If a tourist would want to visit Jordan, some of the things he or she must know are the standard voltage used in the said country as well as the types of electrical outlet and plugs common in the households. In Jordan, which is located in the middle east, electronic gadgets and appliances use 220-240 volts with a frequency of 50Hz.

For the types of electrical outlet and plugs, there are the Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug, Type D Indian BS-546, Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko, Type G British BS-1363, and Type J Swiss SEV 1011. However, the Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug could just be found in selected hotels in Jordan because the majority uses the other types.

In Jordan, a tourist may also need adapters and voltage converters. Adapters are used to alter the shape of the plug when the type of plug is different from the electrical outlet in Jordan. Through adapters, a tourist in Jordan would be able to use his or her electronic gadget and appliances. Another tool handy in Jordan is the voltage converter which is used when the voltage used by electronic gadget and appliances is not compatible with the voltage present in the electrical outlet in Jordan. There are different kinds of voltage converters a tourist can use in Jordan and some of the most used are the step-up and step-down transformer as well as the combination voltage converter.

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 Jordan. 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 Jordan. Also, the receptacle end of the adapter is usually compatible with any standard electronic household plug in Jordan and from any country, aside from the “Type M” South African SABS1661 (Old British BS-546 Large) plug.

Type C adapter

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 Jordan, 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. 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 Jordan is also non-polarized and non-grounded. Aside from Jordan, 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 D Indian BS-546 Adapter Plug and Electrical Outlet

Type D plug

In this Type D Indian BS-546 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 Sri Lanka, Nepal, Namibia, and Hong Kong.The Type D Indian BS-546 electrical outlet  is most compatible with the Type D Old British Plug Adapter that is sometimes used in Jordan. 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.

Type D outlet

Although the Type D Indian BS-546 electrical outlet and plug is not the standard in Jordan and other countries, it is still used in various households. 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 Jordan or even in other countries. If the plug of the electronic gadget or appliance of the tourist in Jordan is not compatible with the shape of the Type D Indian BS-546 electrical outlet, an adapter will be very necessary.

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 Jordan 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 Jordan also has side grounding contacts which allow symmetrical connection system for live and neutral to be reversed. Most European countries as well as countries in the Middle East like Jordan 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 Jordan 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 Jordan 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 3-pin Plug, Electrical Outlet, and Adapter

Type G plug and outlet

The Type G British BS-1363 electrical outlet and plug is a British 3-pin rectangular blade used widely in Jordan 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 also has a receptacle end that is compatible with most household plug types in Jordan, 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 Jordan. The plug of this Type G British 3-pin is polarized and grounded but not fused.  Another name for the Type G British BS-1363 plug is the 13-amp plug and for safety reasons the Jordan 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.

Type G adapter

During 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 Jordan 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 in Jordan because these plugs do not have a fuse.

The regulation about the safety shutters and fuse is then followed in Jordan and all the other countries that use the Type G British BS-1363 electrical outlet and plug like the United Kingdom, Ghana, Grenada, Macau, Malta, Malaysia, Qatar, Saint Vincent, Saudi Arabia, Scotland and Zimbabwe.  With all the safety measures and features of this plug and outlet, it is considered as one of the safest in Jordan, 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 Jordan, 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 Jordan. For the electrical outlet, the Type G British BS-1363 sockets are not compatible with other types of electrical outlet in Jordan. 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 Jordan.

Type J Swiss 3-Pin SEV 1011 Electrical Outlet

Type J plug

The Type J Swiss SEV 1011 adapter would allow appliances and gadgets that have a different type of plug to work in Jordan. The receptacle end of the Type J Swiss SEV 1011 is compatible to any standard household plug except the Type M South African SABS1661, also known as the Old British BS-546. Also, the pins of the Type J Swiss SEV 1011 are 4.0mm in diameter, similar to the Europlug, the only difference being the presence of a third pin to allow grounded connections. The Type J Swiss SEV 1011 is commonly used in appliances and gadgets in Jordan. The Type J Swiss SEV 1011 adapter will work well with the Type J Swiss SEC 1011 electrical outlet present in some of the hotels in Jordan. Europlugs could be plugged into Swiss outlets but the connection will not be grounded. Swiss plugs and adapters, like the Type J Swiss SEV 1011, can only be plugged into Swiss electrical outlets.

Type J outlet

The Type J is almost similar to the Brazilian N standard type as well but the earth pin of the Type J is further away from the center line of the type N (5mm instead of 3mm). Most of the time, this kind of connector system is used for applications in  Jordan that use up to 10 amps. If it will go beyond 10 amps, the electronic gadget or appliance must be wired permanently to an electrical supply system with appropriate branch circuit protection or be connected to a main system with appropriate high power industrial connector. Also, among all the pins available, the Type J Swiss SEV 1011 is the most dangerous in the world because the prongs are not insulated.

Type J adapter

Compared to other plugs like type C, G, I, L, or N, that have a black covering in its pins, the Type J of  Jordan does not have this covering, similar to Type A and Type B plugs.

Other countries aside from the Jordan that use the Type J Swiss SEV 1011 plug, adapter, and electrical outlet are El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Maldives, Rwanda, and Switzerland. In addition, The Type J in Jordan has a two-pin plug with the same pin shape, size, and spacing, but with a flattened, hexagonal form. This will fit into electrical outlets as well as CEE 7/16 electrical outlet.

Voltage Converters

Combination Voltage Converter

There are three kinds of voltage converters available: the transformer, the network-resistor converter, and the combination of these two. For laptop computers, cameras, mp3 players, and charging of batteries in Jordan, the recommended voltage converter to be used is the transformer as it has a lower maximum watt rating of 50 to 100 watts and it could be used continuously although it could be heavy because of the large iron rods and copper wires inside. The resistor-network converter could support 50-1600 watts and are often used for a short period of time and in light-weight electrical appliances like hair dryers and irons.

Transformer

If the the wrong plug is inserted in the wrong electrical outlet or the voltage does not match, there could be some real damage to the appliance or electronic gadget. In worse cases, this might even cause electrocution.  It is important to know the proper voltage, electrical outlet, plugs, and adapters to use when visiting Jordan and other countries because sometimes these electric requirements vary depending on the location. If the voltage of the appliance or electronic gadget to be used in Jordan does not match its 220-240 volts requirement, like most American products that only use 110-120 volts, a tourist in Jordan would need a voltage converter to be able to use his or her electronic gadgets and appliances safely and conveniently.

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