltage converter, or transformer, is only for the opposite case: an appliance whose label shows a single, narrower range that does not include the local voltage. Phone, tablet and laptop chargers are rarely in that group, but check the label rather than assuming, especially on an old or unbranded charger.
One eSIM for 33 European countries
Several countries on one trip? Same eSIM, same data, no swapping lines at the border.
Black Friday −25 % Ends in 31d 14:45:46Choose your data
For one to two weeks of maps, messaging and the odd video.
Buy up to 180 days before you fly: the plan only starts when the eSIM connects at your destination.
Write the email where we should send the QR code.
We send the QR code and your receipt here. No spam.
QR in your inbox in minutes · If it does not connect, we fix it · Secure payment with Stripe
Will it work on my phone?
On iPhone: Settings → General → About, and scroll to EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Every iPhone from the XS (2018) onwards does.
On Android: Settings → About phone → Status, and look for EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Most Galaxy S20, Pixel 3 and later do.
It also has to be carrier-unlocked. If you bought it outright or your contract is over, it almost certainly is.
Not sure about your model? Ask us before you pay and we will tell you — a person answers within 24 hours.
How it works
- 1Choose and payCard, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No account.
- 2Install it at homeThe QR arrives by email. Scan it on wifi in a minute.
- 3Connect when you landTurn on data roaming for the eSIM and you are online.
Continental Europe: C, E and F
The International Electrotechnical Commission, the IEC, keeps the reference list of plug types and mains voltages by country. Across continental Europe it shows 230 V at 50 Hz, with sockets of types C, E and F. Spain and Germany use C and F, the round socket with two side clips known as Schuko; France and Belgium use E, which has an earth pin coming out of the socket.
The plug that matters for a phone is Type C, the slim two-pin Europlug. The IEC describes it as fitting any socket that accepts round contacts of 4.0 to 4.8 mm on 19 mm centres, and lists it as compatible with Type F sockets. In practice, a phone charger with a Type C plug goes into the wall in Madrid, Paris, Brussels or Berlin without any adapter at all.
Italy, Switzerland and Denmark: same voltage, extra socket shapes
Three countries add a socket type of their own while keeping 230 V. According to the IEC, Italy uses C, F and its own Type L, a plug with three pins in a line. Switzerland and Liechtenstein use C and J, and the IEC states that Type C plugs are fully compatible with Type J sockets. Denmark lists C, E, F and its own Type K.
The pattern is the same in all three: the IEC lists Type C among the socket types of each of them, so the slim two-pin Europlug is the shape most likely to fit. Bulkier earthed plugs, such as the thick round Schuko plugs on some laptop power bricks, are the ones that may not go in. If you travel with one of those, a universal adapter avoids a hunt for the one compatible socket in the room.
UK, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus: Type G
Four European countries use a completely different plug. The IEC lists Type G, with three rectangular pins in a triangle, for the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus. The plug carries a fuse, and British-style sockets have shutters over the live and neutral contacts. Voltage is not the issue: the IEC gives 230 V for the UK, Ireland and Malta and 240 V for Cyprus, all at 50 Hz and all inside the 100–240 V range of a normal phone charger.
What you need is a Type G adapter, or a charger with a Type G plug. Apple's travel adapter kit, for example, groups the UK and Ireland under a single plug with Hong Kong, Qatar and Singapore, which shows how widespread the shape is. If you are heading to Malta or Cyprus, our guides to internet in Malta and internet in Cyprus cover the connection side of the trip.
One adapter, everything charged
The simplest kit is one multi-port USB-C charger with a 100–240 V input and a single plug adapter for the destination. One adapter in the wall then charges the phone, the watch and a power bank in turn, which also solves the hotel room with one free socket behind the bed. Pack the cable too: chargers are easy to find abroad, the right cable is not.
Wall sockets are also the better place to charge than shared USB ports in airports and stations, for reasons covered in charging at a public USB port. And if the phone seems to drain much faster abroad than at home, the socket is rarely the cause; weak signal and long navigation sessions usually are, as we explain in why phones drain faster when travelling. With a Snoozim data eSIM installed before you leave, the phone is online when you land, and the adapter is the only other thing left to sort out.
Do I need a voltage converter for my phone in Europe?
Not if the charger's label shows an input of 100–240 V, which is common on phone chargers. You only need a plug adapter for the socket shape.
What plug do I need for Spain?
Spain uses 230 V and sockets of types C and F, according to the IEC. A charger with a two-pin Type C plug fits directly.
Which European countries use the UK three-pin plug?
The United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus all use the Type G plug, with three rectangular pins.
Will a European two-pin plug work in Switzerland or Italy?
The slim Type C plug is listed by the IEC as compatible with Swiss Type J sockets, and Italy also uses type C sockets. Bulkier earthed plugs may need an adapter.
Get your eSIM before you fly: the QR arrives by email in minutes and the plan only starts when you connect at your destination.
See data packs