Switzerland – Power plug, socket & mains voltage in Switzerland

What type of plugs and sockets are used in Switzerland?

When you are going on a trip to Switzerland, be sure to pack the appropriate travel plug adapter that fits the local sockets. But what do those electrical outlets look like? In Switzerland, types J and C are the official standards.

Background information

Switzerland has standardized on type J sockets and plugs. Type C plugs can also be used thanks to their compatibility with type J sockets.

Power plug & outlet Type J

Switzerland has its own earthed standard which is described in SEV 1011. This plug is similar to C, except that it has the addition of a grounding pin. Type J plugs have three 4 mm round pins, measuring 19 mm in length. The centres of the line and neutral prongs are spaced 19 mm apart and they have 10 mm long insulated sleeves. Older versions of this plug have unsleeved pins. Type J looks very much like the Brazilian type N standard, but it is incompatible with it since type J has the earth pin further away from the centre line than type N: the centre-to-centre distance between the earth pin and the middle of the imaginary line connecting the two power pins is 5 mm. Or, simply put: the earth pin is offset by 5 mm.

The earthed type J plug and socket system is only used in Switzerland (and in the tiny Principality of Liechtenstein) and is incompatible with any other system around the world. It is truly bizarre that the Swiss government do not even consider bringing themselves in line with the rest of Europe by adopting the type F plug and socket system. It would be so much less hassle…

Power plug & outlet Type C

Typically, type C plug sockets are not allowed to be installed anymore in Switzerland: these outlets are not earthed and are therefore considered dangerous. Only type J power points are permitted because they are grounded and therefore significantly safer.

The only (and rare) exception to this rule is that an old type C outlet should be replaced by a new one. After all, if you hook up a grounded wall outlet (i.e. type J) on a two-wire circuit, the socket will not be grounded, but people will get the wrong impression that it is actually grounded. No need to say, this would be a potentially dangerous situation.

Nowadays, however, type C receptacles are not frequently installed anymore, since older properties are almost always completely rewired when they are renovated or significantly altered.

Click here for a global map showing the spread of the different plug types used around the world.

Click here for a detailed list of the countries of the world with their respective plug and outlet types, voltage and frequency.