The French Type E plug is the only major plug design where the earth pin sticks out of the wall socket instead of the plug body. It's a French engineering choice from the 1950s that has shaped electrical infrastructure across France, Belgium, and parts of Eastern Europe. This guide covers the design, the cross-compatibility with Schuko, and the practical implications for travelers.
What Type E is
The Type E plug, defined by CEE 7/5, has:
- Two round pins, 19 mm apart, for live and neutral (identical to Schuko)
- A small hole on the plug body, positioned to fit over a male earth pin in the wall socket
- The plug enters the socket recess, pin-to-slot for live and neutral, and earth-hole-to-pin for ground
The French Type E socket has the corresponding parts:
- Two round slots for live and neutral
- A small male earth pin protruding from the socket face, near the bottom edge of the round recess
- The earth pin makes contact with the metal contact inside the plug's earth hole
This is the opposite of every other major plug design. Schuko has earth clips on the socket side and earth metal on the plug side. Type G, Type B, and Type I all put the earth on the plug. Only Type E inverts this.
Why French engineers chose the wall-mounted earth pin
The Type E design dates to the late 1950s, when France was modernizing its electrical infrastructure post-WWII. Several factors drove the design choice:
- Schuko (Type F) was already established in Germany, but France preferred a homegrown standard
- The earth-pin-on-the-wall approach made grounded outlets visually distinct (easy to identify in a wall plate)
- Simpler plug bodies could be manufactured cheaper (no robust earth pin in every plug)
- The pin-on-wall design ensured the earth made contact before the live pins for safety
- Sockets without the earth pin could be visually distinguished as ungrounded (older or specialty)
The trade-off was incompatibility with Schuko, which became the dominant standard in central Europe. French and German plugs couldn't directly substitute for each other, requiring adapters or the later CEE 7/7 hybrid design.
Cross-compatibility with Schuko
The pin spacing of Type E matches Schuko exactly (19 mm). This creates partial cross-compatibility:
- A Schuko plug in a Type E socket: live and neutral pins engage; the Schuko side clips don't engage anything (the Type E socket lacks the earth rails). Earth connection is missing but the appliance works for unground devices.
- A Type E plug in a Schuko socket: live and neutral pins engage; the Type E earth hole doesn't engage anything (the Schuko socket lacks the male earth pin). Earth connection is missing.
Both directions work for ungrounded devices (chargers, lamps, low-draw electronics). For grounded high-draw appliances (vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, washing machines), the missing earth is a safety concern.
The CEE 7/7 hybrid plug solves this:
- Has both the Type E earth hole AND Schuko side earth clips on the same plug
- Fits both Type E and Schuko sockets with proper grounding in either
- Most modern plugs sold across Europe are CEE 7/7
- Allows cross-border appliances to work safely without adapters
Look at a modern French or German plug; you'll usually see both the hole on the side and the earth clips, marking it as CEE 7/7.
Where Type E is used
Type E sockets are the primary standard in:
- France (mainland and overseas territories)
- Belgium (most outlets)
- Some Polish buildings
- Some Czech and Slovak buildings (where Type E and Schuko coexist)
- Some Danish buildings (Denmark primarily uses Type K but accepts Type E and CEE 7/7)
For travel purposes, France and Belgium are the main Type E destinations. The other European countries with Type E sockets typically have hybrid sockets that accept multiple plug types.
Type E vs Schuko design comparison
| Feature | Type E (CEE 7/5) | Schuko (Type F) |
|---|---|---|
| Earth location | Male pin on socket wall | Side rails in socket recess |
| Pin spacing | 19 mm | 19 mm |
| Polarized | Yes (earth position fixes orientation) | No |
| Cross-fit with each other | Yes (without earth) | Yes (without earth) |
| Hybrid available | CEE 7/7 covers both | CEE 7/7 covers both |
| Built-in fuse | No | No |
| Used in | France, Belgium, parts of E Europe | Germany, Austria, NL, Spain, much of Europe |
Both designs have similar safety profiles. Schuko is slightly more common globally because Germany's electrical industry was earlier to standardize and exported its design more aggressively.
Practical implications for travelers
If you're traveling to France or Belgium from another European country:
- A Schuko plug fits French Type E sockets but without earth engagement
- A French Type E plug fits Schuko sockets but without earth engagement
- A CEE 7/7 hybrid plug fits both with proper grounding
- A Europlug (Type C) fits both Type E and Schuko sockets without earth (designed for low-draw devices)
If you're a US, UK, AU, or Asian traveler buying an adapter for France:
- A "Type E" adapter targets the male earth pin specifically
- A "France adapter" usually means CEE 7/7 hybrid that works in both Type E and Schuko sockets
- A "Europe" or "EU" adapter typically supports both Type E and Schuko sockets
For travel buying purposes, any reputable universal adapter that explicitly covers French sockets handles Type E.
The bottom line
The French Type E plug is unique for putting the earth pin on the wall instead of the plug. The design is a French engineering choice from the 1950s that creates partial cross-compatibility with Schuko sockets. Modern CEE 7/7 hybrid plugs solve the compatibility gap by combining both earth approaches in one plug body.
For travelers: any Europe-style adapter that mentions French sockets or Type E specifically covers France and Belgium. The earth distinction matters for high-draw appliances but not for typical travel electronics like laptops and phones.