A person who is visiting Iraq must know the standard voltage, electrical outlet, and plug types present in the country. This will enable the visitor in Iraq to use his or her appliances and electronic gadgets in a safer way. In Iraq, the voltage used is 220-240 volts while the primary types of electrical outlet are Type C, Type D, and Type G. In using an electrical outlet along with any appliance or electronic gadget, it is important to make sure that the shape of the plug is compatible with the shape of the electrical outlet. Another is the voltage of the appliance or electronic gadget and the voltage used by an electrical outlet.

When the shape of the electrical outlet is not compatible with the shape of the plug, one may use an adapter. These adapters will alter the shape of the plug so it would be physically compatible with the electrical outlet. In terms of voltage, there are voltage converters that would allow a visitor in Iraq to use appliances or electronic gadgets that use 110-120 volts.

Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug Adapter, Plug, and Electrical Outlet

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 is one of the more commonly used electrical outlet and plug types in Iraq.  Also, the receptacle end of the adapter is usually compatible with any standard electronic household plug from any country, aside from the “Type M” South African SABS1661 plug, also known as the Old British BS-546 Large. The plug end of the Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug is compatible as well with the other types of sockets used in Europe, like that of the grounded “Type F” German and “Type E” French Schuko socket, “Type L” Italian socket, “Type H” Israeli socket, “Type J” Swiss socket, and “Type K” Danish socket, although connections to some of these sockets are non-grounded. The pins of the Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug are 4.0mm in diameter, 19mm long and are spaced apart by 19mm.

Type C adapter

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 commonly used in Iraq. In using appliances and gadgets in Iraq, the Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug could also be safely used along with the Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug, Type E European CEE 7/4 Schuko, Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko, and some Type L electrical outlet. This plug in Iraq is also non-polarized and non-grounded. In most countries like Iraq, the usual electrical outlet used is the Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug. In addition to Iraq there are also countries in Middle East, Southeast Asia, Pacific Rim region, Central and South America, and Caribbean that use this kind of adapter. Some of these countries are Greece, Greenland, Madagascar, Tunisia, Vietnam, Philippines, Poland, Hungary, Israel, Lithuania, Iceland, Laos, Lebanon, Russia, and Luxembourg.

Type D Indian BS-546 Adapter Plug and Electrical Outlet

Type D plug

The Type D Old British Plug Adapter is most compatible with the Type D Indian BS-546 electrical outlet that is sometimes used in Iraq. In this Type D Old British Plug Adapter, the live and neutral pins are 5mm in diameter, spaced 22mm apart, and the grounding pin is 7mm in diameter with the plug being polarized and grounded.  It is an old British standard electrical outlet which is still the primary household electrical outlet in countries like Iraq, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Namibia, and Hong Kong. The receptacle end of this Type D Indian BS-546 plug is also compatible with common household plugs except the Type M South African SABS1661 (Old British BS-546 Large) plug. Although the Type D Indian BS-546 electrical outlet and plug is not the standard in Iraq and other countries, it is still used in various households of Iraq. In terms of design and appearance, the Type D Indian BS-546 electrical outlet and plug is often confused with the Type M South African electrical outlet and plug. However, as similar as these two may seem, they are not compatible and must not be used together in Iraq or even in other countries.

Type D outlet

Also, the Type D Indian BS-546, especially its smaller version, the 2 Ampere plug, is used in United Kingdom for centrally switched domestic lighting circuits so that they can be differentiated from the normal power circuits. The Type D Indian BS-546 also have an unearthed variant but this kind of plug is not compatible with the 3-prong version present in Iraq because of the distance between the pins. On the other hand, a larger version of the Type D Indian BS-546 is the 15 Ampere has larger live and neutral pins. This type of the Type D Indian BS-546 is also commonly used for non-dimmed but centrally controlled sockets within installations like indoor dimmable theatre and architectural lighting installations in Iraq.

Type G British BS-1363 3-pin Plug, Electrical Outlet, and Adapter

Type G plug and outlet

The Type G British BS-1363 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 Iraq. The plug of this Type G British 3-pin is polarized and grounded but not fused. The Type G British BS-1363 electrical outlet and plug is a British 3-pin rectangular blade used widely in Iraq 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. Another name for the Type G British BS-1363 plug is the 13-amp plug and for safety reasons the Iraq 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 Iraq. However, there are cases wherein the safety shutters of this electrical outlet in Iraq could be opened through a screwdriver in order to insert Type C plugs. But then, the usage of 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 Iraq and all the other countries that use the Type G British BS-1363 electrical outlet and plug like the United Kingdom, England, Ghana, Grenada, Macau, Malta, Malaysia, Qatar, Saint Vincent, Saudi Arabia, Scotland and Zimbabwe. In terms of compatibility, the Type G British BS-1363 electrical outlet will work together with the Type G British BS-1363 plug and adapter in Iraq.

Type G adapter

With all the safety measures and features of this plug and outlet, it is considered as one of the safest in Iraq, 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 Iraq, 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 Iraq. For the electrical outlet, the Type G British BS-1363 sockets are not compatible with other types of electrical outlet.

In addition, people who are going to the Iraq would need a voltage converter and plug adapters for their appliance and electronic gadgets if it does not run on a 220-240 voltage. Most American electronics use 110-120 voltage so if these are to be used in Iraq, some of the ways to make it work safely and efficiently are using a transformer, a resistor-network converter, or a combination converter.

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