Located in Southeast Asia, Indonesia is a country frequently visited by tourists and before heading off to any country it is important to know some basic information about it first.

In Indonesia, the primary types of electrical outlet and plug commonly used are the  Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug, Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko, and Type G British BS-1363. For the standard voltage used by electronic gadgets and appliances, it is 110-120 volts although Indonesia is slowly converting its standard voltage to 220-240 volts. Principal cities in Indonesia already use 220-240 volts when it comes to their electrical outlets while the remaining cities are still in the process of conversion. The power in Indonesia also has a 50Hz frequency.

Aside from knowing the standard voltage and types of electrical outlet and plugs, it is also ideal for a person who wants to visit Indonesia to prepare adapters and voltage converters. Adapters are used when the shape of the plug of the electronic gadgets and appliances is not compatible with the shape of the electrical outlet in Indonesia. There is also the voltage converter that allows electronic gadgets and appliances to work together with an electrical outlet present in Indonesia although they use different voltages.

Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug Electrical Outlet and Adapter

Type C plug and outlet

The Type C Europlug is also known as the CEE 7/16 (Europlug 2.5 A/250 V unearthed), which is a bit similar, only slightly smaller, to the CEE 7/17 and it is one of the most commonly used electrical outlet and plug in Indonesia. The Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug alters the shape of the appliance’s plug so that it could be used into a “Type C” European CEE 7/16 Class II non-grounded Europlug socket or a Soviet-era Russian GOST 7396 Class II non-grounded socket used in Russia. Also, the receptacle end of the adapter is usually compatible with any standard electronic household plug in Indonesia and from any country, aside from the “Type M” South African SABS1661 (Old British BS-546 Large) plug. The pins of the Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug are 4.0mm in diameter, 19mm long and are spaced 19mm apart. In using appliances and gadgets in Indonesia, the Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug could also be safely used with the Type C, Type E, Type F, and some Type L electrical outlets.

Type C adapter

In addition, the Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug is also the most widely used electrical outlet all over continental Europe and in the former Soviet Republics. This plug in Indonesia is also non-polarized and non-grounded. Aside from Indonesia, there are also countries in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Pacific Rim region, Central and South America, and Caribbean that use this kind of adapter.

Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko Electrical Adapter Plug and Electrical Outlet

Type F plug and outlet

Commonly known as the Schuko plug, the Type F CEE 7/5 plug and electrical outlet was derived from the German word “Schukostecker” which means “protective contact plug.” This electrical outlet in Indonesia is also similar to the Type E with the difference being its two earth clips on the side instead of the female earth contact. The Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko is used for the “Type F” CEE 7/4 Schuko style electrical socket of Germany or to a “Type E” CEE 7/5 socket of France. The receptacle end of Type F CEE 7/7 Schuko is compatible with most sockets except the “Type M” South African SABS1661 (Old British BS-546) plug and the non-grounded CEE 7/16 Europlug Socket because of its 4.0mm pin receptacles that are too small for the 4.8mm pins of the Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko.

Type F adapter

This Schuko plug and receptacle in Indonesia also has side grounding contacts which allow symmetrical connection system for live and neutral to be reversed. Most European countries including Indonesia use the Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko except Denmark, Italy, England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Malta, and Cyprus that have their own standard electrical outlet. On the other hand, the plug end of Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko is compatible with the variations of the Schuko electrical outlet for France and Germany. The pins of this adapter in Indonesia are 4.8mm in diameter, 19mm long, and spaced 19mm apart. They have both side-grounding clips and a receptacle for the male grounding pin which is found in French Schuko sockets. If the appliance or electronic gadget to be used in Indonesia is already a Schuko, there is no need to use the Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko adapter for the electrical outlet.

