A trip to Norway would require a traveler to know the standard voltage, electrical outlet, and plugs present in the country. This information would enable the traveler to use his or her electronic gadgets and appliance in Norway without problems and delays. Most of the time, travelers bring their electronic gadgets with them like laptop computers, mp3 players, hair dryers, curling irons, battery chargers, mobile phones, radios, cameras, and more. To be able to use these conveniently, especially when they run out of battery, a traveller would need to use an electrical outlet in Norway.

Similar to most European countries, the voltage used in Norway is 220-240 volts with a frequency of 50Hz. For the electrical outlet, the primary types of electrical outlet are the Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug and Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko.

In addition to the knowledge about plugs and electrical outlets present in Norway, a traveler would also need an adapter and voltage converter. Adapters are used when the shape of the plug is not compatible with the shape of the electrical outlet in Norway. The type of the plug of the appliance or electronic gadget may not be the same as that in the electrical outlet so it would be physically impossible to use them together. An adapter will alter the shape of the plug so travellers can finally use their electronic gadgets and appliances in Norway. Also, there is the voltage converter that should be used when the electronic gadget and appliance have a voltage different from the one standard in Norway, which is 220-240 volts. Examples of voltage converters are step-up and step-down transformer and 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 type of electrical outlet and plug in Norway. Also, the receptacle end of the adapter is usually compatible with any standard electronic household plug in Norway and from any country, aside from the “Type M” South African SABS1661 (Old British BS-546 Large) plug. Moreover, the pins of the Type C Europlug are 4.0mm in diameter, 19mm long and are spaced  19mm apart. In addition, the Europlug is also the most widely used electrical outlet all over continental Europe and in the former Soviet Republics.

Type C adapter

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 used in Norway. In using appliances and gadgets in Norway, the Type C Europlug could also be safely used with the Type C, Type E, Type F, and some Type L electrical outlets. 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. This plug is also non-polarized and non-grounded. Aside from Norway, 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 Norway 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 Norway also has side grounding contacts which allow symmetrical connection system for live and neutral to be reversed. Most European countries including Norway 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 Norway 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 Norway is already a Schuko, there is no need to use the Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko adapter for the electrical outlet.

Voltage Converters

Travel Voltage Converter

It is important to know the proper voltage, electrical outlet, plugs, and adapters to use when visiting Norway and other countries because sometimes these electric requirements vary depending on the location. In a tourist’s trip to Norway, 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. If the voltage of the appliance or electronic gadget to be used in Norway does not match its 220-240 volts requirement, like most American products that only use 110-120 volts, a tourist in Norway would need a voltage converter.

Transformer

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 Norway, 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.