Type G Travel Adapter (BS 1363 / UK Plug)
Type G plugs have three rectangular pins arranged in a triangular pattern. The formal designation is BS 1363, but most travelers know it as the UK plug or British plug.
A Type G travel adapter, also spelled Type G travel adaptor or BS 1363 adaptor plug, changes the plug shape only. It does not convert voltage.
Type G spread far beyond Britain through the use of British electrical standards in former colonies and territories. Today it is still encountered across parts of Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Caribbean, making it one of the more geographically widespread grounded plug systems travelers encounter.
Type G Quick Facts
- Three rectangular pins in a triangular pattern
- Formally designated BS 1363
- Commonly called the UK plug or British plug
- Grounded plug and outlet system
- Used with 220–240V electrical systems
What Travel Adapter Do I Need for the UK?
The United Kingdom uses the grounded Type G plug. Travelers from the United States need a US-to-UK plug adapter for London and everywhere else in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
For ordinary UK wall outlets, there is no separate ungrounded travel-adapter type. The same Type G travel adapter can be used with ordinary two-prong chargers and with compatible three-prong grounded devices.
London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Glasgow, Liverpool, Cardiff, and Belfast all use the same Type G plug system.
For complete country information, see the United Kingdom plug and adapter guide.
Popular Type G Destinations
United Kingdom · Ireland · Singapore · United Arab Emirates
Countries and Territories Where Type G Is Encountered
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- Scotland
- Cyprus
- Malta
- Gibraltar
- Falkland Islands
- Hong Kong
- Macau
- Singapore
- Malaysia
- United Arab Emirates
- Qatar
- Kuwait
- Bahrain
- Oman
- Saudi Arabia
- Kenya
- Uganda
- Tanzania
- Ghana
- Nigeria
- Sierra Leone
- Gambia
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Grenada
- British Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Montserrat
Type G is the modern UK standard, but older British BS 546 round-pin outlets, including the legacy Type D style, may
still occasionally be encountered in older or specialized installations. UK bathroom shaver sockets are also different from
ordinary Type G wall outlets and are designed for two-pin shaver plugs rather than standard Type G plugs.
Adapter may also be spelled adaptor, and grounded may also be described as earthed.
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