Tunisia runs on 230V and 50Hz, with Type C and Type E sockets. If you live in mainland Europe, your plugs will work without any extra kit. If you are coming from the UK, Ireland, the US, Canada or Australia, you need a plug adapter, and in the case of North American devices you need to check voltage as well. This page covers what you will find in hotels, riads and guesthouses, which gadgets are safe, and what to carry for long days away from a socket.
Voltage and frequency in Tunisia
The national grid, run by the state utility STEG, delivers 230V at 50Hz. That matches the UK, Ireland, France, Italy and most of the world outside the Americas and parts of Asia.
- UK, Ireland, EU, Australia, New Zealand: same voltage, so only the plug shape matters. Continental EU plugs usually fit; UK, Irish and Australian ones need an adapter.
- US, Canada, Mexico: mains is 110-120V, so a device that is not dual voltage can be damaged here. Check the small print on the charger.
Plug types: Type C and Type E
Type C is the two-pin round “Europlug”. Type E is the French-style socket with two round holes and a fixed earth pin sticking out of the socket. In practice, you will mostly meet a recessed round socket that accepts a Type C plug. Many newer sockets in hotels in Hammamet, Sousse, Djerba and the Tunis suburbs are combined E/F sockets, which take German-style Schuko (Type F) plugs as well.
Two practical points:
- A standard Type F Schuko plug will not seat in an older Type E socket with a protruding earth pin. If your charger has a Schuko plug, bring a slim Type C adapter or travel with a Type C cable.
- Slim two-pin chargers (phones, e-readers, shavers) are the easiest. Chunky travel adapters with big housings can block the neighbouring socket or fall out of recessed wall plates.
Which travellers need an adapter
| Coming from | Plug adapter needed | Voltage converter needed |
|---|---|---|
| France, Germany, Italy, Spain and most of the EU | No | No |
| UK and Ireland (Type G) | Yes, Type C/E | No |
| US and Canada (Type A/B) | Yes, Type C/E | Only for non-dual-voltage devices |
| Australia and New Zealand (Type I) | Yes, Type C/E | No |
| South Africa (Type M/D) | Yes, Type C/E | No |
Laptop bricks, phone chargers, camera battery chargers and e-reader chargers are nearly always marked “100-240V”, so they only need the plug shape changed. The risky items are hair dryers, curling tongs, electric razors and travel kettles from North America. Leave them at home; hotels in the main resort areas provide hair dryers, and a dryer rated 120V will burn out quickly on 230V.
What to buy and pack
- A compact Type C/E adapter for UK, US and Australian plugs. Ours is a small, fixed-pin model rather than a bulky multi-region brick. Expect to pay a few euros at home as of 2026.
- A multi-port USB charger so one socket handles phone, camera and headphones. Riads in the Tunis medina and small Djerba guesthouses often have only one or two sockets per room.
- A short extension lead or power strip (with a Type C plug) if you are working remotely. Our Tunisia digital nomad guide and coworking spaces in Tunis both cover where power and Wi-Fi are reliable.
- A 10,000-20,000mAh power bank for long louage rides, Sahara tours and ruins days at Carthage and El Jem. Carry it in your cabin bag, never in checked luggage.
- A phone eSIM so you are not hunting for a socket to keep your connection alive. See our Tunisia eSIM guide or grab a Tunisia eSIM before departure.
Power cuts and desert trips
Outages in Tunisia are brief and occasional, rather than a daily event. They are most likely in rural villages, in summer heat waves when air conditioning pushes demand up, and after storms in the north-west around Ain Draham and Tabarka. In the south, a Sahara camp near Douz or Tozeur typically has no mains at all, or runs a generator for a few hours in the evening. Charge everything before you leave Douz, Tozeur or Nefta, and bring a power bank and a head torch.
Hotels in the main resort areas, including Hammamet, Port El Kantaoui and Djerba’s Midoun zone, often use a key-card slot that cuts power when you leave the room. If you want a phone to keep charging while you are out, slip a stiff card (such as a loyalty card) into the slot.
Quick checklist before you fly
- Type C/E adapter in your hand luggage
- All chargers confirmed as 100-240V
- Power bank fully charged and under airline limits
- Hair dryers and heated styling tools left at home (US and Canada)
- Spare charging cable, since cheap local cables fail fast
For the rest of your kit, our Tunisia packing list covers clothing for medinas, beaches and the desert, and our Tunisia budget guide helps you plan daily spending. If you are still choosing a base, you can search hotels in Tunisia and check the listing for socket details or ask the host before you book.