Type G British BS-1363 Plug, Electrical Outlet, and Adapter

Type G plug and outlet

The Type G electrical outlet and plug is a Type G British BS-1363 rectangular blade used widely in Indonesia that has a protective fuse inside to protect cords from high-current circuits and, most of the time, the Type G British BS-1363 electrical outlet includes a safety switch. The Type G British BS-1363 plug  also has a receptacle end that is compatible with most household plug types, except the Type M South African SABS1661 (Old British BS-546 Large) plug. The plug end is a British BS-1363 13-amp type. For the adapter, the live and neutral pins are 4 x 6 x 18 mm apart, with the grounding pin measuring 4 x 8 x 23mm. Also, through the Type G British BS-1363 adapter, a tourist could use his or her appliance or electronic gadget in Indonesia. The plug of this Type G British BS-1363 is polarized and grounded but not fused. Another name for the Type G British BS-1363 plug is the 13-amp plug.

Type G adapter

For safety reasons the Indonesia requires electrical outlets in households that use the Type G British BS-1363 to have shutters over the live and neutral connections of the electrical outlet. In the insertion of the longer earth pin from the plug, the safety shutters of the Type G British BS-1363 are opened. The shutters are also present to prevent the use of incompatible plugs made to other standards in Indonesia. However, there are cases wherein the safety shutters of this electrical outlet could be opened through a screwdriver in order to insert Type C plugs. The usage of the Type G British BS-1363 outlet along with another kind of plug is not recommended because these plugs do not have a fuse. The regulation about the safety shutters and fuse is then followed in Indonesia and all the other countries that use the Type G British BS-1363 electrical outlet and plug like the United Kingdom, Seychelles, Ghana, Grenada, Macau, Malta, Malaysia, Qatar, Saint Vincent, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Maldives and Kuwait. In terms of compatibility, the Type G British 3-pin electrical outlet will work together with the Type G British BS-1363 plug and adapter in Indonesia.

With all the safety measures and features of this plug and outlet, it is considered as one of the safest in Indonesia, even the world. However, with all its features, this type of plug is bulky and cumbersome. Some people claim that the Type G British BS-1363 plug is mostly bigger than the appliances they are connected to but if tourists would want to use their electronic gadget or appliance in Indonesia, then they must have a Type G British BS-1363 adapter. Although the adapter would not change the voltage used, it will enable the plug of the appliance or electronic gadget to be inserted to the electrical outlet used in Indonesia. For the electrical outlet, the Type G British BS-1363 sockets are not compatible with other types of electrical outlet in Indonesia.

Voltage Converter and Adapters

Combination Voltage Converter

If a tourist wants to use his or her gadget in Indonesia, the best way is by using voltage converters such as the resistor-network converters, transformers, and in some cases the combination of both. Most appliances and electronic gadgets made in the United States of America (USA) have a voltage of 110-120 and using it directly on a 220-240 electrical outlet in Indonesia would cause damage to the appliance or electronic gadget, to the extent that it might be totally fried out or  might even cause a fire.  There is a switch that enables the changing of modes from resistor-network converter to transformer, depending on the tourist’s needs in Indonesia. The resistor-network converters to be used in Indonesia are usually advertised to support as much as 50-1600 Watts and are just ideal to use for short periods of time. The resistor-network converter is also not recommended for digital devices like laptop computers however it is great for lightweight electronics like hair dryers and irons. 

If a tourist would want to use a laptop computer or charge batteries for camera, mp3 players, camcorders, and radios in Indonesia, the ideal voltage converter would be a transformer which lowers maximum watt rating. It could be used for long periods of time but is a little bit heavy because of the large iron rods and copper wires. The last kind of voltage converter in order to use electronics in Indonesia that are not compatible with the electrical outlet present in Indonesia is the combination of resistor-network converters and transformer.

These voltage converters and adapters will be very handy if a tourist would plan a trip to Indonesia and intends to bring along some gadgets that require a particular voltage. There are certain adapters that would fit particular plugs and these could be bought in hardware stores or electrical outlets in Indonesia or before heading there. Another is that there are also universal adapters that could be used with any type of plug and electrical outlet, may it be in Indonesia or another country.

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