Type N Socket And Plug

The Type N plug and socket is used only in Brazil and South Africa. Brazil and South Africa adopted Type N plugs and sockets as their power standard in 2001 and 2013, respectively, as a measure to end the coexistence of multiple different types of plugs and sockets within their countries.

The Type N plug has three round pins arranged in a triangular pattern, with the two power pins having a 10 mm insulated section at the base, so even if the plug is not fully inserted into the socket, the risk of electric shock can be avoided. The Type N plug comes in three versions: the 10 A and 20 A versions are used in Brazil, while the 16 A version is used in South Africa. All three versions of the Type N plug have pins that are 19 mm long, but with different diameters: the 10 A version has pins with a diameter of 4 mm, the 16 A version has pins with a diameter of 4.5 mm, and the 20 A version has pins with a diameter of 4.8 mm. The centers of the neutral and live pins are spaced 19 mm apart in all three versions.

Type N plug

The Type N plug looks very similar to the Swiss Type J plug, but the two are not interchangeable because the grounding pin of the Type N plug is positioned closer to the center of the plug. The Type N socket is specifically designed to be compatible with Type C plugs, with a hexagonal recess on the socket that matches the contour of Type C plugs.

Type N socket

Type N plugs and sockets are designed based on the IEC 60906-1 standard for household and similar electrical appliances. This standard was published by the International Electrotechnical Commission in 1986, with the original intention of making Type N plugs and sockets the universal power standard for all of Europe and other regions worldwide using 230 V circuits. Ultimately, this plan was shelved in the 1990s.

Thanks to modern injection molding technology, Type N plugs and sockets are more compact and robust compared to earlier plug and socket designs, making them one of the safest power standards in the world.