Museum of Plugs and Sockets logo, small CEE 7/7 and CEE 7/17 standard
Hybrid French - Schuko plugs
navigation icon navigation icon navigation icon


CEE 7/7 are earthed plugs; CEE 7/17 are not earthed. Both plug types fit in CEE 7/3 (Schuko) and CEE 7/5 (French*) sockets, because:
• CEE 7/7 plugs have both Schuko earth clips and a contact for French socket earth pins;
• CEE 7/17 plugs have cut outs to bypass Schuko earth clips and have holes for French earth pin to pass through.

CEE 7/7 plugs - rewireable or integrated with a cord - are often made by companies that sell products in many European countries, irrespective the local socket standard.
It is also a profitable strategy for production of special types that have a smaller market share than  domestic sales. For example robust IP54 plugs for professional use, as shown in images 5 - 9.

CEE 7/17 can be regarded as the 16A version of CEE 7/16 Europlugs that are limited to 2.5A

* CEE 7/5 sockets and 7/6 plugs are often designated as French type, but it is debatable whether 'French' is correct; see page about origin of earth pin sockets.


CEE7/7 plug CEE7/17 asymmatrical plug CEE7/17 symmatrical plug

arrows arrows  

CEE 7/3 socket
CEE 7/5 socket

CEE 7/7 plug with earth clips (Schuko) and a slot for earth pins of French sockets. Therefore the plug fits into both a Schuko socket (see no. 4a) and a 'French' socket (see no. 4b). Pin diameter: 4.8 mm. Rating: 16A - 250V.
2 CEE 7/17 not earthed plug with 4.8 mm pins, rated at 16A-250V. Plugs fit into CEE 7/3 and 7/5 sockets. Image nos 2 and 3 show two variants of CEE 7/7.
Plug no. 2  has an asymmetrical base plate (single circular cut out indicated by green arrow). Plugs can be inserted in one orientation in a CEE 7/5 socket, which ensures that plug polarity is kept.

3 Symmetrical variant of CEE 7/17 has two circular cut outs. It can be inserted in two different positions in a CEE 7/5 socket and is therefore a non-polarized plug. The symmetrical variant is far more common than the asymmetrical variant (no. 2).
4a, 4b 4a: CEE 7/3 socket with earth clips, also known as Schuko socket.
4b: CEE 7/5 socket with earth pin.

Electraline IP54 CEE 7/7 plug
Electraline IP54 CEE 7/7 connector
Electraline IP54 CEE 7/7 connector

Electraline IP54 CEE 7/7 plug and connector
ABL SURSUM elamid 2K CEE 7/7 plug

5 Industrial Pro Line IP54** CEE 7/7 plug made of shock resistant thermoplastic rubber and polycarbonate. Rating 16A - 250V.
The cable entry has a large retainer screw (blue arrow). Rotating the screw clockwise fasten wires up to 3 x2.5 mm2.
Manufacturer of plug and connector shown in images 5 - 8: Electraline 3Pmark SpA, Italy.   {ARF}
6, 7
Industrial Pro Line IP54** CEE 7/4 connector with waterproof cap. The cap is closed by spring force. A grip (green arrow) allows single hand opening. Further product details are identical to plug no. 5.   {ARF}
8 Combination of plug 5 and connector 6/7. Inset: retainer screw locking a three wire cord (9.5 mm diameter).
Total length: ca. 184 mm (depending on position of retainer screws. Connector diameter: 47 mm (cap excluded).

9 SCHUKO Professional, also known as SCHUKOultra plug, made by ABL-SURSUM, Germany. Rating: 16A - 250V; IP54**.
Plug housing is made of Elamid, a plastic that has a high chemical and UV resistance and has a wide temperature tolerance.
It is claimed that the plug may resist a weight of 4 tons.
For easy (dis)assembling the plug has a quick release lock. A quarter turn of the red screw (un)lock the connection between housing and internal contact carrier.

** IP code of 54 means that neither dust or splashing water will have a harmful effect.


Rewireable  CEE 7/17 plugs
Rewireable plugs are common for CEE 7/7, but rewireable CEE 7/17 plugs are not permitted in some European countries. For example in the Netherlands they are banned to prevent that a Schuko plug would be replaced by a non-earthed plug.
Image nos 10 to 13 show four rewireable plugs. Images 14 and 15 shows two classic non-rewireable  plugs.

Rewirable CEE 7/17 plug made by Legrand Rewirable CEE 7/17 plug made by Legrand, inside
Rewirable CEE 7/17 plug made by Kaiser

Asymmetrical rewirable CEE 7/17 plug Symmetrical rewirable CEE 7/17 plug Precursor model of a CEE 7/17 plug former DDR 2-pin plug

