Must-knows about electricity in Switzerland

  • The voltage is 230 V.
  • There are 2-pin and 3-pin wall outlets.
  • In most cases you need an adapter to connect your equipment.

Electricity in Switzerland

Swiss outlets supply the European standard voltage of 230 V AC – 50 Hz. If your equipment does not support this voltage, you need an adapter that converts the voltage.

Swiss plugs and wall sockets

Swiss plugs and wall sockets come in two shapes:

  • Most wall outlets are grounded and have 3 holes. This is called type J.
  • Some wall outlets are non-grounded and have 2 holes. This is called type C. 2-pinned Swiss plugs fit in type-J sockets with 3 holes as well.

Non-grounded European plugs and adapters with two pins will often fit in both types of Swiss wall sockets. This isn’t always the case though, as the European prongs are slightly bigger.

Other plugs than the European 2-pin ones will mostly not fit, so an adapter is needed.

Resellers of Swiss adapter plugs

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Annika
Page author: AnnikaSince early childhood I've been visiting Switzerland during my holidays and I just fell in love with the country. I spent many summers in the Bernese Oberland, which still feels like my second home, and then started to explore other areas. Traveling, hiking and photographing in the Swiss Alps are my absolute favorite activities.