Canada uses Type A and B plugs at 120 V. They work in the US, Mexico, most of the Caribbean and Taiwan. Almost everywhere else, you'll need an adapter, and which one depends on where you're going. The country finder below tells you exactly.
One adapter for most trips
If you travel to a few different places a year, a universal adapter with USB-C is the one to own. It covers the UK, Europe, the Gulf, Australia and most of Asia, and a USB-C port of 30 W or more charges your phone and laptop without packing extra bricks. Look for built-in surge protection and a replaceable fuse.
One multi-port charger turns the single free socket into enough power for everything. Photo: Gavin Phillips on Unsplash
Going to India, Pakistan or Sri Lanka? Pack a second one
This catches a lot of people visiting family. Most universal adapters don't fit Type D, the three big round pins still common across South Asia. A small Type D adapter costs a few dollars and weighs nothing, so pack it alongside the universal one and you're covered whatever the socket on the wall looks like.
UK, Ireland, Dubai, Singapore
All of these use Type G: three chunky rectangular pins. If that's your only destination, a slim Type G adapter with USB ports is lighter than a universal one. Sharing a room? Bring two. Nobody wants to negotiate whose phone charges first.
The part that fries hair dryers
An adapter changes the shape of the plug, not the voltage. Check the label on each charger: "Input: 100–240 V" means it's fine anywhere with just an adapter, and almost every phone, laptop and camera charger says this. A Canadian hair dryer or straightener that says "120 V" only is a different story. On 220–240 V it can overheat or burn out. A dual-voltage straightener or hair dryer is lighter and safer than lugging a voltage converter.
Last tip: hotel rooms always seem to have one free socket, and it's behind the bed. A compact multi-port USB-C charger turns that one socket into enough power for a phone, earbuds, watch and laptop.
Find your country
Which adapter do I need?
Tap a country to see what to pack. 25 countries need an adapter, 6 take our plugs in some sockets, and 8 work like home. ⚡ = about double Canada's voltage.
⚡ 230 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
⚡ 230 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
France
C, E
230 V ⚡
Adapter needed
What to pack for France
Pack a Type C / F adapter (two round pins), or a universal adapter.
⚡ 230 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
Spain
C, F
230 V ⚡
Adapter needed
What to pack for Spain
Pack a Type C / F adapter (two round pins), or a universal adapter.
⚡ 230 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
Portugal
C, F
230 V ⚡
Adapter needed
What to pack for Portugal
Pack a Type C / F adapter (two round pins), or a universal adapter.
⚡ 230 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
Italy
C, F, L
230 V ⚡
Adapter needed
What to pack for Italy
Pack a Type C / F adapter (two round pins), or a universal adapter.
⚡ 230 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
Netherlands
C, F
230 V ⚡
Adapter needed
What to pack for Netherlands
Pack a Type C / F adapter (two round pins), or a universal adapter.
⚡ 230 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
Greece
C, F
230 V ⚡
Adapter needed
What to pack for Greece
Pack a Type C / F adapter (two round pins), or a universal adapter.
⚡ 230 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
Iceland
C, F
230 V ⚡
Adapter needed
What to pack for Iceland
Pack a Type C / F adapter (two round pins), or a universal adapter.
⚡ 230 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
Türkiye
C, F
230 V ⚡
Adapter needed
What to pack for Türkiye
Pack a Type C / F adapter (two round pins), or a universal adapter.
⚡ 230 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
India
C, D, M
230 V ⚡
Adapter needed
What to pack for India
Pack a Type D adapter as well as a universal one: most universal adapters don't fit round-pin Type D sockets.
Many universal adapters don't fit India's round three-pin Type D sockets, so pack a Type D adapter too.
⚡ 230 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
Pakistan
C, D (also G, M)
230 V ⚡
Adapter needed
What to pack for Pakistan
Pack a Type D adapter as well as a universal one: most universal adapters don't fit round-pin Type D sockets.
Many sockets are universal, but older ones are round-pin Type D, which most universal adapters don't fit.