10a, b
Asymmetrical CEE 7/17 rewireable plug, rated at 16A - 250V. The plug, made by Legrand, has a French (NF 61314 / UF1624) and Polish (B) certification mark. The vertical part and top of the housing consists of two halves that are connected to the basal part by flexible plastic hinges. A single screw keeps the halves close together. Image 10b shows the inside after loosening the screw (upside down view compared to plug in image 10a).
11 Symmetrical CEE 7/17 semi* rewireable plug. Rating: 16A - 250V. Plug has no VDE or other certification mark.
The synthetic rubber plug housing offers protection against ingression of water and dust according to IP44 grade.
Manufacturer: Martin Kaiser in Hochstadt am Main, Germany.
* semi means that the two parts of the plug are fixed with one-way screws. that cannot be removed by conventional tools because the screws can only be turned in one direction.
12 Asymmetrical, rewireable plug, comparable to CEE 7/17. Pins have a diameter of 4.0 mm. Thinner pins explain a rating of 6A - 250V, rather than 16A for standard CEE 7/17 plugs that have 4.8 mm pins. Brand name EL-Bi, Istanbul,Turkey. The company was founded in 1987 under the name Elbistan Hirdavat (Elbistan Ironmongery). In 2013 EL-Bi became a member of the ABB Group. The plug has a Turkish certification mark (TSE).   {WM}
13 Symmetrical, rewireable plug, rated at 6A - 250V. The plug has 4.0 mm pins. Brand name unknown; possibly a Polish plug.  {WM}
14 Plug that can be regarded as a precursor of CEE 7/17. The not earthed plug fits in CEE 7/3 sockets, but not in CEE 7/5.
Rating: 6A - 250V; pins are partially split and have a diameter of 4 mm.
The plugs is not rewirable.
It has the same look as 1950s-60s Bakelite 2-pin plugs (see classic continental European plugs for examples), but the round base plate has the outline of Schuko plugs. The plug has been made of a red melamine resin. It has no certification marks and no indication of the manufacturer.   {RH}
15 Two-pin, 10A plug that fits in Schuko and French sockets. The plug was used in former Eastern Germany (DDR) and dates back to the 1970s-80s. It had the same functionality as nowadays non-polarized CEE 7/17 plugs (see no. 3).
This type of plug was often used for export products. Therefore it has certification marks for Western European countries, as VDE (Germany), KEMA (Netherlands) and Scandinavian countries (D, S, FI). A DDR quality mark that was typical for home market products is missing. Brand name: Krania; now: Krania Kabel-Stecker GmbH, Kranichfeld, Thuringia, Germany.   {WM}

CEE 7/17 connector plug
CEE 7/17 multi-outlet for extension cord

The CEE 7/17 standard does not include sockets and connector plugs, but they do exist, usually as part of an extension lead. They are incompatible with earthed CEE 7/4 and 7/6 plugs, a provision that forces the use an earthed - three wire - extention cord for appliances that need a functional protective earth connection.
16 Connector plug of an extension cord compatible only with CEE 7/17 plugs or CEE 7/16 Europlugs. The two protuberances, indicated by green arrows, block CEE 7/4 and 7/6 plugs, but also not earthed 16A CEE 7/2 plugs that have a round base plate.
Manufacturer: Ningbo Kaifeng Electrical Appliances Co., China.
17 Part of a multi-outlet extension socket. It has features comparable connector no. 16. The socket has been made in France by an unknown company named BRUN.   {WM}


CEE 7/7 and CEE 7/17 plugs in Europe

It is interesting to note that a large majority of Europeans are able to use CEE 7/7 as earthed plug and CEE 7/17 as non-earthed plug; see map below.
CEE 7/7 and CEE 7/17 have the potential to become the standard continental European plugs (Switzerland excluded).
However, it can only be an effective standard when restrictions on selling rewireable CEE 7/7 and CEE 7/17 (preferably
the asymmetrical variant) are lifted. Up to now in some European countries rewireable CEE 7/17 plugs are not yet allowed.

Note that 2.5A non-earthed Europlugs (CEE 7/16) are already accepted in each of the continental European countries.
Click here for another, more detailed map and table that show which of worldwide used domestic plugs can be used throughout Europe.
Map of Europe green Countries that have chosen for either the French or Schuko standard and thus accept CEE 7/7 and CEE 7/17 plugs.
In Eastern Europe you may find unearthed sockets that only accept plugs with 4.0 mm pins (former 6A-10A Soviet standard), rather than nowadays 4.8 mm pins for 16A plugs.
yellow In Italy some new houses, businesses and hotels are now equipped with universal sockets that both accept Italian, and CEE 7/7 (with functional earthing) and CEE 7/17 plugs. The popularity of universal sockets is rising. Italian CEI 23-50 sockets do not accept CEE 7/7 and CEE 7/17 plugs.
brown In Denmark DS Afsnit 107-2-D1 is the dominant standard. Danish sockets accept CEE 7/17 plugs. When CEE 7/7 plugs are used there is no earth connection. However, from 2008 CEE 7/5 (French type) sockets are allowed. Schuko is allowed from 2011, but both types are not yet common.
purple United Kingdom and Ireland have their own BS 1363 standard, which is incompatible with CEE 7/7 and CEE 7/17. An adapter is also needed to use CEE 7/16 (Europlugs).
red Switzerland has an unique standard, which is incompatible with CEE 7/7 and CEE 7/17. Also Liechtenstein has adopted the Swiss standard. Swiss sockets do accept Europlugs.


Navigation icon D i g i t a l   M u s e u m   o f Navigation icon P l u g s   a n d   S o c k e t s Navigation icon