Tourists who want to visit the Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire) located in West Africa could spare themselves from unnecessary problems and hassles if they know some basic information about the country, especially about the electrical outlet types, plugs, and adapters that might be needed for the trip. These days, appliances and electronic gadgets are already a necessity and when the batteries of these electronic gadgets run out, an electrical outlet to charge the batteries are important. The voltage used by the appliances and electronic gadgets in Ivory Coast is 220V with a frequency of 50 Hertz. The primary electrical outlet used in Ivory Coast is the Europlug and Schuko, specifically the Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug, Type F CEE 7/7 Schuko, and Type E French 2-Pin Schuko.

Type C Europlug Electrical Outlet and Adapter

Type C Europlug

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 types in Ivory Coast. The Type C 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 often used in Ivory Coast. 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 (Old British BS-546 Large) plug. Moreover, the plug end of the Type C 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 this Type C Europlug are 4.0mm in diameter, 19mm long and are spaced apart by 19mm. In using appliances and gadgets in Ivory Coast, the Type C Europlug could also be safely used along with the Type C, Type E, Type F, and some Type L electrical outlets. This plug in Ivory Coast is also non-polarized and non-grounded. In most developing countries where modern electrical structure is lacking, the usual electrical outlet used is the Type C Europlug. Aside from Ivory Coast, there are also countries in Middle East, Southeast Asia, Pacific Rim region, Central and South America, and the Caribbean that use this kind of adapter.

Type F Schuko Electrical Outlet, Plug, and Adapter

Type F Schuko

Commonly known as the Schuko plug, the Type F Schuko plug and electrical outlet was derived from the German word “Schukostecker” which means “protective contact plug.” This electrical outlet in Ivory Coast 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 7/7 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 7/7 Schuko. On the other hand, the plug end of Type F CEE 7/7 Schuko is compatible with the variations of the Schuko electrical outlet for France and Germany. The pins of this adapter 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 Schuko sockets of France. If the appliance or electronic gadget to be used in Ivory Coast is already a Schuko, there is no need to use the Type F CEE 7/7 Schuko adapter for the electrical outlet. This Schuko plug and receptacle in Ivory Coast also has side grounding contacts which allow symmetrical connection system for live and neutral to be reversed. The Type F CEE 7/7 Schuko is the standard in countries part of the European Union as well as those which adhere to CENELEC (Comité Européen de Normalisation Electrotechnique) standards. Most European countries including Ivory Coast use the Type F CEE 7/7 Schuko except Denmark, Italy, England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Malta, and Cyprus that have their own standard electrical outlet.

Type E French 2-Pin Schuko Electrical Adapter Plug and Electrical Outlet

Type E Schuko

The Type E electrical outlet and plug is the standard in France, Denmark, Poland, Belgium, and other western countries including the Ivory Coast. However, the Type E is not compatible with the Type F of Germany, the Netherlands, and other continental countries of Europe because of the round male pin in the socket. For the electrical outlet and plug of the Type E, the male pin is installed upwards in the electrical outlet, with the live connection in the left and neutral connection in the right. The specifications of this Type E plugs used in Ivory Coast are two round pins spaced 19mm apart with a hole for the male grounding pin in the electrical socket. The Type E electrical outlet could also be used with Type C plugs while the Type E plugs will work along with Type F electrical outlet in Ivory Coast.

In addition, people who are going to the Ivory Coast 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 Ivory Coast, 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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