⚡ 230 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
Bangladesh
C, D, G (also A)
220–230 V ⚡
Adapter needed
What to pack for Bangladesh
Pack a Type D adapter as well as a universal one: most universal adapters don't fit round-pin Type D sockets.
⚡ 220–230 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
Sri Lanka
D, G, M
230 V ⚡
Adapter needed
What to pack for Sri Lanka
Pack a Type D adapter as well as a universal one: most universal adapters don't fit round-pin Type D sockets.
Round-pin Type D and M sockets are common, so a universal adapter alone may not be enough.
⚡ 230 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
⚡ 230 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
Morocco
C, E
230 V ⚡
Adapter needed
What to pack for Morocco
Pack a Type C / F adapter (two round pins), or a universal adapter.
⚡ 230 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
Algeria
C, F
230 V ⚡
Adapter needed
What to pack for Algeria
Pack a Type C / F adapter (two round pins), or a universal adapter.
⚡ 230 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
⚡ 230 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
⚡ 230 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
Japan
A, B
100 V
Some sockets
What to pack for Japan
Two-pin plugs fit. Three-prong plugs need a 3-to-2 adapter.
Plugs are the same shape as ours, but many sockets only take two flat pins, so a three-prong plug needs an adapter. Voltage is lower than Canada's; chargers don't mind.
⚡ 220 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
China
A, C, I
220 V ⚡
Some sockets
What to pack for China
Some sockets take our plugs, but bring a universal adapter to be safe.
Two-flat-pin plugs often fit, but voltage is almost double Canada's, so check every device.
⚡ 220 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
⚡ 220–230 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
⚡ 220–230 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
Thailand
A, B, C, O
230 V ⚡
Some sockets
What to pack for Thailand
Some sockets take our plugs, but bring a universal adapter to be safe.
Many sockets take our plugs, but voltage is about double Canada's.
⚡ 230 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
Vietnam
A, C (also B, F)
220 V ⚡
Some sockets
What to pack for Vietnam
Some sockets take our plugs, but bring a universal adapter to be safe.
⚡ 220 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
⚡ 230 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
Indonesia
C, F
230 V ⚡
Adapter needed
What to pack for Indonesia
Pack a Type C / F adapter (two round pins), or a universal adapter.
⚡ 230 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
⚡ 230 V is about double Canada's 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V are fine; hair dryers and straighteners need dual-voltage versions.
Everything linked above, in one place. Named products open that product on Amazon.ca; the others open an Amazon.ca search, so you can compare brands and today's prices.
Covers most trips
EPICKA universal travel adapter
SpecsTypes A, C, G and I, with USB ports
Doesn't fit Type D sockets (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka): pack a Type D adapter too.
Why we picked it
One adapter for the UK, Europe, the Gulf, Australia and Asia
USB-C charges a phone and a laptop without extra bricks
Check for built-in surge protection and a replaceable fuse
One short email a week, only when we find a real deal from your city. Every fare is re-checked live before we send it. Free, and you can unsubscribe any time.
India uses Type C, D and M sockets at 230 V. Bring a universal adapter plus a Type D adapter, because many universal adapters don't fit India's round three-pin Type D sockets. Phone and laptop chargers labelled 100–240 V work fine.
Do I need an adapter for the UK from Canada?
Yes. The UK uses Type G plugs with three rectangular pins at 230 V. The same adapter works in Ireland, the UAE, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Do I need an adapter for Europe from Canada?
Yes. Most of Europe, including France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and Türkiye, uses Type C and F plugs at 230 V. Italy also uses Type L.
Do Canadian plugs work in Mexico and the Caribbean?
Yes. Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago use the same Type A and B plugs as Canada at 110–127 V, so you don't need an adapter.
Can I use my Canadian hair dryer abroad?
Only if its label says 100–240 V or it has a voltage switch. Most Canadian hair tools are 120 V only and can overheat on the 220–240 V used in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Sources
Checked October 21, 2026. Airline rules change, so check with your airline before you fly.
