Which plug adaptor do I need when travelling from Virgin Islands to Tahiti (French Polynesia)?

Summary

The table below summarises the plug types, voltage and frequency of electrical current in both Virgin Islands and Tahiti (French Polynesia).

	Virgin Islands	Tahiti (French Polynesia)
Plug Types	A, B	A, B, E
Voltage	110V	110V, 220V
Frequency of electrical current	60Hz	60Hz

Plug Adaptors

In Virgin Islands there's more than one plug type in use.

What type of plug does your appliance have?

Type A
Type B

Your Appliance has Plug Type A

In Tahiti (French Polynesia) there's more than one socket type in use. You may require more than one adaptor.

Socket Type A
(Virgin Islands) to Plug Type B
(Tahiti (French Polynesia))

Socket Type A
(Virgin Islands) to Plug Type E
(Tahiti (French Polynesia))

Tahiti (French Polynesia) also uses Socket Type A, which is used in Virgin Islands. If using an appliance that has a Type A Plug in the Type A Sockets of Tahiti (French Polynesia), you will not need an adaptor.

Your Appliance has Plug Type B

In Tahiti (French Polynesia) there's more than one socket type in use. You may require more than one adaptor.

Socket Type B
(Virgin Islands) to Plug Type A
(Tahiti (French Polynesia))

Socket Type B
(Virgin Islands) to Plug Type E
(Tahiti (French Polynesia))

Tahiti (French Polynesia) also uses Socket Type B, which is used in Virgin Islands. If using an appliance that has a Type B Plug in the Type B Sockets of Tahiti (French Polynesia), you will not need an adaptor.

Warnings

Voltage

Check if your appliance is compatible with the voltages used in Tahiti (French Polynesia)

The voltage, 220V, is used in parts of Tahiti (French Polynesia) but not in Virgin Islands.

Some appliances are compatible with multiple voltages. To find out if your appliance is one of them, check the appliance label and/or instruction booklet. An example appliance label is below.

Appliance label showing a tolerable voltage range of 100 to 240 volts — This appliance is compatible with a range of voltages as it shows two voltage figures with a dash in between them. In this example, the appliance may be plugged into any outlet ranging from 100 to 240V without a voltage transformer, though a socket adaptor would still be needed if the sockets don't match.

See examples of appliance labels

Appliance label showing a voltage of 120 volts — This appliance is only compatible with a single voltage as only one voltage (120V) is printed on the label.

Appliance label showing two tolerable voltages: 115 volts and 230 volts — This appliance is compatible two voltages as it shows two voltage figures with a slash between them. Appliances displaying labels like this will have a physical switch located on them somewhere, allowing you to switch between the two voltages shown here. In this example, the appliance may be plugged into an outlet of 115V or 240V (provided the switch is in the correct position) without a voltage transformer, though a socket adaptor would still be needed if the sockets don't match.

Is your appliance compatible with the voltages used in Tahiti (French Polynesia) (110V and 220V)?

If your appliance is not compatible with multiple voltages, and you wish to use it in parts of Tahiti (French Polynesia) where this voltage is present, you will need a transformer to adjust the voltage input when using your appliance in Tahiti (French Polynesia).

Good to know

Frequency of Electrical Current

The frequency found in Virgin Islands and Tahiti (French Polynesia) is exactly the same (60Hz). Timing devices and appliances that use motors will function as expected under this frequency.

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