Vietnam Power Plug and Adapter Guide: Types A, C, 220V

Vietnam uses plug types A and C on a 220 to 230 volt, 50 hertz supply. Most wall sockets are a hybrid that takes both: two flat pins from the US, Canada and Japan, or two round pins from Europe. Travellers from the UK, Australia, New Zealand and India need an adapter. Americans must check the voltage on anything that heats up.

What type of power plug is used in Vietnam?

The standard Vietnamese socket has two holes shaped like a keyhole on its side, wide enough for a flat blade and round at one end. That shape is why both of the plugs below fit the same outlet.

Published lists disagree on the third type. World Standards gives A, B and C, and most travel sites give A, C and F. It makes no practical difference, because the two-pin A and C plugs are what the walls are built for.

Two things catch people out. Many sockets have no earth connection, so a three-pin laptop plug either will not go in or goes in unearthed. And the hybrid sockets are loose. A heavy charger brick slides out of the wall under its own weight, which is the usual reason a phone is still at 20% in the morning.

The two round pins of a type C plug are what Vietnamese sockets grip best. Photo: Peter Lebbing, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Which adapter do you need for Vietnam?

Buy an adapter that ends in two round pins, the European type C. It grips a Vietnamese socket better than the flat American type. Add a short multi-socket lead from home and one outlet charges everything.

Australians get one piece of bad advice often. Several guides say Australian devices need a voltage converter in Vietnam. They do not. Australia runs at 230 volts and Vietnam at 220, and the angled pins are the only problem. Our guide to planning a Vietnam trip from Australia covers the rest of the paperwork.

Forgot it? Convenience stores such as Circle K sell basic adapters for around 100,000 dong, about 4 US dollars. Most mid-range hotels keep a few behind reception and lend them for free.

Is the Vietnam power plug the same as Europe?

For two-pin plugs, yes. A slim European plug with two round pins fits directly, and so does the larger earthed plug in many sockets, though it will not be earthed. The voltage and frequency match closely enough that nothing needs converting. British plugs are the exception in Europe. The three rectangular pins of type G fit nothing in Vietnam.

Voltage in Vietnam: what works and what burns out

Read the small print on the charger. If it says "Input 100-240V, 50/60Hz", it works anywhere, and that covers nearly every phone, laptop, camera and power bank charger sold today. The Vietnam phone setup checklist has the other things to sort before the flight.

The devices that fail are the ones that make heat. A hair dryer, straightener or travel kettle bought in the US or Canada is usually built for 120 volts only, and on 220 it overheats fast. A converter big enough for one is rated at 1,800 watts or more and weighs as much as the dryer. Leave both at home. Nearly every hotel room has a dryer in the drawer.

Charging at homestays, on sleeper buses and in jungle camps

Old guesthouse rooms often have one socket, so a short multi-socket lead earns its place.

A rural homestay often has one or two sockets for the whole room, sometimes at ceiling height beside the fan. Dorms in Phong Nha usually have a socket at each bunk now. Sleeper buses and newer train carriages have USB ports that charge slowly when they work at all.

Don't count on charging on an overnight jungle trip. Camps run on limited power or none, so charge everything at your hotel the night before and bring a charged power bank of 10,000 to 20,000 mAh for each night out. Put the phone in flight mode because there is no signal to search for, and keep the head torch on its own batteries. Our jungle trek packing list has the full kit, and the guide to eSIM signal in Phong Nha shows where coverage stops.

One 10,000 to 20,000 mAh bank for each night out is enough for a phone.

Humidity is the other problem. Charging ports corrode fast in a wet jungle, so carry cables and the power bank in a zip bag inside the dry bag. What a night in the cave involves beyond that is in our guide to a multi-day cave expedition.

Power banks on flights in Vietnam

The rules tightened on 1 July 2026. Under the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam directive, each passenger may carry at most two power banks, in hand luggage only, each rated at 100 watt-hours or less. That is about 27,000 mAh. A bank between 100 and 160 watt-hours needs the airline's approval first. Using or recharging a power bank during the flight is banned, and it has to sit somewhere visible, out of the bag, for the whole flight.

Power banks go in hand luggage only, two per passenger, since July 2026.

Keep the head torch on its own batteries so the power bank is left for the phone.