Trip Data Kit

Plug adapters / Vietnam

Type A / B / C · 230 V · 50 Hz

Do I need a plug adapter for Vietnam?

No. Vietnam uses type A, B and C sockets, the same shapes as the United States, so your plugs fit as they are. The supply is 230 V at 50 Hz, higher than the US 120 V.

Junk boat in Ha Long Bay
Ha Long Bay, Vietnam. Photo: Arianos, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (resized)
Socket type
A / B / C
US plugs fit
Voltage
230 V
charger must say 100–240 V
Frequency
50 Hz
US is 60 Hz
1234
  1. 1Socket Type A / B / C
  2. 2Voltage 230 V
  3. 3Frequency 50 Hz
  4. 4US plug fits as is
A wall socket in Vietnam (type A/B/C, drawn schematically) with its voltage and frequency, and whether a US plug fits.
Type AType BType C
Socket types used in Vietnam (schematic, not to scale).

What to pack for Vietnam

Nothing extra for the sockets. Check the voltage, though: Vietnam supplies 230 V through the same type A, B and C sockets you know from home, so a device that fits is not necessarily safe. Chargers marked 100–240 V are fine; a single-voltage appliance is not.

Most outlets are hybrid sockets that take A and C plugs (grounded versions also take B). Cross-check difference: Wikipedia lists A, B, C, F and 220 V. Values shown are WorldStandards'. Currency code not returned by the ISO 4217 fetch; left empty.

About type A, B and C sockets

Vietnam mixes US-style type A and B sockets with European type C, so what you find depends on the building. Pack a type C adapter for the sockets a US plug will not fit, and remember the supply is 230 V even where the socket looks American.

Voltage and frequency in Vietnam: 230 V, 50 Hz

Vietnam230 V · 50 HzUnited States120 V · 60 Hz
Vietnam's supply is 230 V — check that each charger's label says 100–240 V before plugging in.

Vietnam runs on 230 V, nearly double the 120 V of a US outlet. Any device with "INPUT: 100–240 V" on its label, which includes nearly every phone, tablet, laptop and camera charger, adjusts automatically and needs only the plug shape sorted out. A device marked 120 V only will draw too much current and can burn out in seconds; that mostly means hair dryers, straighteners, kettles and some older electric shavers. A travel converter can run them, but a converter rated for a 1,500 W hair dryer is heavy, so a dual-voltage model is the usual answer. The 50 Hz frequency matters even less than the voltage: chargers and electronics ignore it, and only old clocks and some motors notice.

Same sockets elsewhere

Mexico, Canada, Italy, France, Dominican Republic and Spain use at least one of the same socket types as Vietnam, so one adapter covers a trip that includes them.

Data for the same trip

While you are packing: how much mobile data a week in Vietnam needs, and which eSIM plans cover it.

Frequently asked questions

What plug type does Vietnam use?

Vietnam uses type A, B and C sockets. US type A and B plugs fit without an adapter.

What voltage is Vietnam?

Vietnam supplies 230 V at 50 Hz. Chargers marked 100–240 V handle it; single-voltage 120 V appliances do not.

Do I need a voltage converter for Vietnam?

Not for phones, laptops or cameras, whose chargers accept 100–240 V. Only a single-voltage appliance such as a 120 V hair dryer needs a converter, and a dual-voltage model is the easier fix.

Will my phone charger work in Vietnam?

Yes, provided it is marked 100–240 V, which almost every phone charger is. No adapter is needed because the sockets take US plugs.

Socket type, voltage and frequency: WorldStandards.eu country page, cross-checked 2026-10-21 against the Mains electricity by country table. The IEC retired its World Plugs guide in 2026.